Advice on Settings for Laser hair removal

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

Signed up for laser on my chest, neck, arms, and shoulder blades. Price is about 1800. They use a palomar vectus machine. Today I saw on the machine 18mm and 10 joules. There is some pain when doing the various areas, particlarly when there’s a lot of hair in that given area. I am of Irish descent, probably skin type III.

Today was my second treatment. I’m just concerned that the settings are too low. The tech said they just plug in the skin type and the machine picks the appropriate setting. After my first treatment I have a lot of pepperspots. Anyway I know you get questions like this all the time but I’ve waited years to get treated and I’m scared everything will just grow back and I’ll be out 2K.

#2

OH dear… well good luck to you.

I assume you are a man? Laser is more risky for men’s upper arms and shoulder area, as far as laser stimulating more hair to grow. It is a gamble. Will it work or will you have no results … or will it wake up more hair?

The laser brand? This is a subject that I am not an expert on because I do electrolysis only, but over the many years of being here on HairTell, the folks have said that the powerful Candela lasers are great choices.

Being Irish, do you have coarse, dense, dark hair? If you don’t , you may be wasting your money.

Good luck to you in the most sincere way possible.

#3

Being one myself, I know "a guy thing’ when I see it. We tend to JUMP into things and make snap decisions based on "just wanting to get this done … RIGHT NOW!’ After we spend our money … well, then we start to ask questions.

I don’t want to stimulate the predicted response from the laser enthusiast/experts, and we all know the "it worked on me’ retort … and that’s fine; good for you! Laser is usually fine on legs, not so good on the face or back. Still, like Dee Dee I ain’t gettin’ into the laser flap again. Talk is cheap. "It worked on me!’ "It didn’t work on me!’ So what? Who cares? What are the stats?

I’ll only comment that in the last 10-years, every man that finally ends up having electrolysis with me has spent an average of $3,000 to $5,000 on laser that either didn’t work, worked somewhat (but not enough), created strange patterns or made more hair grow.

And, it’s what we "dudes’ do … we "blow the dough’ and then start asking questions.

What’s reasonable? Get an actual estimate! … whether you are doing electrolysis or laser ask the right questions. Get the technician to predict the outcome, the amount of MONEY you are likely to spend and just what the hell happens IF IT DOESN’T WORK OUT! Or, what happens if it’s worse than when you started!

Guys … we spend more time getting the right mechanic to work on our car than on technicians who will be working on our BODY! I do it too: leap before I think! Ever done a bungee-jump and then half-way down start wondering if the thing is tied-off properly?

#4

Lol I am a guy but I didn’t completely jump in blind. They told me that if they do the “package” they will do additional treatments if needed. I don’t have A LOT of hair on my neck and shoulders, its more on my chest and arms. To have so much area treated, I thought the price was reasonable. The machine is a palomar vectus, which I thought was a step up from IPL.

My question was more about if 10 joules is anywhere powerful enough or typical, it seems like no based on what I see people saying online. The FAQs on this website seem to indicate that laser can result in permanent reduction, so I believed that to be true.

#5

I don’t mean to belittle your hair problem,Hairh, but I can’t understand men wanting to get hair reduction (unless you’re trans) as far as I can see its not a big-deal for men, it’s not repulsive nor a turn - off for most women. :wink:

#6

10 joules sounds low, but it is an IPL. I have been told that an IPL is not as good as a real laser, but I did have a trans client that got great results.

#7

Something seems off. Are you sure it’s a Palomar Vectus? Everything I find online shows it’s a Diode laser with 2 spot sizes: 12mmx12mm and 23mmx38mm, so the 18mm spot size doesn’t seem to exist on this laser.

I’m not familiar enough with this laser, but 10J is frequently on the lower side for most lasers, especially if you’re a type III

#8

This video shows the machine. I may have been wrong about the spot size. I saw on the screen that it said 10 J/cm2.

#9

Anyone else?

#10

hairh,

Just to reiterate what some others have already said. I’d be very reluctant to have LHR done on certain areas (i.e shoulder blades) for fear of hair stimulation. It happened to me on the back of my neck. I wanted that “clean, fresh from the barber” appearance and thought laser could provide that. I was wrong. I ended up with more hair and at some point will get electrolysis to fix it.

As for laser, I’ve never used a Palomar laser. It might be good…it might not. I will only be treated with a Candela (1st choice) or Cynosure (2nd). Regardless, 10 Joules sounds VERY low.

#11

Normally I’d say 10J is low, but since the machine comes with presets based on the hair type and skin type, I’d be a little surprised if the machine was programmed to do settings that were too low for any permanent removal.

#12

I would actually think the opposite. Settings from the manufacturer most likely err on the side of liability.

#13

Perhaps, but then you also have a fraud issue if they’re selling a machine with too low settings to do anything

#14

Well personally for people like me who have double/triple the hair of a normal man it is very annoying when i go out in public and every single person points out how hairy I am as if I was a freak, I would just like to be able to go out in shorts and feel good with less hair… that’s it. It isn’t a gay/bi/trans thing, just a feel good factor.

#15

When I was 24 and just starting electrolysis treatments on my back, the electrologist asked if I was a "transvestite.’ I didn’t know what that was, but it still makes me angry when somebody questions anybody about why they want the hair removed or thinned out.

Basically, it’s none of anybody’s damned business. There is no right or wrong (it’s just hair), and those that question others have no right to voice their opinion … because "questioning’ is "belittling.’ If some stranger can’t understand it … well, that’s too damned bad. Nobody has to justify what they do with their own body.

#16

I must agree with you, Michael.

Likewise, when a person comes to me wanting hair removed that I deem is not a problem, and I verbalize to them that they are okay… well … I advise then NOT to spend their money on electrolysis.

If they insist that this is what they want, I do what they want. They are free to decide for themselves WHAT they want to do with their body.

#17

Still, I will refuse service if I think I would be disfiguring the person … or if I feel they are a bit "off.’ I had a 250-pound biker-guy come in with a shaved swastika in his chest; he wanted it zapped so it would be permanent. I didn’t do it. I had a woman come in with her head shaved in radical points. She said she was a witch and wanted this design. I didn’t do it. I have a policy now: "No Nazis, and no witches.’ Trolls and fairies, however, are just fine. (I have a couple more example, but these are so extreme nobody would believe it! People can be NUTS! And, most of them are in Congress.)

#18

Well personally for people like me who have double/triple the hair of a normal man it is very annoying when i go out in public and every single person points out how hairy I am as if I was a freak, I would just like to be able to go out in shorts and feel good with less hair… that’s it. It isn’t a gay/bi/trans thing, just a feel good factor. [/quote]

Exactly. I’m always amused by dudes who are judgemental about hair removal. I would be cool with hair on my body too if I wasn’t COVERED in it like I am. I wasn’t expecting comments about it on a HAIR REMOVAL forum either lol…

Seems the consensus is that 10 joules is super low so I will bring this up at the next session.

#19

I would like to know the parameters of this laser. How high can it go? Numbers mean different things to different machines.

#20

Thanks dfahey. I think page 3 of this brochure gives the parameters. If you (or anyone else with input) could take a look id really appreciate it.

https://asp-au.secure-zone.net/v2/index.jsp?id=1096/1218/5420&lng=en