Hair Removal

Yes, we can. We specialise in treating problem facial hair and have helped many women across Highland and Moray achieve lasting results. Whether it's hormonal, hereditary, or simply unwanted, we can tailor a treatment plan that works for you.

Our standard estimate for full hair removal is 6 to 8 sessions, with treatments spaced at around 8 weeks. You can choose to come more frequently for faster progress, but this may mean needing a few extra sessions overall.

On average, a full course of treatment takes around a year to complete.

For details on individual session costs and packages, please see our Prices page.

Probably, especially if your hair is dark. Black and brown hair respond extremely well to laser, and most clients achieve full removal within 6 to 8 sessions.

Laser works by targeting melanin (pigment) in the hair to destroy the follicle. However, even with advanced systems like ours, not every follicle in the active growth phase (anagen) will be successfully destroyed in a single session. The proportion of active follicles destroyed per visit is high, but it’s never 100%.

The darker the hair, the higher this success rate.

• Blonde hair contains less melanin, so absorbs less energy.

• White and grey hairs often contain no melanin at all, so are unlikely to respond to laser treatment.

• Red hair contains pheomelanin, a more reflective pigment, making it harder to treat effectively. We can usually reduce coppery reds, but firey reds do not respond.

Possibly. Laser hair removal offers long-term results, but hormonally driven hair growth can sometimes cause new follicles to form over time.

In men who are not taking hormone replacement therapy, some degree of regrowth is guaranteed, and it can be quite rapid. Ongoing maintenance treatments are typically required to manage results long term.

In women, facial hair is also commonly affected by hormones. Maintenance sessions every 6 to 12 months may be needed, depending on the individual.

We also treat a small number of clients who require ongoing treatment with no fixed end point. All of these individuals have been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, not everyone with PCOS will experience persistent regrowth, and we tailor advice accordingly.

For other areas, such as legs, arms, underarms, or bikini, long-term removal is generally expected, although some regrowth is still possible.

We’ll always discuss your specific needs and expectations during your consultation to create a realistic, supportive treatment plan.

Diode lasers are usually swept back and forth over the skin, gradually building heat in the hair follicles. IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) uses a broad flash of light—similar to a large camera flash—to do the same. Both approaches are relatively inefficient, often cause unnecessary skin heating and discomfort, and may lead to incomplete results.

At Highland Laser Clinic, we use the Quanta Duetto platform, which combines two native laser sources (Alexandrite and Nd:YAG) that can be used individually or simultaneously. These lasers deliver energy in a precise, short pulse—targeting the follicle quickly and effectively without heating the surrounding skin.

Full removal is unlikely with IPL or diode systems. Often, the hair grows back finer and lighter, then becomes resistant to further treatment. In some cases, continued IPL or diode use can cause paradoxical hair growth, where the treatment actually stimulates new hair to grow.

If you’ve been left in this situation, we may still be able to help.

There’s a bit of discomfort, but most people tolerate laser hair removal very well. Treatments are quick, and we use a powerful cold air blower built into the laser head to cool your skin during treatment. This makes the process significantly more comfortable.

Some areas are more sensitive than others. Shins can be a bit nippy, and certain parts of the bikini area may ping a little more.

If it’s safe for you, we recommend taking paracetamol about an hour before your appointment to help take the edge off. You will receive a text message to remind you to do this.

Ah, good question and one we get asked a lot. There are two main reasons:

1. Some hairs need more than one hit to fully destroy the follicle

2. More importantly, not all hairs are treatable at the same time because of the way hair grows.

Hair grows in phases. There are at least three key stages (this is a simplified model, but it's enough to explain why laser takes time):

• Anagen (active growth): The hair is attached to the base of the follicle, where the dermal papilla sits. This is the critical structure that fuels hair growth. During this phase, laser energy can travel down the hair shaft and denature, or “cook”, the dermal papilla, effectively disabling the follicle’s ability to regrow. This is the only time laser can permanently affect the hair.

• Catagen (transition): The hair detaches from the base and the follicle begins to shrink. Since the dermal papilla is no longer accessible, laser won’t work.

