I had my 7th (I think) laser session yesterday, and I doubt it will be less than 10-14 sessions in total, to get almost all the hairs...
Pain and results depend mainly on the type of system used. You should be using the best unit on the market for best results (not mentioning the make, because it will probably start a mine is better than yours war...), but stay away from IPL, which is anyway not considered laser, and a total waste of money IMHO...
The pain factor was quite intense on my upper lip, even with numbing cream. The rest of the face is acceptable. The pain gets less every passing session, as the hairs become less dense (you feel absolutely nothing when the laser is fired on skin that has no hairs), so less hair = less heat and pain.
The first 7-10 days after treatment, I dont even bother with trying to cover with makup, as the hairs are extremely course and dark (much worse than the normal/pre-treated hairs, and a smooth shave still ends up with ugly/obvious thick black hairs...
The price to pay for what I want, I guess.....
No pain no gain.....
Its tough being a girl.....
And the list goes on :-)