Hello all,
I used to have dark vellus hair on my face then underwent laser hair removal on face (more than 20 treatments) and now I suffer with dark coarse hair pretty much all over face and neck. I am wondering now, as a result of laser that I actually have coarse hair, would it be wise to undergo a certain laser to fix this issue? Since laser is supposed to help dark, coarse hair. What laser would you suggest?
One word: Electrolysis
I’ve seen this happen many times with my clients. They will go in for laser for the face and it stimulates their hair growth. I am currently in the process of helping so many clients who experienced these results from laser.
Hi Sarah, I am sorry that this happened. I have heard that sometimes laser can stimulate hair growth. I think it is called paradoxical hypertrichosis. I am not sure why this happens. It usually occurs with olive skin types with type 3 or higher skin tones. Perhaps stronger treatments can help. You might want to consider electrolysis.
I am undergoing electrolysis, but it is taking so long. It has been almost a year and I have a significant amount of hair all over my face still. It is to the point where I get a clearance, then two weeks later it is all back.
I’m sorry to say, but there is not enough information to help sort out why you are not further along. Removing hair permanently with electrolysis can be full of hurdles and a fine balance must be maintained in order to defeat the hair.
Laser: “I used to have dark vellus hair on my face then underwent laser hair removal on face (more than 20 treatments) and now I suffer with dark coarse hair pretty much all over face and neck.”
Electrolysis: " … it has been almost a year [of electrolysis] … it is to the point where I get a clearance, then two weeks later it is all back."
Looks like you’re not having too much luck in the “hair removal department,” i.e., your above two statements.
Before I put on my well-worn and anticipated curmudgeon “hat,” let me ask you what “a year of electrolysis” means to you. That is, how many treatments and how many hours in said year? I mean, you could have had only 3 or 4 treatments during the year … or a treatment every week.
Count up your hours and report back. Also, your statement, “It is ALL BACK [after 2-weeks]!” You mean that after a full clearance, you have the original amount of hair returning in only two weeks?
Hi Sara S.
What you have experienced is quite common but not restricted to darker skin types when vellus hair is treated by photoepilation. As someone already mentioned, its scientific name is paradoxical hypertrichosis. I have treated many similar cases due to working in a laser clinic for over 10 years with both laser and electrolysis. No amount, frequency or energy level of laser treatment will eradicate the stimulated hair - I have tried it all. Electrolysis, however, does kill the hair once and for all. But it requires a real commitment over 12-18 months. And I know it gets really tiring sometimes, when you see the growth coming through, but remember there are cycles and cycles of hair growth we need to treat through.
However, since electrolysis is a highly skill and strategy dependent treatment, please share how many hours have you had in total, how often are your sessions and how long are they. Pictures would be very helpful too.
You have a great pool of professionals here ready to advise.
There is information that gives us as “it all back in two weeks” already determined that hair is not the one who was treated two weeks ago. When we are for various reasons plucked by time, every hair has its cycle and the whole was not shown until after a while, that makes it seem not finish, but in time you will see stable results.
I have probably had at least 50 hours by now. I try to go every two weeks, and have a two hour session because after two weeks the hair is back. Please advise me on how I can better achieve results. I have attached a picture of the worse part which is my neck.
I have posted a picture and replied to the thread.
I have had almost 50 or so hours. And yes, I mean after a full clearance for example on my neck, all the hair is back. I am wondering is this regrowth or new hairs? Why does regrowth occur? Aren’t we destroying the follicle when the probe is inserted. I have attached a picture. Please advise me on settings and other things I can do to make the hairs go away faster. My skin reacts fairly well on higher settings.
I will ask you several questions to try to understand why you didn’t have results with your treatment.
which machine your practitioner uses it to you?
when he removes the hair you feel a resistance ?
after about 18 months of treatment every 2 weeks you should see a significant reduction if the treatment was well done .
I prefer the option " 3 clearances and you are done" for this strategy, you have to let the hair grow as long as possible ,for about 4 months, then a first clearance is achieved and the hairs are treated. Then two passages suffice spread over about 1 and a half year and 99% of hair is definitely removed.
To follow this protocol choosing the electrologist is very important , he has to be very confident of his technique but also have the time needed to give the customers marathons session that can last 10 hours per day.
How many full clearances of your neck have you had, Sara?
And how do you remove the hair between sessions–you’re just shaving or trimming, right?
I agree that it looks like you should be farther along by now but I also don’t know how much hair you had to begin with.
Post Laser or IPL,treatment is certainly more challenging for us electrologists(mostly because we dont yet know how long it takes for all the regrowth to surface). However,I have never seen anyone with such strong, dense growth after undergoing 1 year and 50 hours of regular treatments. Do you feel the sensation of tweezing when each hair is being extracted?