Take it Off! Spa

Hi let me share my first time experience with Raquel lol a total nightmare. Buiseness was handled so unprofessional I wouldn’t refer my worst enemy there. My fiancé who had just lost her parents, and a son was going through some ruff times when she did buiseness with Raquel. Confined in her to help her get her mind off things for awhile wanted to pamper herself and feel good about herself again. She was totally takin advantage of actually paid Raquel $ 3000 upfront, worst mistake anyone can every do is pay her upfront, but again my fiancé was not thinking straight at the time. Raquel wouldn’t return calls to set up appointments, she’d set appointments two months apart then cancelled. Again it was my fiancé fault for giving Raquel money in full and upfront. But you’d think this company would take care of clients that had no problem in paying upfront WRONG. I will tell you the worst part, She then changed voucher to my name since there was so many problems between her and Raquel including no money back refunds balance was left at $ 2900. In which Raquel then made a proposal to us gave us one day to agree on it that’s when we knew she was totally bad buiseness. So we signed why because she had our money in hand already we even called the attorney general on her but there was nothing we could do to get money back. So her proposal was to give me 3 treatments at a spa called Tiffany Kim’s spa also in downtown by the way Tiffany spa is awesome. Raquel made it sound so professional saying that she was gonna send me to one of her associates, buiseness partners were her words lol. Come to find out Tiffany Kim spa new nothing of take it off spa, she was just someone who would but groupons for her clients when she wasn’t able to fulfill there services they paid for. I didn’t agree to 3 treatments $ 2900 is nowhere near 3 treatments so I said 6 I had to try to get what we were able to out of her. So I show up to Tiffany Kim’s spa they give me my first session I tell them I had a 6 visit voucher from take it off spa (Raquel). They tell me nothing is on file so we call Raquel I put Tiffany Kim’s tattoo removal specialist on the phone with Raquel her name is Tanya by the way if anyone needs services she’s so awesome. Raquel had the nerve to tell the young woman on the phone NOT to let me know how much she paid for sessions lol. So I ask the young lady how much did she pay for my sessions come to find out she purchased 6 visits on groupon for my sessions the cost was $ 300. I’m very upset disappointed etc she pocketed $ 2600 this place is a scam. If someone says they do tattoo removal then send you somewhere else to get work done charge you $ 3000 then buys you groupon sessions for $ 300. I don’t know but that’s a total RAT move but karma will come back to her. Her buiseness will not last scamming on people weak women who only want to feel good about themselves. Please people before you even give this person money think about this. Only thing good that came out this is are hands are washed with Take It Off Spa, and I would have never gotten introduced to Tiffany Kim spa. Yeh we found out the hard way took a big hit in money but Raquel will not last scamming people. I truly recommend Tiffany Kim spa the reviews tell it all. Raquel has the nerve to say Unilocal is used to bully owners or there buiseness. No it’s a place where they can share your experience. In our case help others not to throw away there money going to Take It Off Spa. Thank everyone for reading and taking my advice we will still pursue small claims for the remainder of our $ 2600 we cannot let a person like Raquel keep getting away with this. Bottom line is if there’s 3 or more people telling you the same thing about this buiseness obviously there’s a problem.

Just had my first appointment with Take it Off! spa and found the whole experience very pleasant. Having had laser hair removal treatment before it is very clear Raquel knows her stuff. She takes time to make sure you understand the procedure and everything that goes along with it. She is very friendly and the environment is calm and comfortable. It is also very obvious that she cares about her clients and wants to get the best results possible. I am so pleased I took the chance despite some of the negative reviews on Unilocal and went to Raquel!

Take It Off! Spa is absolutely amazing!!!
I had never had any hair removal treatments prior to my experience here so I was nervous going to my first visit. From the moment I met Raquel I felt at ease. She is a wonderful person that is incredibly passionate about her work. She is a true artist with her craft. She is also incredibly knowledgeable and thorough. The spa is extremely clean which was very important to me.
During my last visit I was in the waiting area and encountered another client and she shared her personal story with me. This woman was absolutely beaming because her life had been forever changed due to her treatments. She said she comes in from quite a distance for her treatment and even makes an effort to arrive early just to insure she never misses an appointment! Is an incredible gift that Raquel gives her clients.
Honestly the people on here that have given negative reviews due to having to wait a few minutes are absolutely ridiculous!!! I would gladly wait to have such a experienced and knowledgeable professional doing my treatments. I have never really had to wait though.
I do not think the negative reviews are fair or warranted I am extremely shocked and disappointed that people would attack this business in such a nasty manner!
I urge you to give Take It Off! Spa a chance, you will not be disappointed!!!

