Guide · Full body
Full body laser hair removal in Singapore: which areas, how sessions are planned, and staying safe over large areas
A full-body course is really several area-by-area courses run together. Here is what is usually included, how a doctor plans wavelengths and timing across different skin and hair, what changes when large areas are treated at once, and how to prepare.
Written & medically reviewed by Dr Sin Yong · 9 October 2026
Quick answer
- Full body laser hair removal in Singapore usually means several areas, such as the underarms, arms, legs, bikini or Brazilian area, abdomen, chest and back, often with the face, planned together but set area by area because skin tone and hair differ across the body.
- Each area runs its own course timed to its hair cycle, usually four to eight weeks apart, with the face closer together than the legs or back. The AAD expects most patients to need two to six treatments, with maintenance sometimes needed. Visits can cover every area or rotate between groups.
- Large areas need extra care: separate settings for darker zones such as the underarms and bikini line, no tan, and no numbing cream spread over big areas or wrapped, which the US FDA warns can cause seizures and heart rhythm problems.
- At SkinRev Lab, Dr Sin Yong performs laser hair removal on the Lutronic Clarity II (755 nm alexandrite and 1064 nm Nd:YAG), maps your areas at consultation and prices the plan at consultation, at CityLink Mall and at IN Eternity Clinic, Pacific Plaza.
Scope
What 'full body' usually covers
There is no fixed definition. A full-body plan usually means several of the underarms, arms, legs, bikini or Brazilian area, abdomen, chest, back and buttocks, often with the face added. Each area has different hair and skin, so it is planned as a set of separate areas treated in one programme rather than as one uniform surface.
Some places are excluded or handled with particular care. Skin inside the bony rim around the eyes is not treated, tattoos and cosmetic tattooing are avoided, and dark or changing moles are shielded or examined first. Eye protection is worn throughout, because eye injury is a recognised hazard of any hair removal laser.
White, grey and very fine blonde hair will not respond in any area, so someone with mixed hair colours may still have some hair to shave, wax or remove with electrolysis after a course.
Planning
Full body laser hair removal in Singapore: how a plan is built
At consultation, each area is mapped: skin tone, which is often darker in the underarms, bikini line and inner thighs and tanned on the shins and forearms; hair colour and thickness; and any irritation, ingrown hairs or earlier treatment. On the Lutronic Clarity II, Dr Sin Yong then chooses 755 nm alexandrite or 1064 nm Nd:YAG for each area, so one person can have both wavelengths in the same visit.
Intervals follow the hair cycle of each area. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says most patients can be treated every four to six weeks; at SkinRev Lab, sessions are usually four to eight weeks apart, with the face closer together and the legs and back further apart. A randomised leg trial used eight-week intervals.
| Area | Hair and skin notes | Wavelength often considered | Planning note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Underarms | Coarse, dense hair; skin often a shade darker | 1064 nm, or conservative 755 nm on lighter skin | Shaving rash or deodorant irritation settles first |
| Bikini or Brazilian | Coarse dark hair; skin tone varies within the area | 1064 nm often; 755 nm on lighter skin | The extent is agreed beforehand |
| Legs | The largest area; shins tan easily | 755 nm on lighter untanned skin; 1064 nm if tanned or darker | Thighs, knees and shins may be set differently |
| Arms | Often finer hair | 755 nm frequently suits lighter skin | Fine, light hair responds less |
| Back, chest and abdomen | Dense terminal hair in many men | Chosen by skin tone | Larger areas take longer per visit |
| Face | Fine or hormonal hair in some women | Chosen by skin tone, with eye protection | New hair growth in women is assessed for its cause first |
Timing
Timing across areas: one long visit or a rotation
There are two common ways to organise a full-body course. One is to treat every area at each visit, which means fewer trips but long appointments: the AAD notes that a large area such as the back or legs alone can take more than an hour. The other is to split the body into groups of areas treated on alternating visits, which keeps each appointment shorter while every area still returns on its own schedule.
The right choice depends on the total area, your comfort and your calendar. Because facial areas are usually treated at shorter intervals than the legs or back, a full-body plan often runs on more than one rhythm.
Plan around sun and life events. Book sessions before beach holidays rather than straight after them, leave time for redness to settle before a wedding or photo shoot, and tell the clinic if you are planning a pregnancy, because treatment is usually paused during pregnancy.
