The cost of permanent hair removal using lasers can be daunting at first glance. The mid-range cost for laser hair removal on the arms, for instance, is around $600 to $1,000 total. The bikini area, back, and legs can be much more expensive, depending on the density of hair involved.

However, before you gape at the cost of permanent hair removal, consider how much you spend on hair removal now. For instance, if you figure that waxing costs anywhere from $40 to $60 per treatment for a medium to large area, and you have to do it about 10 times a year, the cost of permanent hair removal begins to pay for itself. Further, you will never have to spend money on depilatory creams, razors, gels, shaving creams, or waxing strips again.

In order to calculate the cost of permanent hair removal, talk to you doctor about the number of treatments you will need. She will give you an approximate number of treatments. Of course, since hair grows in cycles, you may need more or less treatments depending on how you respond.

Generally, though, you can figure about $200 to $500 per treatment. It typically takes six sessions to permanently get rid of 70 to 80 percent of the unwanted hair. After this, you should only have to pay for touch-up treatments, which are significantly cheaper ($100 or so).