For the best results, choosing between a hair removal salon or medical clinic can be difficult — but what are the differences? We cover costs and number of sessions, plus levels of pain.
| Medical Hair Removal Clinic | Hair Removal Salon | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ×Expensive Underarm - ￥3,800 and beyond Brazilian - ￥70,000 and beyond Full Body -￥ 200,000 and beyond |
◎Affordable Underarm - ￥100 and beyond Brazilian - ￥40,000 and beyond Full Body - ￥120,000 and beyond |
| Period | ◎Takes less time for full results About a year (5-6 sessions) |
×Takes longer for full results About 1.5 - 3 years (12-18 sessions) |
| Pain | ×Higher level of pain, but anesthesia can be used | ◎Less pain |
| Pros | ◎Hair removal completion is fast ◎Effective results of hair removal |
◎Less pain for hair removal ◎Fee is affordable |
| Cons | ×Fee is expensive ×More painful |
×Completion takes a long time. ×To see results it can take at least 4 sessions |
Laser hair removal can be painful but it's a safe medical practice that breaks down hair papilla to almost full permanent hair removal.
The greatest benefit is the short treatment period. However, the cost can be twice as much as salons.
There are full-time doctors for aftercare service at no additional cost.
Salon service is different from medical clinic hair removal as it will not breakdown the hair papilla completely. Multiple sessions are required for full results.
Salon services tend to be cheaper for each session. However, the costs can be just as much or more if you visit frequently. Also, salon services are not permanent.
Hair removal and additional skin care treatments can be done during the same visit. Most salons offer moisturizing care before and after the service.
Datumou Recipe comment:
・For those who want to finish treatment quickly, medical hair removal clinics are for you
・For those who are on a budget, hair removal salons are for you
These are 2 factors to consider when choosing a hair removal method
Kireimo has the best prices, lots of reviews, and offers full body hair removal. They offer facial and bikini hair removal at low costs and with the ability to cancel services at any time.
REGINA clinic is the most reasonably priced clinic providing full body hair removal that requires the least amount of time commitment.
It’s easy to find salon service information, but what about customer service satisfaction and atmosphere?
Reading customer reviews and experiences are helpful, especially when you keep the following in mind.
Questions to consider when reading reviews
・How is the atmosphere during the consultation?
・Are they too pushy?
・Are the changing rooms clean and how is the customer service?
・How are the prices and was the listed price accurate?
・How are the hair removal results?
We currently list reviews for 28 salons including Kireimo, Ginza Calla, Stlassh, Musee, C3, Datumou Lab, TBC, and Epire.
We’ve summarized all the information you need to know before getting hair removal treatments, including the costs and where to go for treatment.
Bunny the Reporter
Many find it difficult to go to their first consultation because they don't know much about hair removal treatments. Datumou Recipe was created to help beginners.
Learn everything you need to know before receiving treatments.
Read through Datumou Recipe and see for yourself how surprisingly easy it is to get hair removal treatments.
We have comprehensive information for anyone concerned about unwanted hair and skin issues.
We are happy to answer questions and respond to comments about situations you may find difficult to ask others. Check out the latest news on hair removal for beginners and experts!
Back hair is an area that is commonly treated, and you may be wondering how others remove this hair.
Underarm and leg hair removal is common to do on your own, but removing back hair on your own can be very hard, so it’s not very common. To treat these hard-to-reach areas, it’s best to visit a hair removal salon. One of the benefits of hair removal salons is that hair removal and skin care can be done at the session.
The hair that grows on the upper lip is usually fine, soft hair. This hair can be harder to shave. Research says that most women shave the upper lip 2 or 3 times a week, which is more frequent than the arms and legs. It's also common to do hair removal on the eyebrows, cheeks, and chin area.
Using a razor or tweezers is not a good way to remove this facial hair. Doing it yourself can damage your skin and no matter how you remove the hair, it will grow back quickly.
