Bare Waxing and Laser Q&A There are no stupid questions

Yes, Bare is appointment only, so please book before you come in. We don't take walk-ins.

No, Bare is cashless.

Patient Intake Form completion is required 24 hours in advance.

We kindly request that all patients complete their intake forms at least 24 hours in advance of their scheduled appointment. This is crucial for us to thoroughly review your medical information and prepare for your visit, ensuring we can address any possible considerations or contraindications.

Completing your intake form ahead of time helps us to:

• Enhance the quality of your care by allowing our staff ample time to review your medical history and any specific concerns
• Reduce your waiting time and streamline your appointment process. We do not want your service time to be cut short due to forms not being completed before arrival.
• Ensure that our healthcare providers are fully informed and can tailor their approach to your individual health needs.

As a medical spa, we require all patients to provide a photo ID as part of their intake process. This requirement is in place for several reasons:

• Verification of Identity: To ensure that the person receiving treatment is indeed the individual who booked the appointment or is indicated in the medical records. This is crucial for maintaining patient safety and confidentiality.
• Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Medical spas, like other healthcare providers, must comply with legal and regulatory requirements, including those related to patient identification. Verifying identity through photo ID can be part of fulfilling these requirements.
• Payment: Our medical spa may need to verify that the patient’s payment information matches their identity
• Age Verification: Certain treatments have age restrictions, and a photo ID helps verify that a patient meets the age requirement for those treatments.
• Record Keeping and Patient Safety: Accurate patient identification is critical for safe and effective care, ensuring that treatments and patient records are accurately matched and maintained.

All appointments must be confirmed. You will receive a booking notification upon scheduling, followed by a confirmation email or text 48 hours before your appointment.

• For email confirmations, click the “CONFIRM” button in the email.
• For text confirmations, reply with “Yes”.

Unconfirmed appointments may be subject to cancellation.

We recommend booking in advance to secure your preferred appointment times.

Patients are advised to consider their menstrual cycle when scheduling. We provide services to patients on their period, so this is not a valid reason for last-minute cancellations. Please schedule mindfully.

We strive to accommodate late arrivals, but note that we may be unable to serve patients over 5 minutes late due to our tight scheduling. Consider traffic, parking, and other delays when planning your visit. Particularly for our Irvine location, allow extra time for parking during lunch hours (11:30 am – 1 pm).

Late patients may have to accept a modified service or reschedule.

We offer Male Intimate services and strive to offer this service in a safe, professional and respectful manner. For the safety of our staff we ask that our Intimates Disclaimer Form be signed prior to this service. Please click here to read it.

To ensure efficient scheduling, we require a 24-hour notice for appointment cancellations. This allows us to offer your slot to another patient seeking hair removal services. Cancellations and/or reschedules made less than 24 hours before the appointment may incur a charge of 50% of the scheduled service fee.

For no-shows, a charge of 50% of the total service cost will be applied for the first time. Second incidents are subject to 100% charge of services booked. We reserve your appointment exclusively for you and we cannot fill those times when patients make appointments and choose to not come. Our goal is to offer our staff a consistent and steady work environment and compensation as well.

We require a credit card on file to secure your appointments with us. This is solely for enforcing our no-show and late cancellation policies. Your credit card information is securely encrypted in our system.

Save more when you stock up on your favorite services with Smooth Packs.

Purchase 10 of the same service and receive 2 complimentary services, or purchase 6 and receive 1 complimentary service. All services must be the same and cannot be transferred to another patient or exchanged for different treatments or products. Packs may be used at any Bare location with any provider, based on availability.

Smooth Packs expire 2 years from the date of purchase. Extensions or holds are not permitted. Cancellations are allowed within 60 days of purchase and are subject to a $50 cancellation fee, along with repayment of any discounts received from used services. Refunds are not available after 60 days.

Our pricing is fixed and does not vary based on custom requests or the amount of hair. This ensures consistent, high-quality service for all patients.

Available at all Bare locations, gift cards can be used for services, products, and packages. All sales of gift cards are final.

Members commit to a minimum of three months. After that, memberships continue on a month-to-month basis with no end date.

If payment is not received by the 5th of the month, a $10 late fee is applied. If payment is still not received by the 25th of the month, your Membership is canceled and you may not purchase another Membership for 365 days. All services forfeited.

Members can freeze their membership for up to two months within a 12-month period. During freezes, unused visits can be redeemed, but perks are paused.

Freezing is only allowed after the initial three-month commitment.

