By: Aaron Hughes

According to Keisha Wagner-Gaymon laser hair removal is “not just a cosmetic thing or a want; it is a need.” This need has gone unfulfilled for many people of color, as this practice has historically not properly treated melanated skin.
Five years ago, Wagner-Gaymon and her sister Kristen Wagner, made it their mission to solve this problem and allow people of all shades to feel comfortable in their skin by opening PeachFuzz Skin Studio in Brooklyn.
“Laser hair removal can be a very transformational treatment,” Wagner-Gaymon said. “In my own experience and [Kristin’s], we found that a lot of women of color shied away from laser hair removal because they’ve been to places that have burned them or do not treat them right.”

Offering a number of products and services, they treat anything from hyperpigmentation to painful, unconventional hair growth. They use cutting-edge equipment like the Gentle Pro Max Candela laser. A laser, according to their website, emits a specialized light absorbed by melanin in the hair and targets the hair follicles within the skin, delaying future growth. By applying this technology, along with the additional consultation and support of trained laser technicians and estheticians, they can provide an effective treatment for their clients’ skincare journey.
After years of continued success in Bed-Stuy, the two have decided to open a second brick-and-mortar store on Long Island.

“It's exciting. We really looked at our customers and followed where our customers are coming from, and we want to reach them from where they are. A lot of our customers are coming from Long Island and Queens, so we thought the next best thing was to be closer to them,” Wagner-Gaymon said.
For laser technician Rasheeda Mendanhall, “closer” can be an understatement for some clients who travel near and far for this service.
“I've had clients fly from New Orleans. I have a client that still comes from L.A. We have clients that come from Florida. We have clients that come from every part of America. The only thing that this shows me is that we're underrepresented and that there's a lack of this, but it's also a need,” Mendanhall said. “They come to us because they trust us.”
Having faced insecurities like acne and hyperpigmentation in the past, Mendanhall knows the challenges many of their clients have gone through. This experience, which she, the Wagners, and many of the other PeachFuzz employees share, has allowed them to connect with their clientele and create a community that has made Peach Fuzz what it is today.

“You want them to know that this is a safe space. Aside from doing laser, I've watched my clients go through pregnancy, marriages, divorces, and coming back from trips. Just being that listening ear and a shoulder to cry on. I've had clients cry to me before for personal issues or just seeing the results with the laser be so monumental for them,” Mendanhall said.
Long Islander Jamila Miller, a regular customer at PeachFuzz, found out about the studio on social media in 2020. After learning that the studio was owned and operated by Black women with credentials in aesthetics, she decided to give laser hair removal a chance.

“This is the perfect place to go,” Miller said. “I was waxing, and I was just over it. Especially after the pandemic, you couldn't find anybody to wax you. I thought, ‘You know what, I'll try something new.’
”A self-described happy patron, Miller views PeachFuzz’s growth as “beautiful.” She is excited to now only be five minutes away from the studio after having made the commute from Valley Stream to Bed-Stuy for years.
On Jan. 30, the co-owners celebrated their newest location with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception. Community members, businesspeople, and old and prospective clients poured into the building. While this is an achievement for the sisters, they say this is only the beginning. Five years from now, Wagner hopes to see “PeachFuzz nationwide” with more locations and a refurbished product line.
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