South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Unwanted hair, tattoos driving growth at company
Body Details in Boca reported 2017 revenue of $7.8 million
Unwanted hair and tattoos are driving the growth of Boca Raton-based laser treatment company Body Details.
The company, which uses special laser equipment to permanently remove hair and tattoos, already has eight South Florida locations and plans to expand throughout the state. It recently made the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private U.S. companies, where it reported 2017 revenues of $7.8 million and three-year growth of 125 percent.
It also was a finalist in the “Florida Companies to Watch” list by Orlando-based GrowFL, an economic development program that fosters growth of promising companies in the state. Tom O’Neal, executive director of GrowFL, said Body Details was one of the 50 finalists selected, out of 500 applicants, because the business exhibits the potential for “future growth, innovation and community contribution.”
Co-founders Claudio Sorrentino, 37, and Bryan Ballejo, 42, said Body Details is attracting customers because it focuses on providing “lifetime results.”
“We’ve committed ourselves to always offer the best equipment and a package of treatments that is a one-time, one-price package,” Sorrentino said.
Depending on the body area, hair removal treatments cost $150 to $200 a session, with five to 10 sessions required for permanent hair removal, he said. Consultations are free. Body Details guarantees the hair will be gone after the stipulated number of sessions, or additional treatment is free.
“The average person goes and gets waxed and spends $80 to $100 a month for temporary results,” Sorrentino said, in comparison.
“We’ve committed ourselves to always offer the best equipment and a package of treatments that is a one-time, one-price package.”
Claudio Sorrentino, co-founder
South Florida has locations in Palm Beach Gardens, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Aventura, Miami, Kendall and Coral Gables. Body Details plans to open locations in Coral Springs and Wellington in early 2019.
Lasers can effectively destroy hair without damaging the surrounding skin because the hair shaft absorbs the laser energy, according to Body Details.
Body Details invests in the latest laser technology equipment, which is made by Massachusetts-based global device company Syneron Candela, Sorrentino said. The company uses a “class 4” laser device designed to deliver the optimal wavelength for a specific skin type.
A difference from many competitors, according to Body Details, is that the company only hires advanced practice registered nurses who have a master’s degree in health care to perform the treatments.
Body Details says the most popular treatment areas for women are the legs, bikini line, underarms and facial hair. Men tend to want hair from their backs and upper neck removed.
“For somebody who is prone to razor bumps and ingrown hairs, laser treatment effectively kills that bacteria and prevents that from happening in the future,” Sorrentino said.
Some men even decide to do laser treatment on their entire beard to avoid daily shaving. Ballejo said he is in the process of getting his beard removed.
Meanwhile, Sorrentino has undergone tattoo removal (video of him getting a tattoo removed can be seen on BodyDetails.com).
Tattoo removal costs vary from $500 to $1,000. Body Details can remove just part of a tattoo, if desired. “The customer [may say], ‘I like the way this came out, but I didn’t like this [part of it],” Sorrentino said. “Instant regret is a factor in tattoo removal.”
Side effects of laser hair and tattoo removal are usually minor, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, and include discomfort, swelling and redness. Rare side effects can include blistering, cold sores, infections, scarring, and skin lightening or darkening.
Sorrentino said people have varying levels of pain tolerance. “We have some people who come in and fall asleep during treatments, and then we have some who say, ‘I need a drink’ or ‘prescribe me a numbing cream,’ ” he said. “With each successive hair treatment, it’s less and less painful because there’s less and less hair.”
Sorrentino said there are also certain places, such as under the brow and inside the ear, where lasers can’t be used.
And laser treatment is not effective on gray or white hair, which means it’s best to get laser hair removal earlier in life. For effective laser treatment, the hair “must have pigment,” Sorrentino said. Treatments are most effective on coarse hair, which has a lot of pigment for the laser to target, according to Body Details.
Sorrentino and Ballejo first partnered in business while attending Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, where they were in the same fraternity. To make extra cash, they organized social events at local clubs.
While in graduate school, Sorrentino began working in sales for a hair removal salon. He decided he could do a better job at the business and pitched the idea of starting a laser company to Ballejo.
Body Details was about 2 years old when the 2008 recession hit. While sales were flat during those difficult years, the business owners persevered but didn’t really grow. Last year, the company received a $2 million investment from private investors to open new locations, Sorrentino said.
On a recent Tuesday, Janet Neita, 39, of Coral Springs, had one of her final laser hair removal treatments on her legs. “I have two little kids. I don’t have time to shave,” she said.
Neita said she doesn’t find the laser treatment painful. “Like a little rubber band snapping,” she said.
But that’s helped by a Zimmer cooling device that blasts cool air on the skin as the laser zaps a hair. “It’s totally worth it — I love it,” she said.