I am so disturbed by some of these negative reviews on here! I absolutely LOVE Take it Off Spa! Small businesses are the soul of Chicago and while it may be a one person business, she is good at what she does! You all will wait 2 hours to eat at a restaurant but you can’t wait 15 – 30 mins for an appt? Doctors, lawyers, hairstylist run behind schedule… do you give them bad reviews? I’ve waited in the lobby before but let’s be honest, it’s laser treatment. I rather wait for an expert in laser treatment with reputable professional experience and training.
I have had 3 sessions of facial laser hair removal with Raquel. I am a person of color so I was very worried of pigmentation effects but my fears were put to rest! I didn’t even need numbing cream as I have a low tolerance of pain. Her equipment is very little to no pain.
I look forward to continuing my laser treatment with Raquel!

I have had multiple sessions with Raquel. I haven’t had an issues at all. She’s always ready for me when I arrive for my appointment. She always greats me with a smile and positive attitude. She cares about her clients and makes you feel at ease. She’s really funny too!

I’d give 5 stars, but I’ve only had one session. Due to the negative reviews, I was hesitant to try Raquel, but I’m happy that I gave her a chance. She simply has a great personality, cares about the client and results, and is clearly knowledgeable about her field. I’m not sure why only the negative results show upfront, but this should be fixed as it’s misleading.
If you can read, then you can find the location with ease. Let’s not be extreme.
I’m looking forward to continuing my laser hair removal process with Raquel and feel that my initial meeting is a good indicator of great things to come!

it’s not a spa, it’s a creepy/​psycho/​rude lady with a laser, frankly if someone told me that she murdered the real spa owner and is illegally using her laser, I would not even bat an eye and only think «well that explains everything»
… avoid at all costs…

I wouldn’t go back here, despite having one of the best laser machines. I was kept waiting twice, for 15 and 30 minutes respectively, once because she was on a personal phone call. I had been buzzed in, so she knew someone was waiting. This was during my work day, and should have been a 5-​minute treatment. I was also directly asked after I was kept waiting once not to write a bad review. To me that was completely unprofessional to ask. Getting her on the phone and scheduling appointments always seemed very difficult in terms of the back-​and-​forth required. Finally, I once had to reschedule an appointment weeks in advance once, and she said that counted as using up one of the treatments. She said it said so on her website — but it wasn’t on the deal voucher I used.
Like others have said, she seems like a nice person, I just can’t deal with someone being all over the place and unable to manage the schedule. And of course was did me in was being told that MY having to reschedule meant losing a session. In fact, I argued the deal site I used for a full refund after my 3^rd session, and they completely agreed.

If you look at my reviews, I am not one to Unilocal about the negative — but after my experience here and what else I have read, I feel the need to warn others.
I bought a laser hair removal package on a groupon for «Take it off! Spa!» aka Raquel thinking it was a legitimate spa. By legitimate, I mean that it was its own stand alone building that might possibly be looking to build business or maybe a new owner of an exsisting business that wanted a turn-​around. Well, at the time there was no Unilocal on this business and since I was educated on the laser she used, I took the chance. I googled the business and saw it was on Michigan Ave — a good sign so I thought.
My first bad experiece was finding the place. I was looking for a spa but instead of telling me it was in an office building, I walked past the address about 10 times before realizing it was in a large office building. Once I went in and figured out that I had to «buzz» my way in to get to the 5^th level that this «business» is on, it took about 10 buzzes before I was greeted. Once I got upstairs, thing got more akward. It was not a suite, but just a little room with her and the laser. So Raquel is a very intimidating woman, she is very pretty but she looks like she could beat up anyone so when she told me that she was training another girl, I felt like I had no choice to say no. I was having my bikini done, and it was 2 women lasering my cooch. It went fast so I made my next appointment.
The second time I went, It was just Raquel and she didn’t have me in the «book’ even though I had watched them write me in at my last appt. She was very annoyed I was there and made me feel like it was all my fault that there was a mixup. I told her I had a groupon and she started yelling at me «Stop talking! I will find your stuff! I felt like I was being yelled at by my mother, but the fact was that this was Raquel’s fault. She gave me my service but it was fast and I could tell she was in a hurry.
My third time was the last straw. I went in to have my service and she was a half hour behind. Now, there is no waiting area since its just the room so you have to wait for her to open the door. When I went in, she started telling me about what a real psycho she is. She told me a personal story of hers that I won’t repeat, but it made me truly afraid of her. It was inappropriate and unprofessional. I had 3 treatments left that I basically will never get the money back for, but that’s ok. Raquel won’t try to contact clients as you can see from previous reviews. This isn’t a business, its a shady woman who takes peoples money and is extremely unprofessional. I would avoid this place at all cost.

