Men’s laser hair removal at V&P, in plain terms
Men book laser hair removal for different reasons than women. A guy walking into our Old Town clinic usually wants one of four things: a clean back, a tidier chest, less hair on the lower stomach and groin (the brazilian or pubic area), or his beard line sharpened up so he stops getting ingrown hairs from shaving. Sometimes all of the above.
About one in five of our clients is a guy. That number has roughly doubled in the last three years. Most are between 25 and 55, most are referred by another male client or a girlfriend or wife who already comes here. A lot of them try it once thinking they’ll just do their back and end up booking a full body package within two sessions.
We use the Candela GentleMax Pro Plus for every male client. It’s the same machine top dermatology clinics in Chicago use, and it’s one of the only FDA-cleared platforms that can safely treat every Fitzpatrick skin type, including darker tones. Our technicians are Family Nurse Practitioners with active Illinois APRN licenses, not estheticians who took a weekend class. For men with coarse, dense hair (which is most men), settings matter. Settings too low won’t damage the follicle. Settings too high on the wrong skin tone will burn. Clinical judgment is the whole job.
The address is 1317 N Larrabee St, Chicago, IL 60610. We’re a five-minute drive from Lincoln Park, the Gold Coast, and River North. Most male clients come from those neighborhoods plus West Loop, Old Town itself, and Wicker Park. We also see a fair number of guys who drive in from Oak Park and Cicero.
What men actually book at our Chicago clinic
Here’s how the bookings split for our male clients, based on what we’ve seen over the last 12 months. This isn’t a sales pitch, it’s just the data.
Back and shoulders is the most popular. Roughly 40% of our male first-timers come in for this. Coarse hair, ingrown problems, and the fact that it’s the one area you can’t really manage yourself with a razor. A full back with shoulders runs $500 single session, $1,425 for three, $2,800 for six.
Brazilian and pubic is the second most common, and the one most guys don’t bring up until they’re already on the table booking a chest treatment. A male brazilian removes all hair from the groin, including the shaft, scrotum, and between the cheeks. Male pubic is the front only — the area above the shaft. Both are completely normal requests, both are private, and both technicians are FNPs who treat this as the medical procedure it is.
Chest and abdomen runs about a quarter of male bookings. Some want a full clear, some just want a reduction so the hair stops growing through their shirts. We can do either.
Beard line and neck. Not the full beard — almost no man wants that. The neck below the jawline where shaving causes ingrowns and razor bumps, and sometimes the cheek line for a sharper look. This is a smaller treatment area and the cheapest entry point if a guy wants to try laser before committing to a back package.
Full body for men. Pretty popular among swimmers, cyclists, bodybuilders, and guys who just got tired of dealing with hair. Single session is $2,000, six-pack is $11,800. Most full-body male clients hit 75 to 95 percent reduction by session 6 to 9.
How to prepare for laser hair removal
The only preparation needed is to shave thoroughly before the treatment. The laser is targeting the pigment in the hair. The energy of the laser needs to travel down the hair into the follicle to kill the stem cells. The laser can “see” the bit of hair right at the pore. Any extra hair sticking out of the skin will be burned off by the laser, and only contributes to burning hair smell. It does not help the treatment at all. Most people shave the night before or the morning of the treatment.
Certain topical skin treatments need to be stopped before Laser Hair removal, like retinols. If you are treating any area of the face or neck, these should be stopped 5-7 days before treatment.
What to expect after treatment
A good treatment will result in a bit of redness and swelling around the follicles. This may last minutes to hours. The hairs treated will come out of the skin over the next few days. This will appear like the hair is growing however, this is merely the skin expelling the dead hair. This hair will then fall out on its own in a few days. The treatment itself is not particularly painful– the best lasers have cooling that make the treatment very tolerable. If you are treating a very sensitive area it may be a bit hot and prickly. There is no pain at all following the treatment.
How many sessions a man actually needs
The honest answer is six to nine for most men, and slightly more for some areas. Here’s what we see, broken out by what men book most.
Back: 6 to 8 sessions for most guys. Coarse, dense hair responds well, but the back is a big surface area and growth cycles vary across it. Some patches finish at session 5, others need session 9.
Brazilian and pubic: 8 to 10 sessions. This area has the densest hair on the male body and the deepest follicles. It takes longer. The good news is the reduction is dramatic and the regrowth is much finer.
Chest and abdomen: 6 to 8. Similar to the back, less surface area.
