vendor reviews: beauty: spas, hair & make-up

Toss out the razors, forget fine lines, and look radiant for your day in the spotlight

Reviewing Brenda Roy, Owner & Aesthetician at Cambridge Laser Hair Centre

Brides who go to Cambridge Laser Hair Centre do so for a little well-deserved self-indulgence. Just about any bride has a feature she'd rather not put in the spotlight - whether they be sun spots, redness, fine lines around the eyes or mouth, or unwanted hair. Cambridge Laser Hair Centre helps their clients uncover their beautiful, radiant skin (and eliminate the need to ever shave or wax again) with photorejuvenation, laser hair removal and reduction.

Brenda Roy, Owner, Aesthetician and Instructor in laser hair reduction at Cambridge Laser, says that her company stands out because they use state-of-the-art technology that's faster and more comfortable than anything else you'll find on the market. The services can be used by the bride, groom, wedding party and even parents.

So, in honour of looking and feeling fabulous, not only did staff at The Ring interview Brenda Roy... We went under the laser and tested the services for ourselves. Here's what we found...

Primping for the big day

If you and your bridesmaids all want smooth, hairless skin for the wedding day, Brenda says she will personally work with groups to help out with your pre-wedding beauty needs. Cambridge Laser offers hair removal for under arms, bikini lines (these can be paired in a package), legs (half leg and full), Brazilian and, yes, even hair removal for the groom or his groomsmen, including back hair removal.

Cambridge Laser says they doesn't use IPL (intense pulse light) because the hair often grows back. Instead, Brenda uses the only Canadian made device, the F1 Diode™. Technically speaking, this device converts electric current to pure light and uses four pulses per second. What that means to you is that it's designed to be the fastest laser and more comfortable than any other laser on the market. "Most people find it to be mildly irritable, but discomfort levels vary depending on the area of treatment. Clients usually have a bit of redness following the treatment, but it disappears after about ten to fifteen minutes."

The laser actually targets the hair that's in the active growth phase and cauterizes the hair follicle, preventing new hair from growing. So that we could find out for ourselves what type of results and pain we were looking at, one of The Ring's own staff volunteered to test Cambridge Laser's treatments. Co-founder and Sales Director at The Wedding Ring, Anne Warren, decided that a lifetime without shaving seemed well worth the risk of a little pain... "It's the best decision I ever made," she says. "The discomfort is minimal (far less than any waxing I've ever experienced) and I saw results right away. My goal is to never spend another penny on waxing or shaving."

The amount of treatments you'd need depends on hormonal balances and health, but Brenda says the average person receives about eight treatments to complete the hair reduction. Treatments are done several weeks or months apart depending on the area of the body treated.

To make sure that you're hair-free in time for your wedding day, be sure you book your treatments in time. For example, facial hair removal is done on a monthly basis, but bodily hair removal is done every eight weeks, and arms are every twelve weeks. "This is based on the hair growth cycle," says Brenda. Plus, it can take time to get all of the hair in the right phase. "You will see results after only the first treatment."

A wedding day glow with photorejuvenation

In this day and age a number of environmental and situational factors (like pollution, the sun, alcohol, etc.) can contribute to wrinkles, fine lines, age spots and redness on your skin.

Photorejuvenation is a cosmetic treatment offered at Cambridge Laser. The treatment is designed to help make your skin look younger and healthier without expensive (and sometimes dangerous) cosmetic surgeries. Specifically, the LumiPhase-R™ is a medical high-performance LED system, a non-invasive method, that doesn't use heat, but instead is a deep-penetrating wavelength that stimulates the production of collagen (which is the main protein in humans), reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines and brightening skin complexion while reducing pore sizes. In other words, it helps you look even more fabulous and radiant as you walk towards your future husband.

Depending on your skin type and needs, LumiPhase™ treatments at Cambridge Laser vary, but Brenda suggests one to two treatments per week at durations of either three, six or nine weeks, which can be packaged to suit your needs.

"It's non-thermal and non-abrasive," she says. "And there's no pain and no downtime!" The treatment is approved by Health Canada and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Brenda says it's also approved in Europe where regulations are sometimes a bit more strict than in North America.

Brenda says that you will continue to see changes over time and with more treatments. The best results are seen in the three to six months following the treatment. Brenda recommends taking 'before and after' photos so you can see the difference.

Lasers, on location

Because the F1 Diode is portable, Brenda sometimes takes Cambridge Laser's services to their clients. This is usually done with groups of four or more people such as the bride and her bridesmaids. If you're interested in having on-location treatments, Brenda can walk you through the details and availability.

Packages&prices

For hair removal, the cost is set per session at $110 for either the under arm or bikini area, $160 for both the under arm and bikini area, $250 for either Brazilian or half leg, $600 for full leg, and $400 to $600 for the back, depending on the size of back and the amount of hair.

Photorejuvenation packages using LumiPhase-R™ start at six treatments for $400, or you can also choose twelve treatments for $800 or eighteen treatments for $1200.

If you're looking at cost and benefits, The Ring broke it down in a way that just about anyone can love. Many women either shave or wax away unwanted hair for roughly fifty-three years of their lifetime. The average monthly cost can be anywhere from $15 to $70 (depending on what you're shaving or waxing and how often you do it). That means that over time, you could be spending anywhere between $10,000 (shaving) and $23,000 (waxing). On average, a woman could save $7,000 to $20,000 by receiving laser hair removal on the areas of the body that she would typically shave or wax. With those comparisons, the prices for services at Cambridge Laser seem like a reasonable investment!

For more or to book...

To find out what services are best for you, Owner, Brenda Roy can be reached by phone at 519-729-3598 or by email at clhc@sympatico.ca to book an appointment at the centre, located at 147 Attwood Drive in Cambridge. Brenda would be happy to answer your questions or run through your options with you.