Jess Tries It: Laser hair removal at Beauty and the Beach in Wrightsville Beach
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — WWAY’s Jessica Keisling has volunteered for plenty of new experiences in the name of “Jess Tries It.” This time, she added a laser to the mix.
For the latest installment, Keisling visited Beauty and the Beach, a boutique medical spa in Wrightsville Beach, to try laser hair removal and learn more about how the technology works.
Laser hair removal has been available for years, but esthetician Colby Warren says newer technology is designed to make the experience more comfortable.
“It’s not going to hurt. We have a very new, perfect laser… We have an added cooling system that helps everything become more comfortable,” Warren said.
Warren described the sensation as a small pop against the skin.
“I would say it feels like a little Pop Rock in your skin, and just a little tap where you can feel that follicle getting that energy,” Warren said.
The treatment uses energy to target pigment in the hair follicle.
“Basically we are taking an energy and putting it into the skin to contact the melanin in the hair follicle, to slowly destroy it so that it stops reoccurring,” Warren said.
Because hair grows in cycles, the process typically requires multiple treatments. Beauty and the Beach owner Lisa Ricci says around six treatments is common, although each client is different and hormonal changes can lead to occasional touch-ups.
Darker hair generally responds better to the treatment than very light or gray hair because the laser targets pigment.
The story behind Beauty and the Beach
Ricci spent years working full time as a physician assistant in an emergency room while building Beauty and the Beach on the side.
That changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During COVID I stepped away from the hospital… and I put more focus into Beauty and the Beach and saw the influx of people in Wilmington really wanting to focus on self-care,” Ricci said.
What started as a small boutique medical spa grew along with its clientele.
Beauty and the Beach now offers services including facials, microneedling, injectables, a wellness program, regenerative treatments, skin tightening, pigment removal and multiple laser treatments.
Ricci says offering more options does not necessarily mean clients need to do more.
“I’m a very conservative injector. I’m not trying to transform somebody into a different version of their face, their being… it’s a better version of you.”
Some clients have been with Ricci for five or even 10 years.
“Beauty is so individual… We don’t all want to look the same, but feeling beautiful in your own skin—that’s what it’s about.”
Ricci says many clients ultimately choose treatments based on how they make them feel rather than how others perceive them.
“We’re not doing these things for other people. We’re doing this for ourselves, to feel better about ourselves.”
For Ricci, that philosophy can be summed up simply.
“Confidence equals beauty.”
And Keisling survived the laser.
Now, she needs her next “Jess Tries It” challenge. Have an idea? Email newsroom@wwaytv3.com.