Beard line and neck: 6 to 9. Facial hair on men is the most stubborn hair on the human body, full stop. It’s also the area where men are most likely to need annual touch-ups long-term.
Full body: plan on 8 to 10 because the slowest area sets the pace for the whole treatment series.
Sessions are spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart for the face and 6 to 10 weeks apart for the body. Skipping a session by a few weeks won’t ruin anything. Skipping by months means you may need an extra session at the end.
Other laser hair removal services at our Chicago clinic
Laser Hair Removal for Men
You’re on this page now. Scroll up for everything we treat on men, what it costs, and how many sessions you’ll need.
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Laser Hair Removal for Women
Women book laser for different areas than men do. Most start with underarms or bikini, then add legs once they see how the first area goes. Same machine, same technicians, different protocols.
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Scalp Laser Hair Removal
Some men want to reduce the hairline they shave around every morning. Others have patchy hair growth on a partly bald scalp and want a uniform shaved look. The Pro Plus handles both.
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Facial Laser Hair Removal
For men, this is usually the beard line, cheekbones, or under the jaw — the spots where shaving causes the most ingrowns. We don’t recommend removing the full beard unless you’re committed to that look long-term, because facial regrowth is slow but rarely zero.
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Lip & Chin
Usually a women’s treatment, but some men come in for the chin if they have stray dark hairs that don’t fit the look they want. Small area, quick session.
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Arms Laser Hair Removal
Most men who book arms also book the shoulders so the line between treated and untreated isn’t obvious. Full arms run $275 single session, $1,450 for six.
Learn More ⟶Laser Hair Removal for Legs
Cyclists, swimmers, and runners are most of our male leg bookings. We can do a full reduction or just thin the hair so it stops catching on shorts and socks.
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Underarm Laser Hair Removal
Underarms are one of the fastest areas to treat — usually under 10 minutes. Less hair here also means noticeably less sweat smell, which is the reason some men book it.
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Brazilian Laser Hair Removal
A male brazilian clears the groin, shaft, scrotum, and the area between the cheeks. We do this every week. The room is private, the technicians are FNPs, and there is nothing about this booking that’s awkward on our end.
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Bikini Laser Hair Removal
Bikini line treatments are mostly booked by women, but some men prefer this scope instead of a full male brazilian — just the front and sides, nothing behind.
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Laser Hair Removal For Bodybuilders
If you’re prepping for a show or just want your training results to actually show on stage, body hair gets in the way. Most bodybuilders book full body and time the final session about a month before competition.
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Full Body Laser Hair Removal
Full body for men covers chest, back, shoulders, arms, abdomen, legs, and brazilian. Single session is $2,000. Six-pack is $11,800. Most men finish at session 6 to 9.
Learn More ⟶Common questions from our male Chicago clients
How much does men’s laser hair removal cost in Chicago?
Single sessions range from $225 for a full face up to $2,000 for full body. Six-session packages save 25 to 30 percent. Specific male areas: full back $375 single / $2,050 for six, back with shoulders and neck $500 / $2,800, arms $275 / $1,450. The full price sheet is on our prices page.
Is laser hair removal painful for men?
The honest answer is the brazilian is the worst part. Chest and back feel like a warm rubber band snap. Beard line is sharper. The GentleMax Pro Plus has a built-in cooling burst before each laser pulse, which makes it much more tolerable than older machines. Most male clients describe it as “fine, but not relaxing.”
Will laser work on dark skin?
Yes. The Pro Plus has two wavelengths — Alexandrite 755nm and Nd:YAG 1064nm. The YAG wavelength is specifically what makes treatment safe on Fitzpatrick V and VI skin. We patch-test before the first full session.
Can men get a brazilian laser hair removal?
Yes, and it’s one of our most-booked male services. The room is private, both technicians are licensed FNPs, and the procedure follows the same protocol as any other treatment area.
Do you treat the chest, back, and pubic area in one session?
We can, if you book the time. A combined chest, back, and brazilian session runs about 60 to 75 minutes depending on hair density.
Where in Chicago is the clinic?
1317 N Larrabee St, in Old Town. Free street and garage parking nearby. The Sedgwick Brown Line stop is a four-block walk. We’re a 5 minute drive from Lincoln Park, 8 minutes from Wicker Park, 10 from the West Loop, and 20 from Oak Park.
Do you have male technicians?
Both of our laser technicians are women, both are licensed Family Nurse Practitioners with multi-year clinical backgrounds. If having a male provider matters to you for a brazilian treatment, we’ll be straight with you — we don’t have one, and that’s something to know before you book.
