Could be the type of laser! I also have/had thick dark hair, but the place I go to has some special tech which quickly shoots a super cold blast of something before the laser zaps. I wouldn’t say it’s painless, but faaar less painful than I imagined it. Anytime I slightly jumped it was due to the sudden blast of cold air.
I’m a little over 6 months on hrt and haven’t noticed any appetite changes. I’ve actually been eating far less and more sporadically. I was eating for performance reasons pre-transition, so I’d say I’m eating more normally. How are you receiving/dosing your estrogen? I use patches, but I could see fluctuating hormones from injections/pills affecting appetite.