Hi everyone, I’m going to book a consultation to have laser hair removal on my bikini area using the alexandrite gentlase. I have very pale skin and dark hairs so i think this machine is the perfect one for my skin type. I’ve been reading quite a few posts about joules/mm and different settings but i cant find a post which explains all this in detail and I’m slightly confused. I’m really not bothered about pain i just want the best results so could someone explain to me what the best settings would be for this particular machine to get the best results. It would be a great help just so that when i go for my consultation i have some idea of what they are talking about and to make sure they’re not ripping me off with too lower settings! thanks
You shouldn’t get a treatment at your consultation. That’s your time to ask questions, for them to check out your skin type, and for you to get a test spot. At the consultation, ask THEM for settings they would use. Then post them here along with your skin type on the Fitzpatrick scale and we can tell you whether they’re too low to produce permanent results. We can’t recommend settings without seeing you. Only the clinic can do this. BUT we can tell you if the settings they use are too low to produce results.
The largest spot size on GentleLASE Is 18mm. On that spot size, 20J setting is max. We generally don’t recommend treating at lower than 14-16J on 18mm. If your skin can’t safely handle it without burning, you need a different type of laser.
If they use smaller spot sizes like 15mm and 12mm, keep in mind that the impact of the joules decreases as you drop the spot size. That’s why on 15mm, max is 30J compared to 20J on 18mm, and both settings are approximately equivalent.