A lot of people put off laser hair removal because they don't know what happens once they walk through the door. They picture a sales pitch, or a treatment started before they've agreed to anything. At Summer Skin, the first visit is mostly a conversation. This post walks through it, so you know what to expect at our Birmingham studio before you book.
Finding the studio
Summer Skin is at 255 S. Old Woodward Ave, Suite 8, in downtown Birmingham. Clients travel in from Bloomfield Hills, Royal Oak and Troy. It's a short drive from all three. Downtown Birmingham has metered street parking and public parking decks within a few minutes' walk, so give yourself a little extra time if you're coming at lunch or on a Saturday morning.
We're open Monday through Friday from 10 to 6 and Saturday from 10 to 4. Sundays we're closed.
We do one thing
Laser hair removal. That's it. We don't do facials, skincare lines or injectables, and nobody will try to add them to your visit. We treat legs, underarms, bikini and Brazilian, arms, back, chest and face, for women and men. Because laser hair removal is all we do, the whole appointment is about your hair, your skin and the plan that suits them.
The consultation comes first
Your first visit starts with a consultation and a patch test. No surprises.
We'll ask which areas you want treated and what's bothering you about them now. Some people are tired of shaving every morning. Others deal with irritation from waxing, or just want one less thing in their routine. Your answer tells us what a good result looks like.
Next, skin and hair. Laser hair removal works by targeting the pigment in the hair, so the color and thickness of your hair and the tone of your skin both shape how we set the laser. If you want the longer version of why this matters, we wrote about it in laser hair removal for every skin tone. We'll also ask about recent sun exposure, self-tanner and any waxing or plucking, since those affect timing.
If we don't think you're a good candidate, we'll say so. Honest beats hopeful.
The patch test
It's small. It also comes before any full session. It shows how your skin responds to the settings we've chosen, which matters more than any chart, because two people with the same skin tone on paper can still react a little differently on the day. Most clients describe the feeling as a quick, warm snap against the skin, and our laser has cooling built in. Mild redness afterwards is normal and usually settles within a day.
Your plan and your quote
Before you leave, you'll know what we recommend: which areas, roughly how many sessions to expect, how far apart they'll be, and what it costs. We keep pricing transparent, with per-session and package options, and we'll give you the number for your specific areas rather than a vague range.
Expect a series. Hair grows in cycles, and the laser only affects hair that's in its active growth phase at the time of treatment. Spacing sessions several weeks apart lets us catch more hairs in that phase. The result we're aiming for is a lasting reduction in how much hair grows back and how coarse it is. Results vary from person to person, and most clients come back occasionally for maintenance once the main series is done.
Before your first full session
Once you've booked, we'll send you a full prep list. The short version: shave the area the day before, avoid waxing or plucking for a few weeks beforehand, and keep the area out of the sun and away from self-tanner for around two weeks. Our post on how to prepare for laser hair removal goes through each of those and explains the reasons behind them.
Questions people ask before a first visit
How long does the first visit take?
It depends on how many areas you want to talk about and how many questions you bring. Nobody rushes it. If you're fitting it into a workday, call ahead and we'll tell you how much time to set aside.
Will I be treated at the first visit?
Not with a full session. Your first visit is a consultation and a patch test. Full sessions start once you've seen your plan and your quote and decided to go ahead.
Can I bring someone with me?
Of course. You're welcome to bring a partner or a friend to the consultation. If they decide to book too, referrals earn points in our Smooth Club.
A few things that make the visits easier
Wear something comfortable. If you're on a new medication, or you've had a lot of sun recently, mention it. It might change the timing. Anything else you should skip on the day of a session will be on the prep list we send when you book.
Summer Skin holds a 5.0 rating on Google, and we'd like to keep it. For a first visit, that mostly comes down to two habits: explaining what's happening at each step, and never rushing you through a decision you haven't had time to think about.
Book your consultation
Start with a phone call. Call (248) 302-3206 or request an appointment online, and we'll find a consultation time that works for you, including Saturday mornings for anyone driving in from West Bloomfield. The full list of areas we treat is on our treatment page.