I’m really not into the Unilocal reviews. I feel a lot of people who write reviews are very bias and unfair, their not 100% correct, especially some of the rants, but I had to give the kudos to this business.
I found Take it Off Spa from Groupon. I decided to look online to find some more information first before buying the deal. I have had other experiences with laser hair companies such as NuMed Spa that was horrible. With NuMed Spa I did not see any results, I paid over $ 300 for 6 sessions, the machine broken down every 2 – 3 months, the staff was so unprofessional, and I felt that I was in a car dealership at my last session with them trying to get to get me to buy another laser hair removal package.
Back to the story here… Right before I called Take it Off Spa I called American Laser Center and I had to leave a message for someone to call me back because no one was available to answer any questions at that time. So, I left my message and decide to call Take it off spa. I ended up speaking to Raquel, she was very professional and answered all my questions. Long story short… I ended up booking an appointment with her and buying a package.
On my first appointment I did not have a problem with locating the building or contacting her office to get buzzed in. There are signs located in the lobby with instructions to assist you on how to use the intercom system on the weekend and after work hours. Raquels assistant had me complete some paperwork and was very informative on the process, so I was aware of what was going to take place. When I met Raquel she reviewed my target area and discussed my options. She gave me hope and promised that I would see wonderful results. I trusted her and started my session.
I started to see results in a few days… A couple of weeks passed and things have improved even more. I am now at my third appointment and I see a BIG difference. I love take it off Spa!!! Now I have co workers, family members and friends that want to get serviced here, she does wonderful work. You will not be unhappy. Also, I have never had a problem with her time or booking appointments. I have to meet to see a Doctor, beautician, etc. for service, but the most I have had to wait at Take it Off spa was about 10 mins. I work I very business schedule (sorry no 9 – 5, more like a 7 – 7). So know that she has flexible hours and really will go to any mile to assist you in your pendant hair removal.
She was a wonderful personality, very educated on the process, good communication and business Sense.
Overall I LOVE MY RESULTS!!! I am going back to do my under arms next month. Please give this business a try, I am sure you will be SUPER happy with your results.
Thanks you… Great service… Beautiful results!

I bought a living social coupon for this place. I tried to contact them on numerous occasions and they did not answer the phone. When I finally got in touch with them they refused to honor the voucher, which had not yet expired. They told me «good luck with getting a refund.» They are clearly running a scam with the living social vouchers.

Raquel is passionate about hair removal, but passion will only get one so far.
I bought a Groupon for six visits and mentally made it through two before I was so dissuaded by her business practices that I gave up. My visits were consistently rescheduled and always late. She’s never answered her phone when I’ve called and will take several days to return a voice mail requesting an appointment. If you’re lucky.
I arrived on my first visit on time, but waited 20 minutes to see her. To her point, my first visit was very respectable as she suggested my hair may be too light and offered to give me a ‘trial’ to test her ‘hair-​removal prophesies.’ I felt this was kind and fair as the Groupon did not have a caveat for red hair. I committed on my second visit. She rescheduled my second visit twice and consistently pressured me into leaving work early to arrive earlier than 6pm, despite my repeated explanations regarding my work schedule. Up front, she seemed extremely flexible regarding scheduling, which is one reason I was drawn to her initially. But it’s not the case.
The third visit was the straw on the camel’s back in that I sat in an empty lobby on a Saturday for 30 minutes with no response and no correspondence until an hour lost an entire Saturday afternoon traveling and for naught. I ended up leaving, furious. And though I requested a fair refund for the four visits I no longer wanted to manage, Raquel denied it — insisting that I was bullying her into fair business practices. I received no refund. Her decision was also managed via text while I was working and unable to speak on the phone.
This ‘company’ is one person in one room with a cell phone. When she writes «we», she means «she.» Although she may be successful at hair removal, she’s unreliable. I am patient, I don’t have a demanding time frame, but I do value respecting others’ time. I believe there are alternatives that may be less stressful.

