Cost is one of the most common reasons people put off trying IPL hair removal. The upfront investment looks significant compared to your regular waxing appointment. But is that the full picture? Let’s do the maths honestly — because when you look at the long-term numbers, the comparison is often not what people expect.
The True Cost of Waxing Over Time
Let’s take leg waxing as an example, since it’s one of the most popular treatments and also one of the more expensive routine waxing options. A full-leg wax at a decent salon typically costs between £40 and £60. Most women who wax their legs do so roughly every 4-6 weeks — let’s say 10 times a year, to be conservative.
At £50 per session, that’s £500 a year. Over five years, that’s £2,500. Over ten years, £5,000. And that doesn’t include tips, travel costs, the time taken for appointments, or the not-insignificant pain of regular waxing. Nor does it account for the in-between weeks when you’re growing hair out again — or the shaving, stubble, and skin irritation that comes with it.
The Cost of IPL at Brighton Bodyworks
We’ll be transparent: we don’t publish our full price list in this post (prices do occasionally change and we want you to have accurate figures — please visit our website or call us for current pricing). But to give you a genuine comparison, the cost of a course of IPL for the full legs at most quality UK clinics, including ours, typically sits in the range of £600-£900 for a full course of 6-8 sessions.
After your initial course, most clients don’t need regular ongoing treatment — perhaps a maintenance session every year or two, if at all. Compare that to £500 a year (and rising with inflation) in perpetuity for waxing.
Breaking Even — and the Years Beyond
For most body areas and most clients, IPL pays for itself within 1-3 years compared to waxing. After that, you’re in profit — in money, in time, and in freedom from the waxing appointment cycle. The bigger the area and the more frequently you’ve been waxing, the faster the break-even point comes.
Smaller areas like underarms or upper lip are even more compelling. An underarm wax might be £15-20 per session; a full course of IPL for the underarms is a fraction of the cost of the leg course. The maths stacks up even faster.
The Non-Financial Cost of Waxing
There’s also the question of what waxing costs you that doesn’t appear on the invoice. The pain (waxing really does hurt, especially on sensitive areas). The in-between weeks where you have to let hair grow out before you can be waxed again — meaning you’re hairy when you’d rather not be. The skin irritation, ingrown hairs, and redness. The time: booking appointments, travelling to them, spending an hour there, coming home red-skinned.
Most IPL clients describe the lifestyle change as one of the main benefits — the freedom of not thinking about it any more. Not having to plan holidays around waxing appointments. Not having to check your legs before a night out. That freedom has a value that doesn’t show up in a spreadsheet, but it’s real.
What About Shaving?
If you shave rather than wax, the cost comparison looks even more stark. Razors, shaving gel, and the time involved in daily or near-daily shaving add up over a lifetime. And shaving never gives you smooth skin — it gives you slightly-less-stubbly skin that’s prickly again within 48 hours.
IPL doesn’t require you to grow hair out between sessions (you shave the area before each appointment, which is both quick and doesn’t interrupt your life). And after the course is done, you’re in a genuinely different world.
Our Recommendation: Start with a Consultation
We’d always suggest starting with our £30 consultation and patch test before making any decisions about a course of treatment. The consultation gives you the chance to ask all your questions, find out exactly what your treatment plan would look like, and get a precise quote for your specific areas — with no obligation to book anything.
It’s a low-risk way to get real, personalised information rather than guessing at numbers. And if you decide to go ahead, the £30 comes off your first treatment.
? Ready to get started? Brighton Bodyworks is based in Hassocks, West Sussex, with easy access from Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath, Hurstpierpoint, Ditchling, Lewes and Brighton. Call us on 07881 958093 or book online at www.massagetherapy-brighton.co.uk. Your first consultation and patch test is just £30 — redeemable against your first treatment.