Unused services rollover. Upon cancellation, any remaining services are forfeited.

Memberships become month-to-month after the initial commitment and may be canceled by the 25th of the month to prevent automatic billing on the 1st of the next month. Cancellation requests can be submitted with this form.

Upon cancellation, any remaining services are forfeited.

Members must receive service on the same day as their friend to utilize the bring a buddy benefit.

Yes, regular no-show and cancellation fees apply.

Wait at least 24 hours, especially underarms. Many deodorants with fragrance, alcohol, or aluminum can irritate freshly treated skin. Use arrowroot powder to absorb moisture, or a hypochlorous acid spray like our Steer Clear Post-Care Spray to calm the skin and support healing.

Results vary based on hormones, age, and genetics, but most regular underarm patients stay smooth booking every 4 weeks.

Yes, it gently exfoliates the top layer of skin, and since much of that darkness comes from the visible hair root showing through, removing the root helps eliminate that shadow.

Both use hypochlorous acid to sanitize freshly treated skin and calm irritation, helping prevent breakouts especially in higher sweat areas like the back, chest, and underarms.

Here's the whole journey in order. First, you get a Medical Clearance Exam, which is required by law before any laser treatment. Once you're cleared, you're free to book your actual laser appointments online whenever it works for you. Think of the clearance exam as the front door you have to walk through before you can get to the laser room.

The very first step is booking a Medical Clearance Exam, not a laser appointment. This is a quick visit with our Nurse Practitioner or doctor who reviews your health history and makes sure laser is safe for you specifically. Once that's done and you're cleared, you can go ahead and book your laser sessions right online just like any other appointment.

Laser is considered a medical treatment, not just a beauty service, so by law a medical professional has to personally clear you before you can be treated. Think of it like needing a doctor's okay before starting a new workout program. This same rule applies to any medical service we offer, like microneedling too, since those are also performed under a doctor or nurse's oversight.

Either one works. You can hop on a quick Zoom call with our Nurse Practitioner or come into one of our locations in person, whichever is easier for your schedule.

Yes, and this part is really important. You'll need to complete a health intake form at least 24 hours before your clearance appointment. Our nurse or doctor has to actually read through your health history before they can clear you, so if that form isn't turned in ahead of time, they simply won't have anything to review.

Unfortunately, we'll have to cancel and reschedule your clearance appointment. There's just no way for our medical team to safely clear you without seeing your health information first.

It's $25, and that fee isn't just a random charge. Once you're cleared, it gets applied directly toward your very first laser service, so you're not really paying extra, you're just paying a little early.

Your clearance is renewed once a year, kind of like a checkup, just to make sure nothing has changed with your health or medications since your last exam.

Laser hair removal uses concentrated light energy that targets the pigment in your hair follicles. The light converts to heat, damaging the follicle and stopping future hair growth. Since hair grows in different cycles, multiple sessions are needed to catch all your hair during its active growth phase.

Picture the hair sticking straight up out of your skin like a little metal antenna. If that antenna is sticking up when the laser zaps it, the energy hits it right at the surface and can cause a burn on top of your skin. But if the hair is shaved down and tucked inside the follicle, kind of like inside a little cave, the zap stays contained inside there where it's supposed to be.

Laser doesn't pull hair out like waxing does. It damages the follicle so the hair can't keep growing. Think of it like a tree that got hit by lightning in a forest, it's burnt and dead, but it's still standing there for a while before it falls. It takes 1 to 3 weeks for that damaged hair to shed out on its own.

Wait 24 hours. Your skin just went through a treatment and sweating too soon can irritate it while it's healing.

Skip anything heavy or occlusive, like thick ointments, since those trap heat against the skin. Stick to something light and cooling, like aloe vera. If you notice little red, itchy bumps, you can use a 1% hydrocortisone cream, but not for more than 48 hours.

We avoid lasering directly over tattoo ink since the laser can react with it and cause damage to the skin. We're happy to treat around the tattoo, just not directly on top of it.

Yes, that's totally fine. Just apply it as directed on the packaging so it has time to work properly.

Every 4 weeks. Hair grows in cycles, and there's one phase called the anagen phase where the hair is actively attached to its growth bulb underneath the skin. That's the only time the laser can actually damage the root for good, so coming in every 4 weeks gives us the best shot at catching hairs while they're in that active phase.

