Hair conditioning: The future is looking smooth for men and women of a hirsute disposition. Elemis Day Spa and The Beautiful Skin Centre (BSC) have just introduced the Combilase laser hair-removal system, the first of its kind in Hong Kong and Asia. Manufactured in Italy, it is the safest laser-depilation treatment on the market and offers a permanent reduction in hair growth. (The American Food and Drug Administration doesn't allow any company to claim permanent hair removal, says Lucy Whitaker, managing director of the BSC, because some hair might eventually grow back - albeit finer. Any claim to the contrary is false advertising.)
The treatment sends a combination of an ND Yag Laser and pulsed light through the skin (without harming it) to disable hair follicles and impede regrowth. It is safe for all skin types - from fair to Afro-Caribbean - and can also be used to simultaneously treat thread veins, broken capillaries and facial imperfections such as age spots, freckles and enlarged pores. Three to five treatments per area about four to five weeks apart are recommended; effects last for several years. Bikini line treatment, for example, costs $1,480 a session; $7,995 for six months unlimited.