Where to lose that hair

It's not the sexiest topic, but getting rid of unwanted body hair is something most can't avoid. If you haven't tried laser hair removal, now is a great time to start, since it can take months of regular treatments to see a drastic change.

Laser hair removal is about as painful as getting waxed, but in a different way. Every time you're zapped, it's like a hot rubber band flicked against your body. It is permanent hair reduction, so most will see about 80 percent of each area remaining hairless. But that's enough hair gone forever to make the treatments worthwhile for many.

The person zapping you doesn't need to have a medical degree, just a special certification. It's a good idea to check with the Better Business Bureau, to make sure the place is reputable. A friend bought a package at a local laser hair clinic (which we won't name), and a year later, her facial hairs are as thick as ever. Another friend went to an establishment where they cut her leg three times while doing the pre-laser shaving.

Where should you go, and what's out there? Here are three spots Seattleites rave about.

What laser they use: The Cutera Xio

How much it costs: Underarms $150 per treatment, $200 basic bikini line, $100 upper lip.

What's unique about Red: Get a massage, hair cut, and laser in the same place. Dr. Lisa Duggan, who does all the treatments, is a medical doctor, a rarity.

"We have a spa-like feel," Duggan says. "Someone will get a hair cut downstairs, then Botox and hair removal by me. I'm just one stop on the train."

What lasers they use: Candela Gentlelase Plus and the Cutera NdYAG

How much it costs: $200 underarms, $200 basic bikini line for the first treatment, $100 for the fourth treatment (there's less hair by then, so they charge less). Upper lip $200 for the first visit, $75 for the fourth visit.

What's unique about Caddell's: Owner Debbie Caddell has been removing hair since 1982- longer than any other laser practitioner we found. Her office is a no-frills affair - she's in an office space with accountants down the hall - but she knows her stuff. For example, when a friend wondered why her facial hairs weren't gone after years of treatments, Caddell said that electrolysis could work - and it did.

"Sometimes the last bit of hair doesn't respond to a laser," Caddell says.

As of this writing, she's in New York teaching a laser class at Rocky Mountain Laser College.

What lasers they use: Cutera's Prowave and YAG in Seattle; Candela Gentlelase in Bellevue

How much it costs: $150 underarms, $175 bikini line, $195 upper lip; prices decrease if you buy a package.

What's unique about Calidora: They let you hold the Zimmer, a machine that blows cold air and numbs the pain. Registered nurses zap you in rooms that look like fancy doctor's offices. Owner Colette Courtion is proud of her Cutera Prowave.

"The head on the Cutera laser is large and allows you to cover more space quicker," Courtion says. "A man's back could take an hour somewhere else, but takes just half an hour here."