Shireen's Favorite Things

Body Details (Laser Hair Removal) & its new midtown location: 45 NE 36th Street, Miami, Florida 33137

I’m no stranger to “laser” (said in my best Dr. Evil voice with air quotes). In fact, I actually tried it back in the day when it first came out. YES, I’m old and YES, it hurt. The experience was so traumatizing it’s burned into my brain like a bad break-up.

I did four agonizing sessions in the back of a high-end hair salon in Indianapolis, Indiana (my second television market) with one of my best friends, Jordana Green, who was also a young, budding journalist at the time. Despite the esthetician giving us squeezy balls (for both hands) to combat the pain…

We still took turns holding one another down (Jordana loved putting me in a Half Nelson), yelling things like: “Beauty is pain!” “Hair free is fabulous” and “You go girl, get rid of that man hair!!” It was absolute torture.

After we were done getting snapped, crackled and popped, we’d head over to P.F. Chang’s in the Circle City Mall (by the aforementioned salon) to drown our sorrows in Cosmos, Lettuce Wraps and Mongolian Beef. Honestly, though, no amount of vodka, carbohydrates or sugary protein could dull THAT kind of pain.

Man, I gotta hand it to Jordana: she stuck with it, but I didn’t. After the fourth session, I pledged on my own beauty bible that I would NEVER EVER do laser hair removal again. I made peace with my hairiness and shaved everyday like a criminal running from the long arm of the law. It was exhausting, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. Fast forward a decade later, when…

My attitude ‘slightly’ changed toward laser, thanks to Doctor Martin Zaiac (dermatologist to the stars and us TV types). Dr. Marty explained to me the advances in laser technology and, more importantly, he told me it didn’t hurt like it used to. I trusted him (still to this day, the good doc manages my skin care and anti-aging regimen). So I tried it, but…

I didn’t stick with it. At the time, I was on a demanding schedule traveling the globe as an Entertainment Reporter for Deco Drive and making my way to Mount Sinai to “Greater Miami Skin and Laser Center” was challenging. I spent more time in Los Angels and New York City than I did in Miami. So, once again, I embraced my hairiness and waxed my way into ladylike smoothness at weird little salons all over the world.

A few years later, I would find myself at a quirky but chic medical spa in the Design District called Emena, where I was doing a feature story for Deco on a famous male pedicurist (who could give a woman a foot rub like nobody’s business). Not only did I fall in love with the foot pampering, but the spa, too. A few months later, I went back and signed up for laser hair removal.

Everything was going pretty well until I suffered an unrelated health issue. I got a virus (from out of the country) that triggered a neurological disorder in my body called Guillain-Barre Syndrome. After that, everything – just – stopped.

There was no time left for frivolities and the fight for my life began (sans laser hair removal). I started aggressive IVIG (Immunoglobulin therapy) and got my affairs in order. Luckily, a few years after my initial diagnosis I recovered, but I paid a hefty price for it. The meds wreaked havoc on my body (I weighed 90 pounds) and my skin, nails and hair were a disaster, too. Speaking of hair…

While I lost a lot of my locks (on my head,) prickles started popping up elsewhere. More specifically, on my CHIN! Talk about over-sharing. Sigh. I mean, come on?! Wasn’t almost dying enough? Apparently not, snickered the beauty Gods as they peppered my face with random, coarse whiskers on my upper lip and chin area.

I told everyone I knew (that would listen) about my hairy situation and bequeathed myself the nickname “The Bearded Woman.” Plucking, shaving, waxing, you name it, I did it all while bemoaning my fate and dodging any kind of “painful” solution.

Luckily, I happen to be a big fan of Annie Vasquez a.k.a The Fashion Poet, one of South Florida’s top fashion bloggers, who just happened to feature Body Details (Laser Hair & Tattoo Removal) on her Instagram. Annie faced her “man hair” publicly, so, why shouldn’t I? The rest is “Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow” history….

I made my appointment straight away at Body Details, opting for their new Midtown location. It’s really convenient and close to my house. Not only was it modern, sleek and comfortable, the staff was gracious, warm and welcoming.

After some paperwork, I had a consultation (which they do for free) with one of their on-staff nurse practitioners who understood my medical issues and knew right away what I had been through had made my skin extremely sensitive and prone to hyper-pigmentation. I’m not gonna lie, I was nervous. Actually, I was sweating profusely…

I think being sick and remembering the pain of my illness and my first laser experience (which was burned into my brain like a bad break-up) got to me, but I hid it. I just took a deep breath, laid back in their comfy spa chair and put my goggles on (they looked more like Gucci Sunglasses). And then, well, I got zapped.

NEWSFLASH: It didn’t hurt! They used a cooling spray just as the laser made contact. I couldn’t believe it. It was so fast and easy. A sense of relief washed over me — not just because it wasn’t painful, but because finally, after all this time, I was getting rid of something that made me horribly self-conscious.

I use humor a lot to deflect my awkward feelings, but I’m just a normal girl living in a shallow world of blogging, social media posting, television and modeling. Anything to bolster my self-esteem is BIG and much appreciated. With that being said…

Body Details knows its stuff. They have the latest and greatest in laser technology and they have a digital presence that I appreciate (texting and emailing appointment confirmations; you can even make one yourself on-line). I truly believe a huge part of their success is due to the fact they make it so EASY.

Eventually, my little chin hairs fell out of their nesting ground and my bearded area turned pink-y smooth. So, I tucked away my tweezers (more specifically, the ones I use in my car, because plucking a pesky prickle at a red light is uber-gratifying) and I came up with a new nickname: “The Hairless Hot Tamale” …

I love hot tamales, they’re my favorite candy and they’re smooth and delicious just like my chin area. 😬 Despite my long laser hair removal journey, I’m glad I ended up at Body Details: what a great experience. I can’t wait to go back and that’s why “Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow” is one of my favorite things.

Find the location nearest you and make an appointment at www.bodydetails.com/
FB: Body Details, Twitter: @BodyDetails, Instagram: @bodydetails