• Telogen (resting/shedding): The follicle is inactive. A club hair may still be sitting higher up in the skin, but it’s no longer growing and is well away from the base. There’s nothing for the laser to target.

Each individual follicle follows its own cycle, so only a proportion of your hairs are treatable at each session. We space treatments apart to catch different hairs when they cycle into Anagen, which is why laser hair removal is always done as a course of treatments not a one-off procedure.

Telogen can last for several months, so we usually recommend that your course of treatment takes place over about a year. This gives us the best chance of catching as many follicles as possible at the right time.

We know it might feel odd, especially for women dealing with facial hair, but shaving is essential for successful laser treatment.

Laser needs a target: the pigment inside the hair, which absorbs the energy and carries it down to the dermal papilla (the growth centre of the follicle). If we can heat and denature the dermal papilla, that follicle will shut down and stop producing hair.

If you wax, pluck, thread, or epilate, you remove the hair shaft entirely—so there’s nothing for the laser to target. You’re forcing the follicle into the telogen (resting) phase, where it’s completely untreatable.

So yes, even if you’re a woman with facial hair, we do ask you to shave.

That said, we know shaving your face can feel like a big step. You can ease into it by starting laser after 4 weeks of shaving. Some clients choose to have their first few sessions every 6 weeks to get on top of the problem more quickly, before switching to longer intervals.

We recommend:

• 8-week intervals for best value (fewer sessions overall)

• 6-week intervals for faster visual improvement (but you may need more sessions)

Use a good quality multi-blade razor. Change blades regularly to avoid irritation and ensure a close shave.

Some ladies prefer to use a small pair of sharp curved scissors to carefully trim problem hairs between treatments instead. Pocket sized electric razors such as the Flawless device can also be a good alternative to tweezers for dealing with the odd hair without interfering with your treatment and are a good substitute for plucking with tweezers.

No, it needs to be nice and short please. You might be used to growing hair out for waxing, but that’s not necessary for laser. In fact, long hair can get in the way. We ask that you shave the area a day or two before your appointment so that the hair is short but still present inside the follicle.

Shaving before treatment helps in three key ways:

• It reduces discomfort. If the hair is too long and lying on the skin’s surface, you’ll feel it more.

• Less side effects. Lasering hair on the surface can leave small brown scorch marks that last a day or two.

• It makes the treatment more effective. Longer hair can block the laser from reaching deep into the follicle, which is where the energy needs to go.

It’s up to you if you want to let it grow long between treatments, as long as it is short on the day. We don’t recommend waxing, plucking, threading, or epilating, as these remove the hair root—and we need that in place for laser to work.

These fine, downy hairs are known as vellus hair, or more commonly, peach fuzz—and almost everyone has them to some degree.

Laser hair removal is not designed to treat vellus hair, and we generally don’t recommend it for this purpose. These hairs usually don’t contain enough pigment for the laser to target effectively, and even when they do respond, the results tend to be temporary. Because vellus hairs aren't rooted in the same way as terminal (primary) hairs, they often grow back over time.

If peach fuzz is bothering you, we recommend dermaplaning as a safe, effective way to remove it. This gives a smoother appearance and can be repeated regularly as needed.

Heavenly Bliss in Avoch is run by a lovely therapist we know and trust. Her dermaplaning treatments are ideal for this type of concern.

If you're unsure whether your facial hair is suitable for laser, just ask—we’re always happy to advise during your consultation.

Yes, for most skin types. Our laser system includes two wavelengths:

• Alexandrite 755nm, ideal for all paler skin types

• Nd:YAG 1064nm, better suited to darker skin types

For most pale-skinned clients, we use Alexandrite on its own. For clients with darker skin, we use a simultaneous blend of 755nm and 1064nm, which offers improved safety and effectiveness for those with more melanin-rich skin.

For most pale-skinned clients, we use Alexandrite on its own. For clients with darker skin, we use a simultaneous blend of 755nm and 1064nm, which offers improved safety and effectiveness for those with more melanin-rich skin.

We're able to treat up to Fitzpatrick skin type 4. Unfortunately, due to the terms of our insurance, we’re not currently covered to treat Fitzpatrick type 5 or 6.

