Laser hair removal · Shimbashi & Ginza
Medical-grade laser, performed at a clinic under a doctor. You can pay per session from ¥2,980 without signing up to a package — useful if you are in Tokyo for a limited time or simply want to try one area first.
Medical laser hair removal starts at ¥2,980 per session at Shinbashi Ginza Swift Clinic in Shimbashi, Tokyo, and you are not required to buy a package. Single facial areas are ¥2,980, VIO areas ¥5,980 and body areas ¥6,980. Five-session courses cost less per session, and a reduced rate applies for top-ups once a course is finished. Both men and women are treated.
No package required. Take a five-session course only if you want the lower per-session price — otherwise pay for one area, once, and decide afterwards.
| Area | Included | Per session |
|---|---|---|
| Face | Upper lip · chin · under chin · cheeks · sideburns | ¥2,980 |
| Face (larger areas) | Forehead · temples · ears · eyebrows · nose | ¥4,980 |
| Neck | Front of neck · nape | ¥6,980 |
| VIO | V line · V sides · I line · O line · scrotum · penis | ¥5,980 |
| Upper body | Shoulders · underarms · chest · abdomen · back · waist | ¥6,980 |
| Arms | Upper arm · forearm · hands | ¥5,980 |
| Legs | Thigh · knees · lower leg · feet · buttocks | ¥5,980 |
Prices include tax. Each listed body part is priced individually at the rate shown.
| Area | Single session | 5-session course | After the course (each) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beard — 3 areas | ¥9,800 | ¥36,800 | ¥6,800 |
| Beard — full | ¥13,000 | ¥54,800 | ¥9,800 |
| Beard — full + neck | ¥19,800 | ¥69,800 | ¥10,800 |
| VIO | ¥23,800 | ¥79,800 | ¥12,800 |
| VIO + sides + buttocks | ¥29,800 | ¥99,800 | ¥16,800 |
| Torso, back, shoulders & underarms | ¥36,800 | ¥158,000 | ¥19,800 |
| Arms & legs | ¥36,800 | ¥158,000 | ¥19,800 |
| Arms | ¥19,800 | ¥94,800 | ¥10,800 |
| Legs | ¥36,800 | ¥158,000 | ¥19,800 |
| Select any 5 areas | ¥29,800 | ¥12,800 | — |
| Full body | ¥69,000 | ¥298,000 | ¥35,000 |
| Full body + full beard | ¥79,000 | ¥348,000 | ¥37,800 |
| Full body + VIO | ¥79,000 | ¥348,000 | ¥37,800 |
| Full body + VIO + full beard | ¥88,000 | ¥398,000 | ¥42,800 |
The final column is the reduced per-session price available once a five-session course has been completed.
The laser is aimed at the melanin pigment inside the hair, not at the skin. The pigment absorbs the light, the light becomes heat, and the heat travels down the hair into the tissue that produces it.
Hair does not all grow at once. At any moment only part of it is in the active growing phase, and the laser only affects hair that is actively growing — the rest is dormant and simply not there to be treated. That is why sessions are spaced out rather than run back to back, and why a single session cannot finish the job.
Five sessions is the standard course length here, and coarse hair such as beard generally needs more sessions than body hair. Sessions are usually spaced several weeks apart; the doctor sets the interval for the area being treated. Results vary from person to person.
We use the GentleLase Pro, an alexandrite laser with a wavelength of 755 nm. It is a thermal-destruction machine: it delivers a short, high-energy pulse that destroys the follicle outright, rather than warming the area gradually the way heat-accumulation (SHR) machines do.
Alexandrite light is absorbed strongly by black melanin, which is why this type suits coarse, dark hair — the beard of an adult man being the clearest example. That is the case this clinic sees most, and it is the reason we settled on one machine rather than switching between several.
It is an approved medical device in Japan, held under approval number 22800BZX00446000 since 2016, and the Gentle family of lasers is also cleared by the US FDA. Not every laser in use for hair removal carries Japanese approval, so it is worth knowing which side of that line the machine you are booking sits on.
The indication it is approved for in Japan is long-term hair reduction, and that is the honest description of what this treatment does. It is not approved as, and we do not describe it as, permanent removal.
The machine also carries Candela’s Dynamic Cooling Device, which sprays a short burst of cryogen onto the skin immediately before each pulse. The surface is protected while the energy goes into the hair — which is a large part of why the treatment is tolerable on an area as sensitive as the beard.