Sessions
How many sessions a full-body course involves
Each area runs its own course. The AAD says to expect a 10% to 25% reduction after the first treatment and that most patients need two to six treatments, with maintenance sometimes needed. Coarse dark hair on fair skin tends to respond faster; fine hair, lighter hair and hormonally driven areas respond more slowly.
Laser gives long-term reduction, not removal of every hair. The Cochrane review of randomised trials found about 50% short-term reduction with alexandrite and diode lasers and no trial documenting long-term removal. In a later randomised trial on the legs of people with skin types III and IV, alexandrite and Nd:YAG reduced hair by about 74% to 84% 18 months after four sessions. Results vary between people and between areas.
Safety
Safety when treating large areas
Large areas add up. More skin is treated in one sitting, the appointment is longer, and a setting that suits the arms may not suit the underarms or a tanned shin. That is why each area is assessed and set separately, and why the doctor checks how the skin responds to the first pulses in each area before continuing.
Pigment change is the main risk in brown skin. A review found pigment change in up to 19% of people treated with shorter-wavelength lasers, particularly in darker skin, against 2–3% with Nd:YAG, and permanent effects were very uncommon. Using 1064 nm in darker zones, skin cooling, avoiding a tan and a test patch where needed lower the risk.
In Singapore, the National Environment Agency allows only registered medical practitioners to operate class 4 high-power lasers on people, and only at premises approved by the Ministry of Health. Clinic hair removal lasers fall into this class, so it is reasonable to ask who will hold the handpiece.
Comfort
Numbing cream and large areas
Numbing cream is the one comfort measure that becomes riskier as the area grows. In March 2024 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that lidocaine products, including some marketed for use before laser hair removal, can cause serious injury such as irregular heartbeat, seizures and breathing difficulties when applied over large areas of skin, on irritated or broken skin, for long periods or under a covering, and advised against wrapping treated skin in plastic wrap or dressings.
For full-body sessions, comfort relies mainly on skin cooling with every pass, ice packs and short breaks between areas. In a randomised trial of underarm laser hair removal, ice packs and a lidocaine-prilocaine cream gave similar overall pain relief. If numbing cream is used at all, it is limited to small sensitive areas and applied only as the clinic directs; do not apply your own to the legs or back before a session.
Preparation
Preparing for a full-body session
Good preparation shortens the appointment and lowers the chance of a reaction.
Bring a list of your medicines and any records of earlier IPL, diode or laser treatment, which helps the doctor choose settings for each area.
- Stop waxing, plucking, threading and epilating about four weeks before the first session; shave instead.
- Shave every area the day before. If you cannot reach your back, mention it when you book.
- Avoid tanning and deliberate sun exposure, and remove any self-tan.
- Tell the clinic about isotretinoin, light-sensitising medicines, cold sores, keloids or a recent tan.
- Let irritated or broken skin, shaving rash or folliculitis settle before treatment.
- Wear loose, comfortable clothing.
Aftercare
Aftercare across several areas
Expect redness and small raised bumps around the follicles in every treated area, which usually settle within hours; the AAD notes that minor redness and swelling can last one to three days. A cool compress helps. Skip hot showers, saunas and the gym that day, and wear loose clothing, particularly over the underarms and bikini line.
Keep treated skin that sees the sun, such as the arms, legs and face, out of direct sunlight, and use a broad-spectrum, water-resistant SPF 30+ sunscreen every day throughout the course. Shave between sessions if needed, but do not wax or pluck. Treated hairs shed over one to three weeks.
Contact the clinic if any area blisters, crusts, changes colour or becomes more painful after the first day.
Not yet
Who should wait before a full-body course
These are reasons to wait rather than reasons never to have treatment. Suitability is decided area by area at consultation.
Women with new or rapidly increasing hair on the face, chest or abdomen, or with irregular periods, should have the cause checked first, as hormonal conditions such as PCOS change both the plan and the number of sessions.
- Pregnancy: treatment is usually deferred.
- A recent tan, sunburn or self-tan on any area to be treated.
- Recent isotretinoin or light-sensitising medicines, until discussed with the doctor.
- Active infection, eczema, cold sores or broken skin in an area.
- A tendency to keloids, vitiligo, or pigment change after earlier laser or IPL: extra caution and a test patch.
- Grey, white or very fine blonde hair, which laser cannot target.
