Laser hair removal. Is it worth it?

With winter now finally behind us (keeping everything crossed!) I’ve got summer on my mind. Recent nights have me dreaming of warm evenings, a calendar filled with BBQ and picnic invites, and the ability to dress in as few layers as humanly possible. Summer is by far my favourite season of the year and the time us Scots really come alive. Honestly, visit Glasgow during a heatwave (or any temperature above 20 degrees for that matter) and you’ll know what happiness looks like.

My only gripe with this scorcher of a season however is the excessive need to shave. I’ll admit it, I’m one of those gals who shamelessly neglects shaving her legs in the winter. If I don’t have to get my legs out for a party then the short fuzz of hair can stay put. Even in the summer, my shaving frequency does increase but I still find myself frantically trying to shave my legs five minutes before I dash out the door.

Despite my shaving grudges, getting laser to reduce/remove the hair on my body never crossed my mind until the team at Therapie Clinic offered me the chance to try it out. With absolutely no idea of what was involved, how long it took or how painful it was going to be I initially turned down the offer. Fast forward a few months to the day my friend Victoria told me about her “pain-free” experience and suddenly I was willing to give it a try. You’ll surely know by now that I’m an absolute wimp when it comes to pain so hearing that it “honestly didn’t hurt” was like music to my ears.  

I wanted to start off with a small area to see if it was for me so opted to target my underarms. The team recommend you get six sessions of laser to see the best result. I’m now three sessions in so thought now would be a good time to share my thoughts so far.

To keep things concise, I’ve answered a few of the most asked questions about laser below:

What is it like to get laser hair removal?

At Therapie Clinic, the team use some of the most advanced technology in the world, using what’s called “medical-grade laser”. After popping on to a treatment bed and given a pair of orange protective glasses (sexy), my therapist analysed the area and cleaned it with an alcoholic wipe before rubbing some gel over the target area. She then used the machine which has some form of laser light at the top of it (technical, I know) and then rubs this back and forth in a quick motion across the skin. This doesn’t hurt in any way but by the end of each timed session you can feel this heating up ever so slightly.

How long does it take?

This depends on the area but as I’m only getting my underarms done I’m honestly in and out of the clinic in 15 minutes.

What are the results like?

They say you’ll start to see results after two to three sessions so just about where I’m at now with my treatment. As someone who has ridiculously fast-growing hair – just look at the hair on my head and you’ll get the picture – I’ve always had to shave my underarms daily. Since my last treatment I’ve noticed the hair is growing at a much slower pace, isn’t as dark as before and has reduced significantly. Even when my hair has fully grown in I can notice the overall growth area has reduced. One thing to note, is that laser removes 75-80% of hair so won’t remove absolutely everything but you’re still guaranteed great results.

Anything else I’d need to know?

There are a few rules when getting laser, the biggest being that you can’t wear fake tan in the area you’re targeting during your treatment. Not a problem for me as fake tan is a rarity in my beauty routine but I know this can be off-putting for some people.

Pre-treatment you need to shave 24hrs in advance so the area is prepped and during treatments you can’t wax  at all. 

Post-treatment you’re not allowed to take any hot baths/showers or put on deodorant for around 24 hours I believe so definitely something to keep in mind when booking your appointments. You wouldn’t want to leave yourself unable to shower before a big night out….

What does it cost?

Despite being the No.1 provider of laser hair removal in Europe, Therapie Clinic are actually very affordable. They regularly have offers running on the treatment and prices start from just £19 for lip/chin area and £49 for leg & underarm area. Not bad at all.

I’m excited to see what further change I’ll see after my next three sessions and will absolutely keep you all up-to-date with the results! Feel free to drop me a DM on Instagram @thegirlwiththebighair if you have any questions.

Until next time.

xoxo

My Guide to Getting in the Festive Spirit

Temperatures have dropped, I'm layering my clothes like Joey when he wears all of Chandlers clothes at once and I'm reaching for teas and coffees more than I ever have done. I think we can officially say farewell to Autumn and hello to Winter!

Although come January I'll be cursing the Scottish weather and a life of living in constant darkness, I'm always pretty happy with the change of season at this side of the year. I mean, who doesn't want to have a day slobbing on the couch, eating chocolate and cheese without feeling guilty. And those twinkly lights that are starting to appear around the city just wouldn't be as magical if weren't for the dark nights. So, in a long winded way I'm basically trying to say that I'm happy to see winter roll in (for the time being!).