Salons will do chin and upper lip hair removal. Clinics will use a laser that can be painful but very effective. However, salons will do skin care treatment after the hair removal. There are many areas where people prefer to treat on their own but it's important to properly take care so that the hair will not grow back quickly.
There are cases where certain areas of the skin darken after pregnancy. This occurs because of the level of hormones. There are two types of hormones that increase after pregnancy, estrogen and progesterone, which cause the level of melanin pigment to spike. There are other skin and hair changes that may occur after pregnancy, such as hair loss and epidermoid cysts.
However, you can’t get hair removal treatment during pregnancy and breastfeeding, so you’ll have to do at-home hair removal during these times.
Refer to this article: Reasons not to get hair removal treatment during pregnancy (https://datumou-recipe.com/qa/pregnancy.html)
Epidermoid cysts can be painful. If the cyst is severe, it’s best not to do any hair removal so that the skin can heal. In order to do at-home hair removal after your skin has healed, it’s best to take care of your skin during pregnancy and breastfeeding when your hormone level is imbalanced.
Almost all hair removal salons advise clients to use an electric shaver for at-home hair removal. While electric shavers may be better for the skin, they may not remove hair as well.
If you’re not satisfied with the results of your electric shaver, we suggest using a specialized electric shaver that is specifically designed for the underarm and bikini areas. Some of specialized electric shavers have adjustable heads to fit different body areas for a close shave.
As the electric shaver is for maintaining healthy skin, those who typically use razors may not be satisfied with the results. However, you may get better hair removal treatment results by having healthy skin.
This is one of the most commonly asked questions and has been talked about for a very long time. The answer is no! Research has shown that shaving does not darken the hair or change how fast it grows. The hair does not become darker, but it can appear that way for a couple of reasons.
The tip of the hair is thinner; shaving it exposes the thicker part of the hair making it appear darker. Research also shows that new hair that’s not exposed to sun light or chemicals grows thicker than old hair that has been exposed to these elements.
In conclusion, shaving and plucking do not change the hair itself. However, if the pores are damaged it can cause pigmentation that could make the unwanted hair stand out. Excessive at-home hair removal can also damage the skin.
There are people who completely remove their hair, but in Japan there is a custom of going to nude hot springs, so it’s more common to have some pubic hair. There are various shapes of bikini area hair removal but all hair removal in this area is referred to as bikini or Brazilian hair removal.
Also, there are many people who like to leave some hair in the front, so salons will do the hair removal treatment according to your preferences. Some may want to thin out the hair to decrease the volume while others may want to remove just the hair that shows when wearing a bikini. Don't go to a salon thinking you have to get a complete bikini area hair removal to where the skin is bare. Prior to getting the hair removal treatment, you’ll need to shave the area but it can differ depending on which shape you are looking to get. If you are not removing all the hair but want to decrease your hair volume, you will need to shave the whole bikini area. However, you don’t need to shave the whole area If you want a rectangle shaped outline.
Ingrown hairs appear when the skin reacts to damage by creating a film over the pore. Ingrown hairs are not a serious matter and if they appear on your skin, the best thing to do is let them heal on their own. If you try to pull out an ingrown hair with a needle or tweezers, it may cause inflammation and puss to build up. For these reasons, do not try to pull out ingrown hairs.
Ingrown hairs will not stay under the skin but will appear on the surface in 2 to 3 weeks. In order to avoid getting ingrown hairs or making them worse, reconsider your at-home hair removal routine. A salon's IPL hair removal treatment does not put stress on the skin's surface but directly radiates to the hair root, which does not cause ingrown hairs. If you are worried about ingrown hairs, we recommend going to a hair removal salon.
There are many men who prefer that their partners get hair removal treatments instead of shave. It seems that Japanese women are quite concerned about unwanted hair and therefore Japanese men are also concerned with women's hair removal.
We conducted a survey asking men why they preferred that women get hair removal treatment instead of shaving. Some said that they do not like the feeling of prickly hair that is starting to grow in. Just as some women do not like the feeling of beards growing in, it seems some men feel the same way about women's hair. The questionnaire also asked what body area they preferred that women get hair removal and a large number surprisingly answered the upper lip. Many women may not think that men notice, but it seems they are paying attention.