At SkinRev Lab
Full body laser hair removal at SkinRev Lab
Laser hair removal at SkinRev Lab is performed by Dr Sin Yong, on every area. At consultation he maps the areas you want treated, assesses skin type and hair in each, checks medicines, sun exposure and earlier treatment, and sets out the wavelength for each area, how visits will be grouped, and what to expect. He reviews the skin at each visit and adjusts the settings area by area.
Options discussed include treating every area, treating only the areas that bother you, waxing or shaving some areas, and no treatment. The plan is priced at consultation, because it depends on which areas are treated and how the course is staged. Results vary between people.
Laser hair removal is available at SkinRev Lab, #B1-28 CityLink Mall, 1 Raffles Link, linked underground to City Hall and Esplanade MRT (daily 11am–8pm, WhatsApp +65 8266 9585), and at IN Eternity Clinic, 9 Scotts Road, #12-01 Pacific Plaza, beside Orchard MRT (WhatsApp SkinRev Lab on +65 8266 9585 or IN Eternity Clinic on +65 8815 3008).
Sources
References & sources
- American Academy of Dermatology. Laser hair removal: FAQs.
- American Academy of Dermatology. Laser hair removal: preparation.
- US Food and Drug Administration. FDA warns consumers to avoid certain topical pain relief products due to potential for dangerous health effects. 26 March 2024.
- National Environment Agency, Singapore. Advisory on sale, distribution, possession and use of non-ionising irradiating apparatus controlled under the Radiation Protection Act 2007.
- Haedersdal M, Gøtzsche PC. Laser and photoepilation for unwanted hair growth. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006;(4):CD004684.
- Davoudi SM, Behnia F, Gorouhi F, et al. Comparison of long-pulsed alexandrite and Nd:YAG lasers, individually and in combination, for leg hair reduction: an assessor-blinded, randomized trial with 18 months of follow-up. Arch Dermatol. 2008;144(10):1323-1327.
- Lim SP, Lanigan SW. A review of the adverse effects of laser hair removal. Lasers Med Sci. 2006;21(3):121-125.
- Roongpisuthipong W, Christensen RE, Dirr MA, et al. Comparative effectiveness of ice packs versus topical lidocaine-prilocaine mixture for pain control in laser hair removal of the axilla: a rater-blinded randomized controlled trial. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2023;88(3):617-622.
Common questions
Your questions,
answered
How long does a full body laser hair removal session take?
It depends on how many areas are treated. The AAD notes that the upper lip takes minutes while the back or legs alone can take more than an hour, so a visit covering every area is long. Many people split the body into groups of areas on alternating visits.
How many sessions does full body laser hair removal need?
Each area runs its own course. The AAD says most patients need two to six treatments, with maintenance sometimes needed, and hormonal or fine-haired areas often need more. Your plan is set at consultation.
Can every area be done in one visit?
Often, if your skin, comfort and time allow. Some people prefer shorter visits that rotate between areas. Either way, each area is set separately and timed to its own hair cycle.
Is full body laser hair removal safe?
Large areas can be treated safely when each area is assessed and set separately, the skin is untanned and the treatment is performed by a doctor. Risks include burns, blisters and pigment change, which are higher in darker skin with shorter wavelengths.
Can I use numbing cream for full body laser hair removal?
Not over large areas. The US FDA has warned that lidocaine applied to large areas, broken skin, for long periods or under wrapping can cause irregular heartbeat, seizures and breathing difficulties. Cooling and ice are used instead; numbing cream, if any, is limited to small areas as the clinic directs.
Which wavelength is used on different areas?
On the Lutronic Clarity II, 755 nm alexandrite usually suits dark hair on lighter skin, such as the arms, and 1064 nm Nd:YAG suits darker or tanned skin and naturally darker areas such as the underarms and bikini line. The choice is made area by area.
How should I prepare for full body laser hair removal?
Stop waxing and plucking about four weeks before, shave every area the day before, avoid tanning and self-tan, and tell the clinic about your medicines, cold sores and any earlier laser or IPL.
How is full body laser hair removal priced?
At SkinRev Lab it is priced at consultation, because the cost depends on which areas are treated, their size and how the course is staged. Ask what wavelength will be used on each area and who performs the treatment, not only the price.
Can men have full body laser hair removal?
Yes. The back, chest, abdomen and shoulders are common areas for men, and the beard line is sometimes treated for ingrown hairs. The same principles apply: skin tone and hair decide the wavelength, area by area.