The lead up to Christmas is absolutely one of my most favourite times of the year but each year I regret the things I never got to do. It's a busy few weeks and before you know it you're packing away the Christmas decos for another year. This year I pledge to make my plans happen. And one way of putting the pressure on myself is by writing it out here in a blog post for all to see. So, I present to you, my personal guide to getting into the festive spirit. May it bring some inspiration to you at this festive time of the year or at the very least give me the drive to get my own list checked off.

Watch the Christmas lights switch on
If you're not feeling in the Christmas spirit you better believe that attending one of the light switch on events will get you ready for December 25th. I LOVE the Glasgow Christmas light switch on at George Square but the tickets are in high demand and unfortunately this year I've missed out. BUT I'm not going to let that stop me. If like me you never got your hands on tickets you can still enjoy the switch on / fireworks and general atmosphere from the side lines. I admit, it's not quite as thrilling standing at the edge of the square but it's worth it to experience the switch on. You could also head to one of the surrounding restaurant / bars and enjoy the switch on from indoors with a drink in hand. The switch on is from 5pm on Sunday 19th November.

Princes Square also put on a pretty spectacular switch on and this year they have enchanting live music accompanying various performances including magic and glass orb juggling (ooh!). The switch on is from 5:30pm on Thursday 16th November. 

Host a girls night with mulled wine and cheese 
There's nothing better than inviting your girl friends round for a few festive drinks. I have so many ideas when it comes to hosting party's (thank you Pinterest!) and love the planning and preparation for something like this. From making your own festive snacks and drinks to planning festive games and creating the perfect Christmas playlist. You can create a theme or dress code - Strictly Sparkles if you're wanting to go fancy or Christmas jumpers / PJs if you're planning a chilled night. You can also introduce a Secret Santa gifting into the night or why not create your own party favors for your guests - something simple like one of the ideas here.

Christmas shopping roadtrip
The shops are full of Christmas buzz at this time of the year and are an assured way of getting you chanting 'Santa Claus is coming to town....'. Why not make a real experience of your Christmas shopping trip this year. Grab your girlfriends, jump in the car and head to somewhere completely new to find gifts for your loved ones. That's exactly what I'll be doing this weekend with Victoria and Rachel as we head to Gretna Gateway!

Christmas movie marathon 
Needs no explanation. Get a fresh pair of PJs on, line up your favourite Christmas movies, light a festive candle and pour yourself a spiced tea. Don't forget to buy in your supply of snacks to ensure you don't need to leave the couch all day! Well, apart from making yourself a batch of fresh cookies! Days like these are also the perfect time to write out your Christmas cards. Or if you're brave .... make your own!

Get in the mood at the markets
At the heart of every great city is a Christmas market come December. Glaswegians are spoiled for choice with two Christmas markets to choose from. Wrap up warm and have a wander around the stalls sampling the delicious food and drink.

Christmas wreath making
I attended one of Lorraine Wood's wreath making workshops last year and had the best time! It's certainly no easy task but Lorraine is a brilliant teacher who can show even the clumsiest of hands how to create a masterpiece for their font door. This is the perfect activity to spend some quality time with your mum or gran!

I hope the above gives you some inspiration and ideas of ways to get into the festive spirit. I'm always on the look out for unique ideas and things to do so if you know of anything I must try, please let me know!

xoxo

A peek at my Christmas decorations

As I think I've mentioned in about every post for the last month, I'm damn excited for Christmas. So much so, that I dragged The Boy out in early November (yes, early November) to pick up decorations for our tree. With Christmas tunes blaring and fairy lights covering every isle of the store it felt like Christmas could be six days away as opposed to six weeks. Nevertheless, I got right into the festive spirit and went a tad spend crazy on some sparkly decorations - how can a girl resist something so sparkly! We decided to go for a gold and white theme - two of my favourite colours - as I thought it would fit well with the décor in our home.

For the trip, we visited Rouken Glen garden centre after seeing the beautiful decorations my sister picked up from there last year. I really love a tree that gets people talking by mixing it up with lots of shapes, figures and styles. Look how pretty!!!

I'm soo super excited to put our tree up today and finally hang these beauties for all to see. I'm seeing the Michael Buble Christmas album on full, Christmas jumpers making their 2015 debut and arguments over who gets to put the star on the top of the tree. Fingers crossed we actually have enough to cover an entire tree! I would love to know what bauble is your favourite? I'm so indecisive but I think mines is the gold glittery ski boot or the set of doe.

XoXo