Alexandrite laser · Grünwald near MunichPermanent hair removal
Munich.

Permanent hair removal in Munich: what to know beforehand

Anyone looking for permanent hair removal in Munich finds dermatology practices, laser chains, beauty salons and owner-run specialist studios. They differ in the device, in the qualification of the person at the laser and in how much time there is for a single treatment. This page explains how permanent hair removal with a medical laser works, what it can do, where its limits are and how to reach us in Grünwald from Munich.

The principle is the same with every device: laser light of one fixed wavelength hits the melanin in the hair, turns into heat there and disables the hair root. What has been treated does not grow back. Because the laser only reaches hair in its active growth phase, it takes several sessions until every hair in an area has had its turn.

Treated by the owner, not on a conveyor belt

At our studio the owner treats you herself. Magdalena Graml is NiSV-certified, has worked with the laser for more than ten years and has around 20,000 treatments behind her. For you that means the same person looks at your skin at the first appointment, sets the plan and carries it out. There is no package you have to book in advance and no changing staff you have to explain yourself to again.

What your skin tolerates is decided by the device together with experience, not by an entry in a price list. That is why every course starts with a free trial treatment on one spot. More about her on About us.

How permanent hair removal works with us

At the first appointment we look at skin and hair: skin type, how the pigment is distributed, hair thickness, hair density and how deep the roots sit. We go through previous conditions and medication, choose wavelength and settings and treat a test patch. You feel what a pulse is like, and we see how your skin reacts. After that we tell you how many sessions to expect, and you get the plan in writing.

In the session, cooling burst and laser pulse alternate. Large handpieces cover more skin with every pulse on the legs or back, small ones allow precise work along contours such as the upper lip or the beard line. How long an appointment takes depends on the size of the area. Energy, pulse duration and cooling are set afresh at every appointment, depending on how skin and hair reacted to the last treatment. There is no treatment by rote.

About two weeks after the first session many treated hairs fall out by themselves. As a rule it is 6 to 8 sessions, 4 to 8 weeks apart, depending on the body region. The reason lies in the hair cycle: at any one time only part of the hair is in the growth phase in which the root can be disabled. Everything else is resting and has its turn at the next appointment. How that works in the follicle is explained on How it works.

After the course you get up to two free follow-up treatments within 24 months, with no further conditions.

Before the treatment

In the week before your appointment, please no sunbed, no self-tanner and no long sunbathing. Fresh tan absorbs a lot of light itself; if the skin is stressed, we would rather postpone than risk pigment changes. Plucking, waxing, sugaring and epilating take out the root the laser needs, so please none of those in the weeks before. Shaving is possible at any time.

Tell us beforehand if you take medication that makes the skin sensitive to light, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and if there are prominent moles or a skin condition in the treatment area. If strong hair growth is new or has changed noticeably, the cause should be clarified by a doctor first.

After the treatment

Slight redness or a mild feeling of warmth on the treated skin is normal and fades quickly. Immediately afterwards the skin gets soothing care that strengthens the skin barrier. At home one thing matters most: sun protection with SPF 50 on the treated areas, in winter too and even if the area is only briefly uncovered. Anything else to watch for we explain at the appointment rather than just handing it over.

After about 14 days many treated hairs fall out by themselves. That is not regrowth but the end of the disabled hairs. With every further session the hair density drops, and the daily irritation from the blade stops, so redness fades and the skin barrier can recover.

Risks and side effects

The settings are matched to your skin. That keeps the risk of irritation or pigment changes very low; no laser treatment can rule it out entirely. What you can expect: brief redness, a feeling of warmth, sometimes slight swelling around the hair roots that disappears within hours.

The real risks arise when tanned or stressed skin is treated, when a device with too broad a light spectrum works on darker skin, or when moles and tattoos are not covered. That is why we ask before every session about sun, sunbed and self-tanner, cover prominent pigmented moles and do not laser over tattoos. An appointment is postponed when the skin cannot take it that day. It costs us revenue on that day, and that is exactly how you recognise a studio that puts the skin first.

Alexandrite, Nd:YAG, diode and IPL

We work with the Candela GentleMax Pro Plus. It combines two wavelengths in one device: 755 nanometre alexandrite for light to medium skin and finer hair, 1064 nanometre Nd:YAG for darker skin tones and tanned skin. Devices with only one wavelength have to pick a side, this one does not. Which wavelength suits your skin is decided at the trial treatment. More about the device on Candela GentleMax Pro Plus.

The diode laser sits between the two with its wavelength. IPL is not a laser but filtered flash light across a broad range. The energy is spread over many wavelengths, only part of which the hair absorbs well; the deep-seated root is often not reached permanently, and on darker skin types the risk of burns is higher. Almost all home devices work that way. The details are on The alexandrite laser.

