I just went for my 3rd or 4th lightsheer treatment and am covered with burns. I had my legs done a week ago and had NO REACTION, but a couple days ago I got severe burns on my bikini line, underarms and upper thighs. I really think the aesthetician did something wrong, but she said it’s “normal” to react this way after several pain-free treatments. I assure you, noone told me that. She then told me it might be because I’m pregnant!! I was pregnant a week ago, too. She assured me BEFORE the treatments that I could go ahead even though I asked about the pregnancy factor. Is she incompetent?
Long ago, when I’ve been into laser myself, the practitioner, who was also an ob/gyn refused to treat pregnant women.
It doesn’t sound right that the burns are normal. What settings is she using? Did she change them from last time?
Can you describe these severe burns?
Burns are like bad cigarette burns. Noone ever discussed settings or changing settings with me or appeared to note the setting used. I asked if the laser could be different from the previous treatment, and was told it could not, and that such burns are common.
Burns are never normal with laser hair removal. Pain tolerance can vary somewhat day to day but burning is not supposed to happen. How did she tell you to treat the burns? My suggestion would be to go to your doctor and let him direct you with how to care for these burns.
I do not treat pregnant women at my center and it is my understanding that most laser manufacturers will tell you not to treat pregnant women.
I would not let this person treat you again and I would not seek treatment anywhere until after you have your baby.
Her pregnancy had nothing to do with the burns.
Many professions and products have a “non pregnancy” stance just because no research has been done, (you could not get clearance to do the testing needed anyway) and no evidence is available to rule out complications. The corporate law departments say, “We don’t want to be sued, so don’t touch pregnant women.”
Many electrolysis manufacturers say don’t treat pregnant women, others just say don’t treat the breasts or abdomens of pregnant women. There is, however, no known case of complications or birth defects from electrolysis during pregnancy, even with breast and abdomen work and electrolysis has nearly 150 years worth of practical useage and study.
Much is made of the fact that I don’t suggest people have L.A.S.E.R. treatments, but this person’s experience is one of the reasons that I don’t. Regardless of what may or may not be found out about the long term effects for everybody who uses this proceedure, one thing is true, people who have good results, frequently have a sudden bad result from out of nowhere, and some people have her result the first time out. It is a risk that I find unacceptable. The biggest problem is that when one has a bad Light Based Treatment result, one doesn’t know about it until the treatment is finished and the negative result has been absorbed by the entire treatment area. Most people who have bad electrolysis end the treatment with that practitioner before anything bad happens, and what ever damage is limited to a much smaller area.
[ April 05, 2004, 12:00 PM: Message edited by: James W. Walker VII, CPE ]