Since its inception, laser hair removal has enjoyed ever-growing popularity. Moreover, the service became a must-have for any aesthetic business. Despite plenty of treatment providers, there is still enough room for aspiring entrepreneurs eager to open their own hair removal salons. Running a laser removal business is not a piece of cake, but it can generate a stable income. A good place to start is to hunt for a suitable location, figure out your unique selling points and ensure your business is run properly. Another important point is your budget. If you are about to take a plunge into the hair removal business, it is smart to map out your starting and running costs.

Buying a hair removal laser is sure to cut into your budget. A laser hair machine cost may start from €8,000 for a portable version and €11,000 for a full-sized one and reach as much as €100,000 and more depending on the model and the brand. Renting/purchasing suitable premises will also cost you a pretty penny. Smaller starting costs may include furniture and working tools. Plan your monthly budget to cover major running costs, like utility bills, taxes, wages, and marketing fees. Medical and cosmetic products like pretreatment local anesthetics and post-treatment soothing creams and sunscreens refer to minor running costs.

What income to expect?

Usually, the treatment price for body hair removal depends on the size of the area being treated. The average charge for small areas may vary from €45 to €65 and €100 to €135 for large areas per single treatment. But the income calculation is not that straightforward. As it takes 6 to 10 treatments with 4 to 6-week intervals to remove unwanted hair, many clinics offer discounts for 1) package treatments and 2) combined treatment of several body zones. Package and combined zone discounts may range from 20 to 50%.  

Timewise, laser hair removal treatment may take 5 minutes or less for small areas like the chin and eyebrow contour to 30 minutes for large ones, for example, legs. Throw in some additional time for a quick chat and preparations like taking off makeup or changing clothes. 

As too many factors may affect the bottom line, it is safer to go for a rough estimate. It makes sense to link the profit to the treatment time. Let’s assume small areas take 20 minutes (with all preps and after-session care) and large areas take 45 minutes. Here we get an average of €225 (for small zones) – €180 (for large zones) per hour. So a fully-booked schedule with an 8-hour and a 22-working day month may bring you roughly from €31,680 to €39,600 monthly. Of course, these are ballpark figures to give you an idea.

If you already run an esthetic business, adding laser treatments to your existing services will help you attract new customers and boost your bottom line. A bonus is you already have your marketing and rental fees covered.