Common Concerns
Beauty maintenance isn't easy. There are many concerns when it comes to hair removal. People don't realize that removing unwanted hair at salons is the best way. We explored the reasons why people are so hesitant about salons.
We conducted a survey asking women: "What are the reasons you don't go to hair removal salons?"
As you can see, some prefer to take care of their own hair themselves.
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We cover all the information you need to know before your first hair removal appointment, such as how much time commitment is required and hair removal basics.
What women think about hair removal today?
Let's look at which hair removal methods are popular right now.
The second and third most common are shaving and plucking, but it looks like people are starting to realize that these methods can easily damage the skin. The number of women not doing any hair removal is declining.
Kitty the Reporter
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In the past, underarm and foot hair removal were the most common.
There are probably many people you know getting full body hair removal treatments.
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Based on our research, salons have recently become very affordable! For under ¥10,000 you can receive full body hair removal treatments, and a bikini line treatment can cost as cheap as ¥1,000.
But are cheap hair removal treatments effective? Datumo Recipe is here to answer that question!
There’s more than one place to get hair removal treatments. Specialized salons like Musee, Ginza Calla, and Kireimo as well as medical clinics like Shonan Beauty Clinic are easy to find and can provide you with comprehensive services.
Most hair removal salons feature IPL (intense pulse light). This method uses a wide range of pulse waves to stop hair regeneration. IPL fires a small amount of light which is less effective than medical clinic treatments.
Because IPL is not considered to be a medical treatment, some people think that it’s not effective at permanent hair removal. It just means that it will take more sessions to get the desired results. Going once a month is not enough to see the effects of IPL, so we recommend going 2 to 3 times a month. At that pace you should be able to see effective results in 2 to 3 years.
There are many ways to do hair removal, so let us help you consider which is best for you!
Many treatment options are available for hair removal. There are better ways to decide than simply by price and your first impression.
Laser hair removal treatments at medical clinics are stronger and take less sessions to see results than IPL treatments at salons. However, the drawback is that laser treatments cost more and are more painful. It’s important to consider the pros and cons before making a decision.
For answers to these questions, read our comparison article: “Which permanent hair removal method is the best? Medical Clinics vs. Salons: Breakdown of Costs and Effectiveness”
The most well-known method for permanent hair removal offered by medical clinics is laser treatment, but what other methods are available and which is the most effective? To understand the basics of permanent hair removal, first we need to compare the two methods.
A licensed medical technician performs the treatment by firing a laser at focused points to damage the dermal papilla, which is responsible for hair growth. It takes 5–7 sessions for underarms, 8–10 sessions for the face, and 8–10 sessions for the back and bikini area before seeing good results. Results also depend on the amount of hair and thickness, which may cause different levels of pain during treatment.
This is another hair removal method performed at medical clinics. The hair is removed by inserting a needle into each pore and passing an electrical current to damage the hair. The session price depends on how long the treatment takes, which in most cases is around ¥3,000 per 5 minutes. Depending on the amount of hair being treated, you can estimate around ¥100,000–150,000 for both underarms. Anesthesia is often used because the pain is quite strong, but the results are usually very good because each individual hair is targeted with this treatment.
Most medical clinics offer laser treatments. Some clinics also offer electroepilation using insulated needles, but because of the number of sessions required and the level of pain, this option is not as common.
You may encounter hair removal salons offering a treatment similar to electroepilation with a needle, but the results are not permanent and take longer. The benefit of this treatment option is that it can be performed on darkened skin caused by moles or sunburns, but it is more painful and takes time because each individual hair is targeted. The session’s price is usually around ¥5,000 for 30 minutes, which seems quite high for the results, so we don’t recommend it.
