A mum who spent tens of thousands of pounds on the world's best hair removal machine which rivals those used by Hollywood celebrities has set up a shop in Delph.
Sarah Barker, who was born and raised in Oldham, established Luminate Laser Clinic, situated in the Gateshead Mill complex in Delph, in October last year after splashing out on a state-of-the-art machine.
The mum-of-four and former model said it all started after the tragic death of her parents.
Sarah said: "I lost my parents during Covid - not from coronavirus but because of the effects of the pandemic - and it affected me quite badly because I was so close with both my parents.
"They were big supporters of everything and anything I did.
"So when I lost them, I felt like I'd lost myself a little bit and I wanted to start a business for me."
Friends, family and even her hairdresser encouraged her to look into laser hair removal and after some research, she finished various training courses to become a qualified hair removal practitioner.
The 42-year-old said she is "proud" of what she has managed to achieve so far as she helps people with genetic and hormone disorders, such as sufferers of polycystic ovary syndrome, and LGBTQ+ people who are seeking gender assignment.
But Luminate stands out from the crowd due to its impressive machine - the Eneka PRO diode laser.
Sarah said it is the most powerful and advanced machine in the world - and her clinic is just one of a few in the country to have it.
She said: "I wanted to get the best of the best and the Eneka Pro had just come to market.
"No other machine can touch it. It's faster than other machines and pain-free.
"There are ones that the Kardashians use and people say those are amazing, but my one is even better."
While the machine came with a hefty £50,000 price tag, it has crystal freeze technology which makes it painless to use.
Treatments such as Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) focus on hair reduction but the Eneka Pro directly targets the growth source of the hair follicle to fully remove it.
"I wanted the top machine and I paid for it with the inheritance from my parents, which is quite sweet because it's like they're here with me in the clinic even though they're not here anymore", Sarah added.
To benefit from the treatment, Sarah recommends a minimum of six sessions but said it depends on various factors such as hormones, hair growth stages and hereditary issues.
Some clients find their hair never grows back again while others might need a top-up session in 12 months.
Still, she said clients are 'wowed' by the results and continually come back with requests for additional areas to remove hair.
"The proof is in the pudding", Sarah added.
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