Re: Laser Hair Removal
FYI I am getting IPL on my legs and bikini area. I have had around 8 sessions. There is definite reduction but the hair has not completely disappeared. I don't expect it to completely go away either and my only concern was severe ingrowth which was causing boils and cysts on my bikini area. Those issues have been resolved and I couldn't be happier:)
Yea, I didn't expect that she would have finished. When it goes on this long, people usually give up and a lot of the hair comes back in the months after.
10 treatments is too much imo but then most clinics advise you to go back at lesser intervals than you really need/should (to get more money out of you).
If they had their way, I would have needed 6-8 for legs but I did it in 3/4.
I don't think her issue is hormones. Most desi girls with excess facial hair have it due to excess male hormones.
It's just not working on those finer hairs. They probably shed as is typical (hence she thinks it's working) but the follicles aren't destroyed hence the hairs come back.
You only need multiple treatments to catch all the hairs in the different cycles. So somewhere like the legs, where most of the hair is the same, only needs a few treatments to catch all those hairs. Where it is a mix, it needs more coz the first few treatments target the thicker hairs with lower settings and then subsequent treatments target finer hairs with higher settings.
Thank you loads for the info :) I will def. let her know about it, because really it is not gonne. Even the patches she has now are not really what I would call "fine hair" .. they are thick!
Re: Laser Hair Removal
with a match? are you serious? 
that’s crazy!
Re: Laser Hair Removal
One side effect i experienced is hair growth in surrounding areas, which were hairless prior to the treatment. but there aren't too many of those and I am having them zapped too. If I experience any more issues, I can always resort to my home electrolysis kit:D
Lolz.. I know it sounds crazy! But it really works. Apparantly its the way my mum and her friends used to do it in good old days .. Seriously I wouldnt recommend anyone doing it on themselves, but I am sure you can do it with help .. One need to keep the match on a distant so that you dont burn your face (I have superr sensitive skin but Alhum. no burn or mark)
Re: Laser Hair Removal
How many olive skinned people have had an issue with burning and permanent scarring?
Re: Laser Hair Removal
^my friend has kinda sanwali (on the lighter side) skin and she had a few problems
No u wasn't in favour of laser, u recommended I go for electrolysis. but at tht time my hair was at its worst becoz of the IPL And I didn't want Electrolysis at tht time. thts when u recommended I go for the YAG. all in all it has helped me, not sure about any other lasers but I would definitely recommend it over the IPL
I am planning on stopping my laser after another few treatments and then move on to Electrolysis. atm there is too much hair to cover and I couldn't go thro tht pain, with laser the pain is quick and over with. with Electrolysis the pain is slow and long.
Yup, I did recommend electro but you wanted quick results and Laser, so I advised you the best I could in that direction. You had to be treated with a YAG for your skin tone, so I advised a place that would be careful with it so you'd be less at risk from burns due to an inexperienced technician.
FYI I am getting IPL on my legs and bikini area. I have had around 8 sessions. There is definite reduction but the hair has not completely disappeared. I don't expect it to completely go away either and my only concern was severe ingrowth which was causing boils and cysts on my bikini area. Those issues have been resolved and I couldn't be happier:)
dooree - I'm very 'meh' about IPL. If you had laser on those areas, you would have been done a lot quicker. My bikini line was done like 95%+ reduction in 3 treatments. Said this before but lower legs in 3 and thighs in 4. This is typical for all the people I know that had the same quality of treatment that I did (being in charge of our settings etc).
YAG is great for thicker and darker hairs.
Re: Laser Hair Removal
^ I don't have very thick or dark hair in the treatment areas. I am still happy with my treatment since my primary purpose was to get rid of my hair ingrowth which has disappeared:) maybe I'll consider YAG when I am done with this.
Re: Laser Hair Removal
I had laser hair removal on my upper lip - the hair has all disappeared :) my last treatment on my upper lip was about 2 years ago and so far I haven't had to touch that area as there has been no return of hair.
I had my arms lasered - two times (as the girl who was doing it moved to sweden :() but I have to say that I've had good results on my arms, I don't have to do anything to them at all since the laser treatment.
I too would be wary of lasering the whole face - I have heard of it encouraging more hair growth on some girls, and it won't get rid of those fine downy hairs anyway so it could just be money down the drain. As stoppit says electrolysis is a better option :)
I heard it's more expensive and hurts more...
Hi. I'm getting electrolysis done and I'm only a few hours in. But I want to add my opinion and hope it will make a difference.
Firstly, it does not hurt at all. My electrologist uses thermolysis with an Apilus machine. If you can find such a person, it should not hurt! I'm getting laser on legs too and it HURTS! So basically one is pain and one is no pain (with the machine I mentioned). Either way, pain is temporary.
