Every area is its own plan

People rarely come in about “body hair” in general. It is an upper lip, legs that never stay smooth for long, or a back they cannot reach, and at Bellava each area is planned on its own, because the hair and the session length change from one to the next.

Face: upper lip, chin, cheeks, jawline, neck and sideburns, the quickest work, from around 15 minutes.
Arms and underarms: armpits, shoulders, hands and even fingers.
Legs: thighs, lower legs, feet and toes, with full legs among the longest visits at up to an hour.
Bikini: the pubic area, the buttocks and the perineum.
Back and chest: upper and lower back, shoulders and chest; a full back also runs to about an hour.

What sets the number of sessions

At a free consultation, one of Bellava’s estheticians studies how your hair grows in each area before recommending anything. Four things shape the plan: the part of the body, how thick the hair is, your ethnicity and your hormones. The usual opening series is six treatments with four to six weeks between them. After that, a touch-up every six to twelve months catches hair from follicles that were resting during the first series, which is what keeps a treated area smooth year after year.

Settings matched to your skin

The light is drawn to dark pigment in the follicle, which is why contrast between hair and skin has always mattered. Bellava treats with IPL technology calibrated to each patient’s pigmentation; for darker skin that means a lower energy setting and a cooling handpiece, so the follicle is reached while the skin around it is protected from burns and from patches that turn lighter or darker. For any upper-body area, you wear the eye protection provided throughout.

The month before, the two days after

Four weeks with no sun or tanning beds on the area
No waxing or electrolysis for a month beforehand, since both disturb the follicle the light needs to find
A shave one to two days ahead, and skin free of lotion, powder and makeup on the day
A word with your esthetician about any medication that could make skin more light-sensitive

It is a walk-in, walk-out treatment. Redness or swelling usually fades within a few hours, and an ice pack helps. For 24 to 48 hours keep the area out of direct sun, skip exercise hard enough to make you sweat, and cleanse and moisturize gently.

Who treats you, and the drive

Sessions are with Bellava’s licensed medical estheticians: Semira Crecco-Donnelly, who has more than 20 years in the field, or Natalina McEwan, with over 12 years in plastic surgery and medical aesthetics. You can meet both on the estheticians page. The office sits in the same Town of Bedford as the village, at 182 Route 117 Bypass Road in Bedford Hills, about ten minutes away without traffic: north on Route 22, known locally as Cantitoe Street, then Bedford Center Road and Harris Road.

Bedford Village patients ask

Do members get anything extra? Bellava’s membership includes one free session with a laser hair removal package.

Will I need time off afterwards? No. You can return to your normal day as soon as the session ends.

What does each pulse feel like? A quick snap, a little like a rubber band against the skin, with warmth as the handpiece moves along. Cooling is available if you would like it.

How do I book? Press Book Now to reserve a free consultation or a treatment online.

Laser Hair Removal for Bedford Village, NY