Ideal Image Vancouver

Ideal Image in Van has given me great results in minimal time. The RNs and NPs are very friendly and knowledgeable. Prices are a bit spendy but you pay for what you get. I’ve had 3 treatments and a 75% reduction in hair growth. I am highly satisfied with my experience.

Don’t waste your time or money here. While the woman I met with was nice, and actually gave me good information about laser systems, the prices they charge are a joke.
I went in for a very specific part of my body due to a medical surgery. The price they came back with for 9 sessions to my arm after a 50% discount was over $ 3,000 (even though I told them I would only be able to get in 6 sessions prior to the surgery date).
I was able to find a place nearby without a huge advertising budget to pay for that did the spot I needed at 5 sessions for 250 $ using the exact same laser system.
Really this place needs to go out of business. I’ll take my less fancy office building for (¹⁄₁₂) the price of their «special» price.

Sales person lied about being able to tan while receiving services. Said not to worry, we have centers in florida. Then to find out this is not the case, after I agreed to pay an outragours amoutn of money. Am fighting them now for refund. You cannot be tan at all for a year and a half!!!

Since unwanted hair is quite a sensitive issue for men and women, I wanted to post this to give potential consumers an idea of what is out there. This was time consuming for me and I hope that perhaps my experience can make someone else’s life easier.
Ideal Image is new to Vancouver and part of a national chain. They provide laser hair removal. They say they don’t do anything else but they do guide skin care. Their technicians are CNA’s or Nurse practioners. They do not have a doctor onsite, but because they are part of network, they say they don’t need to.
When you go in for a consult, be prepared to see a sales consultant, NOT a medical person. Also, be prepared for the «we need your money now to save you the most money». Their line of «we can save you up to 70%» only applies if you have more than one area for hair removal and are willing to SIGN THAT DAY. Be prepared for them to define lip, chin, cheeks, throat, and jawline differently. Eyebrows and sideburns are also viewed as separate from the rest of the face. Legs can be paired as half or full, as can arms.
They make their money on packages — 6 sesions or so at the minimum. They will automatically choose for you, the two most embarrassing or 3 most annoying areas, to get you to sign on with them. They never asked what hair I wanted removed, *they chose for me*. I also had no idea parts of my body would be billed as different areas.
READ the fine print — Ideal’s main point is that the more you get lasered, the more money you can potentially save. Also, unless you pony up cash, they will run your credit — even for 2 or 3 payments. This will ‘provide financing arrangements’ with a few different companies, one of which is also their own private finance company. They will run credit for each company. BEWARE this can ding your credit considerably. Also, they will charge you finance charges for not paying everything up front, perhaps on a monthly basis but «it depends» on each person. They might give you a card for a credit toward further service, but it must be redeemed within a certain amount of time. They will be quick to offer service to get payment later, but IF YOU SIGN, you are locked in.
The person doing the consult may be an office manager, front desk person, or other form of consultant. It’s doubtful they will be a medical professional. Knowledgable about the process, they will likely have had laser hair removal themselves and present a sympathetic ear. They will show you how much money you can save via waxing and other forms of hair removal, etc.
When I went in, I made it clear that I wasn’t going to pay for anything that day — that I was just gathering data. After a brief ‘consult’ by a ‘pretty person’, (I’m talking a drop-​dead, exotic gorgeous model-​type person) I was taken into an office and given some hard numbers. To be honest, it reminded me a little of going to see a used car salesman. The undercurrent of the conversation was «Hair is ugly, if you want to look like your ideal person, and be hair-​free like me, you can pay us to take care of the problem.»
They were nice, but did little to earn my business. They asked what I spent on waxing (none of their business) to try and sway my opinion into their direction. Another word of adivce: DO be CAREFUL what you sign with them, for some of their paperwork does look suspiciously like contracts.
When you do request info and give them your email and phone, be prepared for multiple reminders about appointments. They called me TWICE, emailed me, AND texted me. I actually had to call them and ask them to STOP. Annoying customers is not a way to earn potential new business. Also, because they are nation-​wide, it can be difficult getting through to the LOCAL office. Twice, I called the number on an email and had to be transferred to the local office. This was really annoying.
In your quest for laser hair removal, remember that all consults should be FREE. It may take an hour. They should look at you under a bright light, perhaps with a magnifying lens, that’s it. They should not recommend skin care, criticize your lines or wrinkles, or push add-​ons such as acid peels, etc. unless you ASK for it. Even then, be careful. Some of the things they sell are things you can do at home. They should also feature a lifetime re-​visit; for a flat fee (usually the cost of the laser tip) you can come in for touch-​ups beyond the package you purchased.
In the world of laser hair removal, these folks just didn’t have the quality of service I was seeking and the business honesty I wanted. I know this is expensive and I’m not seeking to get screaming deals, but I would like a professional courtesy of breaking this expense into a couple of payments and gleaning wisdom from a health care practitioner’s years of expertise.
I have to say. Really, I’ve seen and experienced better. I’ve chosen to vote with my feet and felt strongly enough that consumers should know this. Hopefully this helps someone.