If you're not sure where you fall on the Fitzpatrick scale, or if you've been refused treatment elsewhere, we’re happy to discuss your options sensitively and transparently during consultation.

Yes, absolutely. We’re proud to offer a trans-friendly and we regularly welcome clients from across Highland, Moray and beyond.

If you’ve already started hormone therapy, you’re likely to see better long-term results, as testosterone levels strongly influence regrowth. That said, many clients choose to begin laser before starting feminising medication, and that’s completely valid. We’ll talk you through what to expect based on where you’re at in your journey.

In our experience, clients with hormone levels in the expected range tend to see excellent results. We’ve only seen regrowth in one case where testosterone remained unusually high. We'll always be honest about what to expect and work with you to get the best outcome possible.

Laser hair removal is a very safe treatment when performed correctly. Most clients experience only mild and short-lived effects, such as:

• Erythema: temporary redness in the treated area

• Follicular oedema: mild swelling around the hair follicles (a sign the treatment has worked)

These are completely normal and settle within a few hours.

More serious side effects are rare, but may include:

• Hypopigmentation: lightening of the skin

  This can be long-lasting and is always caused by recent sun or UV exposure. Even if no tan is visible on the surface, sun damage can affect how the skin reacts to treatment.

• Hyperpigmentation: darkening of the skin

  This is usually self-limiting and clears on its own within around six months. It is most often caused by sun exposure either before or after treatment, although in rare cases it can occur without a clear cause.

• Blistering: small fluid-filled spots caused by heat or irritation

  Blistering is always caused by product on the skin at the time of treatment. It can result in scarring or other textural changes, which in some cases may be permanent.

These risks are why we are so strict about avoiding all skincare products, fake tan and sun exposure before treatment. When the correct guidelines are followed, the likelihood of complications is extremely low.

Yes, completely. On the day of your appointment, your skin must be entirely clean and free from all products in the area being treated.

That means:

• No makeup

• No moisturisers or body lotions

• No SPF

• No fake tan, tanning drops, or residue from gradual tanning products

We kindly ask that you shower or wash before your appointment and arrive with clean, dry skin and no product applied afterwards.

Product residue is the number one cause of adverse skin reactions during laser hair removal. Even a small amount of leftover product can interfere with the laser, increasing the risk of burns, blistering, or pigmentation changes. If we see any product on your skin, we won’t treat you - it’s simply not safe.

We also require you to avoid all fake tan products for at least 4 weeks before each treatment. Even trace amounts left in the pores can lead to skin damage.

We understand that some sun exposure is hard to avoid, especially in summer.

We do treat sun-tanned skin, but we’ll assess it on the day using a professional skin tone meter (our affectionately-named brownometer). If your skin tone has darkened since your last session, we may need to adjust your laser settings to keep things safe.

This can affect results:

• We may need to use lower energy levels, which can make treatment less effective

• If you have blonde, red, or light-coloured hair this reduction may seriously reduce the clinical effectiveness of the treatment

• It may take more sessions to achieve full results

• Tanned skin tends to feel more sensitive, so treatments can be more uncomfortable

If you’ve had significant sun exposure such as a beach holiday or sunbathing abroad we require a minimum of 4 weeks before treating the area. Even if your tan has faded, your skin may still be more reactive beneath the surface.

We also strongly advise against using sunbeds during your course of treatment. They dramatically increase the risk of skin damage, pigmentation issues, and discomfort, and will compromise your results.

To protect your skin and get the best outcome from your treatment, we recommend wearing a broad-spectrum SPF 30–50 daily from May to September, especially on exposed areas like the face, arms, and legs. If you are having facial hair removal, we also recommend wearing a hat to shade your face during sunny weather.

We’ll always be honest about how tanning may affect your treatment and results. If needed, we’ll offer to reschedule your session until your skin tone returns to baseline, it’s never worth the risk.

If you’ve had facial hair removal, you can wear makeup from the next day, as long as your skin feels calm.

Please note: on the day of treatment, your face must be completely clean and free of all products—this includes makeup, moisturiser, SPF, and any tanning products.

If we see product on your skin, we may have to refuse treatment for safety reasons.