Great Neck, N.Y. – September 18, 2026 -- The $697 figure most people cite as the average cost of laser hair removal doesn't actually measure laser hair removal at all -- it comes from a broader American Society of Plastic Surgeons survey on "laser skin treatments" that has never been broken out by procedure. Other guides cite $582 or $389 from the same source, while CareCredit reports a $207 to $913 per-session range and RealSelf's user-submitted data puts the average near $1,016.
Laser by Aleya, a laser hair removal and electrolysis studio in Great Neck, New York, is publishing its own itemized pricing and a 10-year cost comparison against shaving and waxing, aiming to let customers check the math themselves rather than rely on a single national number.
Per-area pricing replaces the misleading national average
The studio's published per-session rates include $30 for the upper lip, $120 for the full face, $55 for underarms, $175 for full legs, $100 for the full back, $55 for bikini, $75 for Brazilian, and $500 for full body. Per the American Academy of Dermatology, most patients need multiple sessions spaced weeks apart, meaning total session count -- not a single per-visit price -- ultimately determines total cost.
A 10-year underarm comparison favors laser over repeat purchases
Using underarms as an example, shaving with $18 four-packs of cartridges every two weeks totals roughly $117 a year, or about $1,170 over a decade. Monthly waxing at $45 runs about $585 a year, or $5,850 over 10 years. Laser at $55 a session -- an eight-session initial course plus one annual touch-up for nine years, 17 sessions total -- comes to about $935 over the same period.
Laser doesn't win every case
The studio notes laser costs more than it's worth for very small treatment areas, for light, grey or blonde hair that lasers target poorly regardless of price, for infrequent shavers whose baseline spending is already low, and for anyone whose hair growth is hormonally driven and may require ongoing maintenance sessions. Per the FDA, both hair and skin tone affect how well laser treatment performs, with electrolysis often the better option when laser can't reliably target the hair.
Founder says "starting at" pricing delays the real cost conversation
"Most 'starting at' prices in this industry are technically true and still misleading. They're built off the smallest area or the fewest sessions anyone could plausibly need," said Aleya Bamdad, Founder & CEO of Laser by Aleya. "We stopped using that framing because it just delays the real cost conversation to session two instead of having it before someone books."
Laser by Aleya recommends customers in the New York City market ask providers for actual per-area pricing, typical session counts for their specific hair and skin type, and whether a patch test is included before the first full session.