The very tip of a new hair is super thin and delicate. If your skin is dry with a buildup of dead skin on top, that thin little hair can't push its way through and ends up curling back under the skin instead. Keeping that top layer of dead skin buffed away, either by gently scrubbing or using a chemical exfoliant like an alpha hydroxy acid, gives the hair a clear path to grow through.

No, for about 99.9% of people, hair actually grows back thinner and finer over time. There have been a small number of documented cases where laser seemed to trigger a few hairs to grow instead, but it's very rare and not something we've seen happen here.

Let your Medical Practitioner know during your Medical Clearance Exam. They can adjust the laser settings for your skin type and recommend the right aftercare so your skin stays comfortable throughout your treatment series.

Yes, that's fine. Our Care Serum only has a mild 4% AHA in it. Just pause using it about 48 hours before your appointment so your skin isn't as reactive and you're less likely to get extra red during your session.

Our machine uses two different settings called Alexandrite and YAG, think of them like two different flashlight settings built for different skin tones. The Alexandrite setting works great on lighter skin, and the YAG setting goes a little deeper and safer for darker skin tones. Having both means we can safely treat a much wider range of people.

You should actually notice a real reduction in hair after every single session. Some other laser spots, especially bigger chains, start their laser settings really low and slow, which can make it feel like nothing's happening at first. We don't do that here, so your results should feel noticeable from early on.

Shaving is totally fine anytime, even the same day. But if you've waxed or sugared, you'll need to wait about 4 weeks so the hair has time to grow back in with its root intact, since that's what the laser actually needs to target.

4 weeks, every time. That's the sweet spot for catching hair in its active growth phase.

The cost of laser has actually come down a ton over the years. Brazilians used to run around $500 a session back in the day. At Bare, laser is priced to actually be doable for regular people, and we make sure it's done right so you get real results, not just a quick zap and a hope.

Most people describe it as a fast little snap, kind of like someone quickly flicking a rubber band on your skin over and over. The first couple sessions tend to feel a bit more noticeable since you've still got a lot of hair in that area, and more hairs means more snaps. As your hair gets sparser over your treatment series, there's simply less hair to zap, so it gets more comfortable each time. Our machine also has a built in cooling system that blows a quick burst of cool air on your skin with every snap, which is why a lot of our patients specifically tell us how comfortable it is here.

That's a good one to run by your own primary doctor first, just so it's cleared for you personally before your appointment.

Wait at least 5 days. By then, any redness should be gone, and you'll probably start noticing some of that treated hair naturally shedding out too.

We actually don't do touch up pricing or any kind of custom pricing. Here's the easiest way to think about it. If you go to a burger place, a cheeseburger costs the same whether you get it fully loaded or plain, because you're paying for the whole thing being made the same way. It's the same with laser for us, whether you have 1 hair or 500 hairs in an area, we're using the same machine, the same pulses, and the same amount of time and staffing to treat that whole area properly.

Results can vary widely depending on the machine and technology used. At Bare, we use the Candela GentleMax Pro, one of the most advanced and reputable laser systems on the market, combined with an individualized approach from our Medical Practitioner.

This is a normal part of the process. Since hair grows in cycles, it typically takes a full series, often 6 to 8 sessions, to effectively treat all the hair in an area.

Yes, hormonal factors such as pregnancy, PCOS, thyroid conditions, or certain medications can influence hair growth and how your body responds to treatment. Our Medical Practitioner reviews your medical history during your clearance exam to help set accurate expectations.

We recommend avoiding sun exposure, tanning beds, and self tanner for at least 2 weeks before your appointment, since treating tanned or sunburned skin increases the risk of irritation or skin damage.

You'll need to be off Accutane for 6 months to a year before starting laser, since it makes your skin's protective barrier weaker for a while and it needs time to fully rebuild.

Every 4 weeks is the sweet spot. Think of your hair like it's on a growth schedule you can't really see, and 4 weeks is about how long it takes for most of it to catch up to the same length.

About a quarter inch, roughly the size of a grain of rice. If it's shorter than that, the wax literally has nothing to grab onto, kind of like trying to pick up a marble with tweezers that are too big.

There's some discomfort since you're pulling hair straight out from the root, but it's quick and most people handle it just fine. The more consistently you wax, the less it tends to hurt, because your hair comes in finer and softer.

Show up with clean, dry skin, no lotion, oil, or deodorant on the area. Gently exfoliating a day or two before helps clear away the dead skin on top so the wax can grab your hair cleanly.

Wear loose, breathable clothes so nothing rubs against your skin right after your service. Also try to wear stuff washed without heavy fabric softener or strong detergent, since that residue can irritate freshly waxed skin.