Before every pulse a burst of cryogen hits the skin and protects it, with no contact gel. That is why we manage without numbing creams. No laser treatment is pain free, but most people describe the pulse as a quick flick, clearly more pleasant than waxing. More sensitive spots such as the upper lip or the intimate area are felt a little more than the legs or back.

Dermatologist, laser chain or specialist studio?

Since the end of 2020 the German NiSV regulation sets out who may use lasers on people for cosmetic purposes. Some applications are reserved for doctors, such as tattoo removal. Permanent hair removal is not one of them: it may be offered outside a medical practice, but only by someone who can prove the required expertise. That obligation has applied since 31 December 2022.

For you that means: it is not the place that decides about safety but the qualification of the person guiding the laser and the device they work with. With prominent moles, a skin condition or newly appearing strong hair growth, the dermatologist is the first address. For the cosmetic removal of hair on legs, underarms, face, intimate area or back, a specialist studio with proven expertise is an equal choice, often with more time for the individual treatment.

How to recognise a good studio in Munich

• The NiSV expertise exists and is shown on request.
• A real laser with a fixed wavelength is used, not IPL flash light, and you are told which device it is.
• Before the first treatment there is a consultation and a test patch at which skin and hair are assessed.
• You are asked about medication, fresh tan and skin peculiarities.
• Limits are named openly: white, grey and very light hair cannot be removed with any laser.
• You know beforehand who treats you, and it is the same person at every session.
• Energy, pulse duration and handpiece are adjusted to your progress at every appointment rather than taken from the factory preset.
• Shot counts, energy values and skin reactions are recorded per area so the next session builds on the last.

Be wary of guarantees such as “smooth forever after three sessions” or of offers that advertise mainly on price. What makes an excellent studio in detail is described in Magdalena's article How to recognise an excellent clinic for permanent hair removal.

For which skin and which hair

Thanks to the second wavelength almost all skin and hair types can be treated, including darker skin tones. Dark, strong hair on lighter skin responds best, because the hair then absorbs far more light than the skin beside it.

The limit of the method is where there is no pigment. White, grey and very light blond hairs cannot be removed by any laser, including this one. Fine light fuzz responds poorly. We do not laser over tattoos, and prominent pigmented moles are covered. During pregnancy and breastfeeding we postpone treatment. If you take medication that makes the skin sensitive to light, please tell us beforehand.

Even with a more difficult starting point the outlook is often good: with deep-seated roots, with hormonally influenced hair growth whose cause should be clarified by a doctor first, or when earlier treatments elsewhere did not bring the result you wanted. How good can be judged honestly after the trial treatment.

Every area has its own page

Skin and hair differ from area to area, and so do the preparation and the number of sessions. The most common areas therefore have pages of their own:

• Underarms
• Legs
• Intimate area and bikini line
• Face: upper lip, chin, cheeks
• Arms and hands
• Back, shoulders, neck
• Chest and stomach
• Hair removal for men

Several areas can be combined into one plan. That usually makes more sense than treating them one after another, because visible edges appear at the transitions otherwise.

What permanent hair removal in Munich costs

The price depends on the area, on skin and hair and on the number of sessions. Area size, hair density and hair thickness differ from person to person, so with us the cost is fixed only after the assessment, in writing. You get a plan tailored to your starting point instead of a flat rate or a long-term contract. What the price depends on is explained on Prices.

Counted over years, the balance looks different from what the first glance suggests. Anyone who shaves every other day spends more than 600 hours on it over ten years, around 25 full days. A laser course usually takes 6 to 8 sessions, after which the ongoing effort in the bathroom drops to almost nothing. Then there are the things that are hard to put a number on: no more ingrown hairs, no follicle inflammations, a finer skin texture. Magdalena has worked through the whole comparison in Is it worth the investment?

When the right time is

There is no laser season. With two wavelengths the treatment does not depend on pale winter skin; the sunnier months are safe too, provided you protect the treated areas consistently from the sun. Many people start in summer with the areas that stay covered. Whoever starts today has fewer hairs at every session, and every month of hesitation only pushes the final result further back. Anyone with razor burn, ingrown hairs or inflamed follicles has no reason to wait anyway.

From Munich to Grünwald

The studio is at Südliche Münchner Straße 46 in Grünwald, just beyond the Munich city boundary, directly south of Harlaching and Solln. Tram 25 runs without changes from Max-Weber-Platz through Haidhausen, Au, Giesing and Harlaching to the stop “Grünwald, Ludwig-Thoma-Straße”. By car you come across the Grünwald bridge or through Solln, and from Pullach and Oberhaching it is a few minutes. There are two customer parking spaces in front of the building, with more in the side street. So you do not have to leave half an hour early to find somewhere to park.