Every patient is treated on the same machine. Because we do not rotate between devices, the settings, the sensation and what you can expect from a session stay consistent from one visit to the next. You also know what is going to be used on you before you book.
| What we compare | Here | Typical clinic |
|---|---|---|
| Laser | One machine only — GentleLase Pro (alexandrite, thermal destruction) | Machine not fixed; heat-accumulation types are common |
| Paying | You can pay per session — a course is not required | A course contract is often the starting point |
| Extra charges | None beyond the published menu | Can add up |
| Weekends and holidays | Same price as weekdays | Often a surcharge |
| Test patch | Available | Sometimes not offered |
This comparison describes general tendencies and does not apply to every clinic. Shaving done for you (¥3,000 per area) and numbing cream (¥3,000) are optional extras, listed here so there is nothing you only find out about on the day.
Medical laser hair removal works by generating heat inside the skin, so the possible side effects follow from that. These are the three you should know about before you book.
If any of these happen, the doctor examines you and the aftercare and any medication are provided at no charge. Tell us at any point — there is no separate consultation fee for coming back about a reaction to a treatment done here.
You can be seen here without speaking Japanese. Consultations are handled with a translation app and written notes rather than by an English-speaking doctor, which works well for treatments where the decision is straightforward — repeat prescriptions, testing, hair removal — and is slower where you have a complicated history to explain. Treatment information, pricing and access details on these pages are in English. The booking system and the pre-visit questionnaire are in Japanese, so message us on LINE beforehand if you would like help completing them.
1-8-4 Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0004 — Maruchu Building 7F-B. Shimbashi Station is served by the JR lines, the Tokyo Metro Ginza line, the Toei Asakusa line and the Yurikamome, and the clinic is one minute on foot from all of them.
From Ginza Station it is a single stop on the Ginza line, about two minutes. From Ginza 8-chōme it is around an eight-minute walk.
| Station | Lines | On foot |
|---|---|---|
| Shimbashi | Tokyo Metro Ginza line | 1 min |
| Shimbashi | JR Yamanote, Keihin-Tohoku, Tokaido, Yokosuka | 1 min |
| Shimbashi | Toei Asakusa line | 1 min |
| Shimbashi | Yurikamome | approx. 2 min |
| Shiodome | Toei Oedo line, Yurikamome | approx. 6 min |
| Ginza | Tokyo Metro Ginza, Marunouchi, Hibiya | approx. 10 min |
No health insurance card and no ID are required. This is self-pay treatment, so Japanese national health insurance is not used — we take your name and how to contact you. Weekday hours run to 21:00 and we are open at weekends and on public holidays from 10:00, at the same price.
No, and this is the main difference from most clinics in Tokyo. Every area has a pay-per-session price starting at ¥2,980. Courses of five sessions exist and work out cheaper per session, but nothing obliges you to take one. After a course finishes there is a reduced per-session price for top-ups.
Hair grows in cycles and laser only affects hair that is actively growing, which is why treatment is repeated. Five sessions is the standard course length here. Coarse hair such as beard usually needs more sessions than body hair.
Yes. This is medical hair removal, performed at a clinic with a doctor on site, at energy levels salons are not permitted to use. That means fewer sessions, and it means a doctor handles it if your skin reacts badly.
The beard and VIO are the areas people find sharpest, because the hair is coarse and the skin is thin. Most describe it as a rubber band snapped against the skin rather than a steady pain. Numbing cream is available for the face and for VIO at ¥3,000, and a test patch lets you find out how it feels on your own skin before booking a whole area.
Some redness, and slight swelling around the follicles, is normal for a few hours up to a day or two — most noticeably on the beard. The skin is cooled at the clinic before you leave, and any medication you need afterwards is free. Tell us if it does not settle.
Yes. We can treat only the parts you want gone and leave a defined shape, and the same applies to eyebrows. Bring a photo if you have a particular shape in mind, and raise it at the counselling before the first session rather than partway through a course.
Not straight away. The laser works on the pigment in the hair, so the hair has to be in the follicle for the treatment to do anything. Stop plucking and waxing and let the hair grow back first. Shaving is fine — in fact you are asked to shave before each session.
Yes, and it is expected. Treated hair is pushed out of the skin over the following days and up to about two weeks, and until it is out it can look like an unshaven patch. Do not pluck it. It comes away on its own, and washing normally helps it along.
That is most likely folliculitis, described in the side effects section above. It is common where sebaceous glands are dense — VIO, underarms, back. Keep the area clean and do not scratch it; it usually settles by itself, and we can prescribe an ointment if it is bothering you. There is no charge for that follow-up.
The laser reacts to anything dark, so it reacts to a mole as well. A mole may darken temporarily and then fade, and it is also possible to treat around it and leave it alone. Point out any moles in the area to the doctor at the consultation so this is decided before the first pass.
Yes. The clinic treats both men and women, in private rooms, with a female nurse on staff.
One minute from Shimbashi Station, a short walk from Ginza. Same-day slots are often available.