Stay out of direct sun for at least 24 hours, but your skin actually stays extra sensitive for about 3 full days after your wax. That means you're way more likely to burn that whole week, so wear sunscreen on that area even after the first 24 hours.

Give it 24 hours. Sweat is basically your body's way of dumping out waste and bacteria. Right after waxing you've got tiny open pores, and if bacteria filled sweat gets in there, your body reacts like it's under attack and makes a little pimple.

Right after you wax, you've got tiny holes where the hair used to be, and those holes need a full day to close back up. If you get a spray tan before that happens, the tanner can seep into those holes and leave tiny dark dots on your skin, almost like freckles. Wait 24 hours, keep skin moisturized, and you'll get a much more even tan.

Hard wax is basically like plastic. When heated it expands, and as it cools it shrinks back down and grips on tight, built for thicker, coarser hair. Strip wax is thinner and more flexible and needs a cloth strip to pull it off, better suited for fine, soft hair.

Definitely let us know beforehand so we can take extra care of you, but here's something important to understand first. A lot of people assume their reaction is caused by a specific wax or product, but that's usually not what's happening. Even with the gentlest products in the world, hair removal is a pretty intense event for your skin, you're disturbing hundreds to thousands of tiny follicles in one visit, and if your skin naturally runs sensitive, some kind of reaction is just part of that process. It's not really about what's being put on your skin, it's about the action itself.

Waxing pulls the hair out by the root, but that follicle underneath your skin is still alive and just makes a new hair, kind of like pulling a weed but leaving the roots in the ground. Laser is different, it finds that hair and zaps it like a tiny lightning bolt, damaging the root itself so it can't keep making new hair.

We really don't recommend it. Accutane is a pretty intense medication that breaks down your skin's natural defense barrier and can even affect your liver, so your skin becomes way more fragile and prone to tearing during a wax.

Yes. Since wax pulls hair out from the root instead of chopping it off at the surface, the hair grows back with a softer, more tapered tip, giving it a much easier time pushing back through your skin.

Shaving just cuts hair at the surface, kind of like mowing a lawn, so it grows right back within a day or two. Waxing pulls the whole hair out from the root, so it takes weeks to grow back, and it comes in finer each time.

Yep, totally fine. Your skin might feel a touch more sensitive, but that's it.

Yes, in two ways. It gently buffs away dead skin on top, and a lot of that dark shadow in areas like the underarms is actually just the hair root showing through your skin. Pull the root out and that shadow goes with it.

Wax grips both your hair and your skin. Sugar paste is made from just sugar, lemon, and water, and it only grabs onto the hair itself, making it a gentler option if your skin tends to be more delicate.

These areas have way more sweat glands than places like your legs or arms. Right after waxing you've got tiny open pores where hair used to be, and sweat is packed with bacteria your body is trying to get rid of. If that bacteria filled sweat gets into those open pores before they close, your body reacts like it's being invaded and throws up a little bump as its defense.

Same reason as above. Lots of sweat follicles plus freshly opened pores plus bacteria equals your skin overreacting. Keeping the area clean, dry, and free of sweat, lotion, and tight clothes for 24 hours gives your skin the calm environment it needs to heal.

Probably not. Your first wax is kind of like breaking in a new pair of shoes, your skin hasn't adjusted yet and tends to overreact the most. Most people find their skin calms down and adapts quickly once they're on a regular schedule.

Yes, since men typically have even more sweat follicles packed into the back and chest. Avoiding the gym, tight shirts, and old sweaty workout clothes for 24 hours, plus using Care Serum or Steer Clear, makes a real difference.

Keep the area bone dry and sweat free for 24 hours. Skip the gym, hot tub, and sauna, wear loose clothes, and use Care Serum or Steer Clear to keep the area clean while it heals.

It's about the same as other big areas of the body. Since men often have coarser, denser hair there, the very first session can feel a bit more intense, but it eases up fast.

Hard wax, every time, and we actually make our own in house. Hard wax only grips the hair, not your skin, so it's built specifically for a sensitive area like this.

A lot of salons rip off giant strips in one go just to move fast, which usually means more pain and missed hairs. We work in small, precise sections instead, following your actual hair growth pattern. It takes a little more time, but it means a cleaner, more thorough, way less painful result.

There's discomfort since it's a sensitive area, but our small section technique and custom hard wax keep it as gentle as possible. It gets more comfortable with each visit as your hair grows in finer.