There is a reason for the trip to the edge of the city. Only one client is in the house at your appointment. No waiting area, no row of cabins, no changing practitioners. Anyone in the public eye or who meets many people professionally runs into nobody in the waiting room here, because there is none. We give no information about who is treated with us and show no faces without consent. Anyone who values calm and discretion finds both more easily here than between Marienplatz and Stachus.

Opening hours, address and a map are on Contact and directions.

Frequently asked questions about permanent hair removal in Munich

Is laser hair removal really permanent?

Treated hair roots are disabled and produce no more hair. Over the years the body can create new hair, especially with hormonal changes. A refresher session is usually enough then. Anyone promising you more is promising too much.

Does the treatment hurt?

Before every pulse a short burst of cold cools the skin. Most people feel it as a quick flick and find it clearly more pleasant than waxing. Numbing creams are not needed. More sensitive spots such as the upper lip or the intimate area are felt a little more than the legs or back.

When will I see a result?

About 14 days after the first session many treated hairs fall out by themselves. The biggest visible step comes right after the first treatment; the follow-up sessions clear the remaining growth cycles step by step.

How many sessions do I need?

As a rule 6 to 8, 4 to 8 weeks apart depending on the body area. How many it will be for you can be judged better after the trial treatment.

How long does a session take?

That depends on the size of the area. With handpieces up to 24 millimetres, even a large area such as the legs or back stays a manageable appointment. You are alone in the house at your appointment, so there is no waiting time beforehand.

What do I need to watch out for before the appointment?

In the week before, no sunbed, no self-tanner and no long sunbathing. Please do not pluck, wax or epilate beforehand, the laser needs the root. Tell us about medication, pregnancy and skin peculiarities in advance.

Do I have to stop shaving between appointments?

No. Shaving is possible at any time and is even needed before every appointment. Wax, plucking and epilators take out the root the laser needs, so we ask beforehand when you last waxed.

What happens to my skin after the treatment?

Slight redness or a mild feeling of warmth is normal and fades quickly. After that, sun protection with SPF 50 on the treated areas. Care and the rules for home are explained at the appointment.

What are the risks?

With matched settings the risk of irritation or pigment changes is very low; no laser treatment can rule it out entirely. Tanned skin, moles and tattoos in the treatment area are the reasons we postpone an appointment or leave a spot out.

Can I be treated in summer?

Yes. Fresh tan absorbs a lot of light itself, so we look at your skin before every session and decide together. Many people start in summer with the areas that stay covered.

Does it work on dark skin?

Yes. For darker skin tones and tanned skin we use the Nd:YAG wavelength at 1064 nanometres, which penetrates deeper and is absorbed less by the skin itself. Which wavelength fits is decided at the trial treatment.

Which hair cannot be removed?

White, grey and very light blond hair contains too little pigment. It cannot be removed with any laser, not even the Candela GentleMax Pro Plus. We tell you so openly at the consultation.

Does the treatment help with ingrown hairs?

Yes. Without regrowing hair tips, the most common triggers for ingrown hairs and follicle inflammation disappear. Redness fades and the skin texture becomes more even.

How many areas can be treated in one appointment?

Several areas can be treated together as long as the total surface fits into one appointment. How we split your plan is something we discuss at the free trial treatment.

What happens if I miss an appointment?

Nothing serious. The interval of 4 to 8 weeks is a guide, not a schedule that must never slip. If the gap gets much longer, more hairs move into the next phase and one extra session may be needed.

May a studio without a doctor remove hair with a laser in Munich?

Yes, if the person treating can prove the expertise required by the NiSV. That obligation has applied since 31 December 2022. Certain other laser applications, such as tattoo removal, remain reserved for doctors.

Do you treat men as well?

Yes, with the same device and the same wavelengths. Areas and packages are on the page Hair removal for men.

What does permanent hair removal cost?

That depends on the area, on skin and hair and on the number of sessions. It is fixed after the free trial treatment, in writing. What the price depends on is explained on the page Prices.

Why Grünwald and not the centre of Munich?

Because it allows a different way of working. Only one client is in the house at your appointment, the owner treats you herself, and there are two parking spaces outside the door. Tram 25 brings you here without changes.

Does my visit stay confidential?

Yes. There is no waiting room, and nobody else is in the house at your appointment. We give no information about who is treated with us and show no faces without your consent.

Where can I get advice near Munich?

With us in Grünwald on the southern edge of the city, Südliche Münchner Straße 46. The first consultation including the trial treatment costs nothing. You can book online.