Embarrassment - As I was only getting my bikini line done, I decided to keep my underwear on and just pull them to the side as she did the different areas. Personally, if I had to take them off, I probably would have felt a bit embarrassed the first time, and probably fine after that. Just got to remember it's their jobs, and they see it all the time!

Pain - I'm not going to lie and say it doesn't hurt - but it's not excruciating! And it's over fairly quickly. Have you ever been waxed before? I'd say it's about as painful as that - but in a different way. Some parts of the body are more sensitive than others. You could just let them know you're not good with pain or whatever and ask them to take it slow. They could turn the machine down so the zaps aren't as strong... but then you'd have to do more sessions. So it's finding that balance as well.

Effectiveness - I'm the perfect candidate for laser hair removal - fair skin, and dark hair. From when I first got my underarms & bikini line done in 2006 I still had great results for years. Some hairs grew back - but they were a lot lighter and sparser. My bikini line did the best because the hair is a lot courser & darker. Even if you get some hairs growing back, it just makes it more manageable. Now days I just pluck the few bikini line hairs, and probably shave my underarms & legs once a week if that (full disclosure - I'm lazy about shaving and I don't really care if I have hairy legs or underarms - that being said, there's not that much hair!)

Cost - I'm in Australia, so it's going to be different. There's a chain of laser places here that are reputable & ALWAYS offer package deals (eg. I recently paid $119 per session for half legs, underarms and bikini line). Maybe try some of those deal/coupon sites - like groupon if you have it?)