Secondly and more importantly, EVEN if money is a concern, your face and proper treatment should have a MUCH much higher priority than money should. The treatments will last you a lifetime...of course you might have to go in for touch ups later in life due to hormonal changes but I think that would be a constant for both laser and electrolysis. And the touch ups will most likely be for growth no where much as you have now.
Just do not risk it. Even a tiny chance of induced hair growth and therefore, more worry, and low self-confidence is just not worth the 1000 or so extra dollars you will spend on your face. IT'S YOUR FACE. As far as your face is concerned, leave the money part out of the scene. Think about it, how much would a 1000 extra dollars matter if you spread them out over a lifetime...think long term.
Coming to time. Yes, you will spend many more hours with electrolysis. But if you are timely in getting treatments, it will be fast.
Last point: Everyone, listen to Stoppit. She knows this stuff.
I don't have technical details to support my view, but just think about it patiently and logically.
:( :( :(
Where do i begin, i can bet that if any of u see my facial hair when i dont thread or pluck it out, u will b horrified, Becos I spend hours every day removing it u wudnt know that i had a problem with facial hair. I am at my whits end now with this hair. I was diagnosed with PCOS last year.
I have always had alot of hair on my face, but it wasnt thick hair it was all very fine hair. But all of a sudden when i was like 18 my hair around my lower face chin neck became very coarse, dark and jus unsightly. My mum suggested i go 4 laser, i got around 20 sessions in total after which i gave up as things were not improving. At this point i knew i had a hormonal problem but the dr's were not really prepared to put me on any meds 2 correc the imbalance.
I felt awful for wasting my mum's money on 20 very expensive laser sessions, which also left me with pigmentation but that was due to the fact that i never worse sunscreen even the beautician told me 2 do so.
Fast forward a few years my facial hair is worst than it has ever been and i spend hours a day removing the hair, crying everytime I do. Im on medication now which has helped to regulate my periods etc and other features of PCOS, but the hair is such a nightmare. It realy affects ure confidence. Im so desperate that i am willing 2 give laser another go but scared at the same time.
I know electrolysis has been suggested but I have soo much hair it wud take forever to get it dun and where i stay there are no places that offer electrolysis :( :(
It really is an awful curse on a woman to have thiss :( :(
tweety-pie, knowing some women in a similar situation, I really feel for you.
If you are at the point that you are considering Laser again even though you know it won't work.. you should be at the point to consider going out of town for good electrolysis, no matter the time or money.
princessjojo is very lucky in that she has a skilled electrologist with an Apilus - her treatment is so much faster than most people will ever get. In London (UK) we have no such choice. pm her! you never know, you guys might live close by.
One of the best electrologists in the US can clear a whole face in one sitting (12hrs) or over two days. He numbs the face with local anaesthetic and uses the fastest methods of thermolysis and surgical magnification. The face will be red and swollen for a few days but he's so skilled that there should be barely any other skin reaction once that calms down. Seeing his pictures of people shortly after treatment and seeing how they can go out feeling confident that the hair is gone and the skin looks good is amazing!
Given his skill, people literally fly to see him, get full clearance, go home, wait 6-8 weeks, go for the next clearance and so on. Every clearance will take less and less time as there will be fewer hairs and the time between them (clearances) will get longer too. A year or so from starting, you will be DONE!
I have no idea about cost but I imagine it's hundreds of dollars per hour.
Re: Laser Hair Removal
^ Where in US is he based? Can you give a name/contact info?
@ tweetypie What laser did u use?
I think when getting laser done u have to very careful when choosing who to go with. I've said this b4. most of the places r just out to make money. so do ur research and always get a test patch done b4. and its always Important to use sun lotion!!!
I had about 15 treatments with the IPL and it made my hair worse it was coming back quicker and more thicker(rough idea - I was shaving every week with the IPL, with the YAG Im lucky if the hair comes back after 4 weeks) like u I didn't want to sit there for hours getting electrolysis done......I spoke to stoppit about it and she recommended me a place tht does the YAG. and so far I'm happier with the results. Once the hair growth stops or the hair becomes thinner I will start the electrolysis, but I think I can still benefit from a few more treatments so will continue for now.
Re: Laser Hair Removal
CE - tweetypie's issue was not the type of Laser but the fact that she had PCOS that was not under control.
But you make a good point that if it was IPL under the guise of true Laser, it would not have helped.
stoppit 
tired yet?
Re: Laser Hair Removal
A relative of mine had PCOS and was given tablets and her hair growth (either stopped completely) or slowed down and then she had laser treatments done (cant remember now) but she has no hair left...... but its something where u have to go to the doctors and let him know how bad its effecting ur life.
also I heard there's a cream available too know??