The ideal “permanent hair removal” is to have almost no need for self-treatment for a long time after completing the full set of sessions, but how much does it cost to achieve these results? As mentioned above, permanent hair removal can only be obtained through medical clinic services. Also, laser hair removal treatments are naturally more expensive because the equipment itself is expensive, which makes medical clinic services more costly than salon services.
Fortunately, medical clinics are beginning to adopt monthly payment systems similar to salons, making it easier to invest in permanent hair removal.
However, it’s important not to forget that there is no absolute permanent hair removal treatment. “Permanent” treatments can stop most hair growth for a long period of time, but it’s impossible to completely stop the body from growing hair due to many causes such as pregnancy and hormonal changes. The upside is that most of the unwanted hair that grows back after treatment will be weaker and thinner than before. Maintenance becomes much easier after completing permanent hair removal treatment with little need for regular hair removal.
Noticeable results can’t be seen until around the 6th session. Of course, this depends on hair thickness and volume, but significant results can be seen in 10–12 sessions, and lasting results in around 15 sessions. This means it’s necessary to continue receiving treatments for 2–2.5 years (up to 3 years in some cases) if you go once every two months, according to how quickly your hair grows back.
However, regular salon treatments also mean that self-treatment at home may not even be necessary! Recently, the number of salons offering full body hair removal with unlimited sessions and a monthly payment system is increasing, making this option even more convenient.
The pain that comes from salon treatments is much less than medical clinics, and you can also receive skincare treatments during your appointment. Compared to medical clinics, salons may take more time to see results, but the price is reasonable, the pain is very manageable, and you can get the results you want without unnecessary stress and damage to your skin!
The differences between salons and medical clinics are the number of required sessions, costs, level of pain, and how easy it is to make an appointment.
A helpful tip is if you’re not concerned with costs and want quick results, medical clinics are for you. If you’re on a tight budget, salons are a better option.
The level of pain from medical clinics varies depending on the treatment method and device you choose. Some devices can cause more pain but are more effective, while other devices are used for faster hair removal. It’s best to consult with the staff based on the clinic’s available services.
Additionally, because both methods can take months to complete, keep in mind how easy it is to make appointments with the salon or clinic. Do they allow you to have long breaks between sessions? Do they have many locations or partner locations so you can continue treatments even if you have to relocate? Knowing these factors will help you make the right decision.
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The 4 most common hair removal methods: hair removal salons, hair removal medical clinics, at-home hair remover devices, and hair removal creams.
Our recommended method depends on the area you want hair removal. If you’re looking to get full body hair removal, salons or medical clinics are the best options for you. If you’re looking for hair removal for just your arms or legs, at-home hair removal devices or creams would be a good option. Recently, more salons have started to offer hair removal services for men due to increased interest.
There are two ways to remove body hair. One method removes only the hair above the skin's surface while the other removes the hair from the root.
While there are many hair removal methods, some do not remove the hair root completely.
Razors, electrical shavers, hair removal creams, etc.
Tweezers, wax, at-home hair removal devices, hair removal with light, hair removal with needles, laser hair removal, etc.
As you can see, there are many hair removal methods.
Since there are so many hair removal options, we think it’s important to pick one that fits your lifestyle.
Medical clinics are for those who aren’t concerned about costs and are looking for quick and effective results.
Salons are for those who want hair removal and skincare treatment done together.
At-home methods for those who are too busy and/or on tight a budget.
You can choose from many methods based on your budget and needs. Take your time to choose carefully to enjoy a life without worry about unwanted body hair!
If you're interested in getting hair removal treatment, you may have spent some time researching online or asking your friends for recommendations. While there is information out there about salons and medical clinics, you may still be unsure and hesitant or nervous to go for a first visit.
We’re here to help you with your first steps to get your unwanted hair removed.
You may be hesitant to go in for a trial session because you want more information before stepping foot inside a salon or medical clinic.
We cover all the topics about hair removal from reviews about specific salons to basic knowledge about hair removal, and the latest hair removal news and trends.
We also have a community forum for discussions about unwanted hair removal! Browse our site to find out more about hair removal before you jump in to your trial session.
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