How much - $180/hr. This drops to $140/hr when getting a longer (3hr) session. They can do up to 6 hours in one go. Bookings can be tricky, especially in spring (which has just started here) as people get ready for summer, so plan ahead.
I do not have a lot of hair, but their conservative estimate is 150 hours, but it might only be 100 or so in the end. Do the maths and yes, it is very expensive but it is also 99% permanent so I feel it is a good investment.
The operator was telling me some particularly hirstute people can take over 500 hours just for the face
How it works - you sit there and have electrified needles stuck in your face. Find an operator you like, as you'll be talking to them a hell of a lot.
Does it hurt? - No with an if, yes with a but. The first few felt uncomfortable, not painful. It was remakably similar to the feeling of having a hair pulled out actually. One or two really did hurt quite a bit, likely due to nerve proximity. Some areas are more sensetive than others (upper lip particulalry), but will very quite a bit - I found right on the back corner of my jaw the worst.
It is worst when the area is getting done for the first time, and gets better as you get used to the sensation. The probes are only in for about five minutes in each spot, so it passes pretty quickly.
Some people do use numbing creams, and it will vary person to person. It wasn't as bad as having a tooth drilled or anything, but I imagine it's not much worse than epilating.
After effects - think bad razor burn. Some redness and a bit of bumpyness at first, which quickly subsided. You do get some very small scabbing the next day or so, and I was advised to lightly shave as soon as I got home to prevent shaving the scabs off.
There is an after effect where part of the dead folicle is 'expelled' from the pore so to speak, which looks kind of like a whitehead, and is totally normal.
Other problems - there's a really great clothes shop just down the road, so that's going to be dangerous!