After six years (yes, SIX years) of laser hair removal, I have to say my experience at Take It Off! Spa, with Racquel, has been the BEST!
I am a new resident to the Chicago area, and I would fly all the way back to the east coast to have my hair removal done. I did this because, like finding someone to give you a great haircut, I don’t trust just anyone to perform laser hair removal on me, and for it to actually be a decent experience.
I found Take It Off! Spa on Groupon and was mostly attracted to the type of laser (Candela) listed. This is the laser I was used to from years of removal and I wanted to stay as consistent as possible. I called to make my appointment, and Racquel answered the phone. She was informative and professional over the phone, and came across as genuinely interested in MY hair removal «mission» — I didn’t feel like another number.
On the day of my appointment I was welcomed into Racquel’s warm and quaint office. Literally within 5 minutes of being there, I felt as if I knew her for years. For many people, hair removal is a very personal experience and there’s a lot of value in landing a treatment spa where you can breathe and relax. Racquel asked me some preliminary questions about my daily health and prior laser treatments, as well as my personal goals with treatment. While over the years I have had treatments in various areas, I’ve had most done on my face (I hate face fuzz). I figured it was normal for people to see less hair, but no one ever achieved COMPLETE removal. (Obviously I thought this after SIX years of «good» laser removal and STILL having a small amount of fuzz.) NOT with Racquel! She told me that was not how laser hair removal works, and that she would make it her personal goal to forever rid my face of hair. She advised me that she would start me and closely monitor my hair gorwth and adjust as needed to achiever OUR ultimate goal.
While she was treating me, she focused on my problem areas, and didn’t just do an overall, blanketed treatment. In the past, laser hair technicians have used ice or topical cream to help numb me. Suprisingly, I didn’t need anything with Racquel’s machine, which apparently has a great cooling system built in. (This isn’t everyone’s experience depending on the treatment area and hair growth, but it definitely made me feel more comfortable.) She also spoke to me about some of the personal reasons she does laser hair removal, and some of the public outreach goals she has for young people and communities. She’s truly passionate about helping young people feeling confident and beautiful, and knows that in some cases, laser hair removal is a HUGE helpful step.
After my FIRST treatment, I have less hair growth in a few months time than I have ever had! IT IS AMAZING! Racquel studied my personal situation and conquered it. She really cares and understands how laser hair treatment can totally change a persons life, and she wants to be an integral part of that change.
I highly recommend Take It Off! Spa for hair removal, mostly for the laser hair removal treatment, but also for information on beauthy wellness.

Awesome. I initially found Take It Off Spa on Groupon. What a find. I have dealt with unsightly (well unsightly for women) excess facial and body hair all my life. Raquel has helped me achieve beautiful sexy skin. She’s very passionate about her business and it shows in my awesome results. Flexible appointments and convenient location are a plus.

Here is the deal; I like Raquel, she’s good people nothing against her (that’s the only reason for the 2 stars) but the service here sucks. If you have any kind of life; 9 to 5 job, happy hour on a Friday, staying late at work on a Tuesday, a pet to get home to then I say stay away. You’ll be lucky to get an appointment the first time around with no cancellations or anything. Again she is a very nice person and loves what she does; she is new to having her company and can’t manage her clients times and her schedule. My guess is she is busier than planned; I don’t know.
My story — I bought a Living Social deal via Amazon; 6 laser hair removals for full leg. My first appointment I show up at the place waited for her; I ended up calling her because she never showed up, she said I never had an appointment for that day and we should reschedule. I said fine and got an appointment for another day. I show up the day of the new appointment and she tells me my «full legs» deal I bought is for «half my legs» which I didn’t understand because the deal says full legs. She said full legs means below the knee laser on the front and back on the leg. Again, I said okay fine; no need to shave and we start…
After this I had 5 more appointments; one she booked me for middle of the day; 3pm which I was not okay with as I have a 9 – 5 job and can’t leave work to get my legs done. Yet she booked it without my approval and calls me saying she is waiting for me. What!!! The other she called and canceled twice on me because someone flew into town to get their laser done; so I now have no value as a customer? This was done via text… Honestly, I can’t remember the last reason for the confusion on the cancellation; she will give you all kinds of reasons; double booked, people flying into town, event she had to run to, left the office because of her parking. Let’s just say I never made it to the other three of my sessions and I had to get my money back from Living Social/​Amazon. Thank God the deal was with Amazon as they refunded all my money.

I bought a Living Social deal for three laser tattoo removal services. After cancelling 3 appointments (one with me physically at the location) the «owner» raquel begged me to get laser hair removal so that she wouldn’t feel so bad about cancelling so many times. I guess the construction in the area knocked the laser off track?.. I don’t know. I declined her complementary service and stated that we could reschedule when her laser was working. One week later on the day of the 4^th set appointment she called and stated that she could not treat my tattoo. I was angry because a month before she had marked the voucher as «redeemed» even though she had not treated me. So she offered me complementary hair removal service for my trouble, but stated that she would offer a refund. I figured I had already driven downtown and paid for parking, so why not? I went in for one complementary hair removal treatment. The next day I contacted Living Social the for my refund. They stated they could not give me a refund because she stated she had treated me. I went back and forth with this crazed «owner.» Living Social said their hands were tied because she marked the voucher as redeemed. If your time and energy are worth ANYTHING to you, don’t deal with this place. Not worth it! Worse experience ever!