In Brussels the offer is plentiful and the advertising all looks the same: same promises, same discounts, same photos. Here is what genuinely distinguishes one centre from another, in the form of questions to ask. Ask them everywhere — including here.
1. Which device, exactly?
The most telling question. Ask for the brand and the wavelength, not “a latest-generation laser”.
A precise answer sounds like: Candela Alexandrite 755 nm and Nd:YAG 1064 nm. A vague answer, or one that mixes up “laser” and “pulsed light”, tells you a lot. Many salons work with IPL — that is not a laser, and the difference is real: we explain it in our comparison of the technologies.
2. Do you have both wavelengths?
Decisive if your skin is dark. An Alexandrite alone cannot properly treat a dark phototype; you need an Nd:YAG. A centre claiming to treat every phototype with a single device is either mistaken or misleading you. See our article on dark skin.
3. What happens at the first appointment?
A good answer contains three elements: a health questionnaire, a phototype assessment, and the option of a test on a small area.
If you are offered treatment straight away, with nothing asked, leave. The settings depend on your skin, your current medication and your recent sun exposure — a centre that does not enquire cannot set the device correctly.
4. How many sessions for my case?
Watch for the trap: a serious centre cannot answer over the phone. The number of sessions depends on the colour and density of your hair, your phototype and your hormonal context.
A figure quoted before seeing you is a sales argument, not an estimate. What is legitimate is being given a precise figure after the assessment — not a range from 4 to 12 sessions.
5. How are sessions paid for?
Be wary of large packages payable in advance, especially on the day of the first appointment. You do not yet know how your skin will respond.
Paying per session leaves you free: to stop, to space things out, to add an area. Also look at what happens if you interrupt, and whether follow-up appointments are charged.
6. Who carries out the session?
Ask who holds the device and what training they have. Ask too whether it will be the same person throughout the protocol: continuity matters, because settings are refined from one session to the next based on what was observed last time.
7. What will you tell me if the laser is not suitable?
The most revealing question of all. On white, grey or red hair, no laser works. An honest centre says so at the assessment; another will sell you a package and later explain that “it needs more sessions”.
The warning signs that should make you leave
- A “zero hair for life” guarantee. Nobody can give that, least of all on hormone-dependent areas.
- A promotion expiring today and pressure to sign on the spot.
- No questions about your current medication or your sun exposure.
- A refusal to name the device.
- A centre that will happily treat tanned skin.
- Prices shown only as monthly instalments, with no total.
And about us, concretely
So this guide is not one-sided, here are our own answers to the seven questions: medical Candela Alexandrite 755 nm and Nd:YAG 1064 nm lasers, present in all three centres — Uccle, Etterbeek and Watermael-Boitsfort. First appointment = assessment with questionnaire, phototype and optional test, free and without commitment. Number of sessions given after seeing you, never before. Payment per session, follow-up not charged. We practise neither IPL nor electrolysis, and we do not treat pregnant women.
Compare, ask these questions elsewhere, and come back if the answers suit you. Book an appointment · See the prices · Ask us a question
