It is the fashion to have smooth underarms, legs, and bikini lines. Call it reasonable or risqué, practical or provocative, but it appears the trend is here to stay! And there is no denying it; waxing is a profitable business.

This is never more apparent than in New York City, the fashion capital of the world. It is the place where innovators and trendsetters breed. Waxing centers offering full-body services to men and women are now as common as Starbucks or Walgreens. They are exploding in some of the most popular neighborhoods in every borough, each promising its own unique wax formula that adheres to the hair and not the skin, minimizing ingrown hairs.

Uni K Wax Center, a franchising company, first opened its doors in South Beach in 1993, making a big splash on the waxing scene by offering what it calls the cleanest, greenest, and fastest waxing experience ever. There are close to a dozen locations in New York City, with more salons slated to open. European Wax Center has 30 locations in New York and close to 220 salons across the country. There has been a shift in New York – clients no longer squeeze in a quick eyebrow wax after a manicure and waxing is no longer a mere afterthought. Appointments are now being made by clients weeks in advance.

Why the change? For one thing, too many spas hire technicians who are not qualified or licensed to perform the procedure, leaving clients vulnerable to infections and burns. Aestheticians, cosmetologists, and waxing therapists should always be required to wear protective gloves. They should never double dip wax sticks and must sterilize their tools. A consultation should be performed before even one drop of wax is laid on a client. Clients must be informed of certain pre- and post-waxing precautions. Every professional in the skin care industry has an obligation to inform clients of all precautions. The public has the right to be informed.

There is, however, a downside to waxing. The baby-smooth skin does not last forever. Unfortunately, those pesky hairs come back just when a client wants to wear a miniskirt. There is, however, another popular cosmetic procedure on the market – laser hair removal, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1997. World-renowned skin expert and ocular plastic surgeon Dr. Marian Zilkha says, “The use of lasers in medicine has always been fascinating. Laser hair removal has revolutionized ancient techniques of epilation for a more appealing, less traumatic, and less painful modality, with more permanent results. Sophisticated technology also makes it available for all ethnic groups.”

Clients usually require three to eight treatments on large areas and some in between touch-up treatments. They are treated for about 15 minutes every four to six weeks. There are also some contraindications. If a client has gray, very light blonde, or even some shade of red hair, they have little to no pigment to attract the laser. These clients’ hair follicles will not heat up enough to destroy the root. Clients with dark, coarse hair will have the best results.

Well, there you have it. At the end of the day, skin care professionals must decide what treatment option is best for each client. Fortunately, when it comes to hair removal, multiple options are finally available.