About a quarter inch, like a grain of rice. Shorter than that and the wax can't get a good grip.

Every 4 weeks keeps you synced up with your natural hair cycle and helps prevent ingrown hairs.

Both work great, sugar just only grabs the hair and not the skin, so some people find it gentler down there. It really comes down to personal preference.

Shower beforehand with no lotion, oil, or deodorant on the area. A light exfoliation a day or two prior helps clear the path for a cleaner wax.

For 24 hours, skip sweating, hot showers, tight clothes, and sex, since the area is freshly sensitive. Steer Clear or Care Serum helps keep things calm while it heals.

There's no exact timeline, but we can't wax over stitches or open wounds, and we steer clear of fresh scars since nerves there are still healing and can feel unusual during a wax.

It's an all natural paste made from just sugar, lemon, and water, no chemicals at all. Since it only sticks to your hair and not your skin, it's a gentler way to remove hair from the root.

Wax grabs onto your hair and your skin together. Sugar paste only grabs the hair, which means less tugging on your skin itself and usually less irritation afterward.

If your skin tends to react easily, gets irritated, or you deal with something like eczema, sugaring is usually the more comfortable route since it's not pulling on the skin the way wax does.

Yes. It's applied and removed in the same direction your hair naturally grows, so the hair doesn't get bent or broken off at an angle underneath your skin, which is a big cause of ingrowns in the first place.

Everyone's a little different based on things like hormones and age, but most people stay smooth by booking every 4 weeks.

Pretty much anywhere, legs, arms, back, chest, stomach, and intimate areas included.

Clean, dry skin with no lotion, oil, or deodorant, and hair at least a quarter inch long so the paste has something to grip.

A quick service where we use a safe dye to darken your lashes, making them look fuller and more noticeable, kind of like wearing mascara without any makeup at all.

About 4 weeks. We recommend coming in every 4 weeks to keep your lashes looking dark and fresh.

Anyone with an eye infection, recent eye surgery, or a known allergy to hair dye. If you wear contacts, let your specialist know beforehand.

We recommend removing them beforehand. You'll keep your eyes closed the whole time, so it's easier and safer to go without them.

Skip oil based makeup removers, cleansers, and eye creams around your lashes for 24 to 48 hours. Oil breaks down the dye faster, which means your tint won't last as long.

No, when done correctly it only adds color to the hair itself.

No, tinting should be done before extensions are applied, not after.

Swimming, sweating, oil based products, and rubbing your eyes can all cause tint to fade faster.

A safe dye service that darkens your eyebrows, making them look fuller and more defined without filling them in every day.

About 4 weeks.

Anyone with a skin infection, open cuts, sunburned skin, or a known allergy to hair dye. If you've had recent Botox or filler near your brows, let your specialist know.

Yes, especially if you've never had it done before or have sensitive skin.

Tint color can process differently depending on your natural brow hair, skin tone, and hair porosity. Slight variation is normal.

Wax or shape first, then tint. Tinting first and waxing right after risks removing hairs that were just colored.

Yes, it's one of the best ways to cover gray and blend it with your natural color.

A service that sets your brow hairs in a fuller, more lifted shape, kind of like a perm but for your eyebrows.

About 8 weeks.

Anyone with very thin, fragile, or damaged brow hair, or a skin condition, open wound, or allergy near the brow area.

Keep them dry for the first 24 hours, then keep them hydrated with a brow serum or lightweight oil. Dry, brittle hair won't hold the lamination shape as well.

Not until it grows out. If you don't like the direction, tell your specialist before the setting solution is applied.

No, it only reshapes the direction the existing hair lays.

Wait the full 8 weeks between services.

A facial treatment where a specialist gently removes dead skin and peach fuzz from your face, leaving skin smoother and brighter right away.

About 8 weeks.

Anyone with active acne, cystic breakouts, active cold sores, sunburned skin, or flare ups of conditions like eczema or rosacea. Also avoid it if you've recently used strong retinol, Accutane, or had certain chemical peels.

If your skin is acne prone but not actively breaking out, dermaplaning can help by clearing dead skin buildup. Wait if you have active acne.

No, that's a myth. It doesn't change your hair's thickness or growth speed.

Some minor breakouts a few days after are possible as trapped buildup releases, but it clears up quickly.

Wait a few hours since your skin is freshly exfoliated and more absorbent right after treatment.

Yes, generally considered safe since no chemicals or heat are used.