Congratulations it's...Facial Hair Growth (Female)

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

I have been really fortunate with hair growth, other than really thick eye-brows which I have taken care of, facial hair was never a problem…until a few years ago.
I started out with a very rough patch on the right side of my chin a few years later it was both sides of my chin that had developed into round patches, and as of today I now have a crap load of hair growing from them.
I started tweexing and waxing, but because these particualr hairs were very coarse they could not be waxed.
I wound up tweezing everyday to the point where I would hate to get out of bed because I could not leave the house without a semi-hair free chin. The hair would grow everyday and just when I was pulling one out another one would pop up.
Now my chin is starting to not only be dry, have hair growing from it, it is now red/discoloured and raw not to mention noticeable by others to the point where they comment on the way it looks.
My doctor sends me to a dermatologist who tells me the discolouration is acne froom hormones and prescribes two types of medication. They do not work, because it isn’t acne.
I kept telling them the problem is my tweezing everyday and the ridiculous amount of hair growth. My complaints fall on deaf ears.
So I used these creams that the dermatologist suggested, diligently for a year. Did not work. I took it upon myself to try an AHA, which actually helped with the dryness but the hair growth was still there.
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to try the Soprano XL and after my first really painless treatment, other than a few what felt like electrical shocks, it went well. I though the hair would fall out immediately, it didn’t but I was informed that it can take anywhere from 6-8 sessions.
Now they did tell me not to tweeze or wax, I have tweezed everyday for ten years and now they want me to stop? I did. The hair kept growing and it was brittle and stiff, I had a breakdown on the 7th day and called them they told me not to tweeze but to shave or use a cream remover if the hair was bothering me.
I went in on the tenth day with a scarf wrapped around my neck and high on my chin because the hair growth was immense.
Now my second treatment was about to begin, the perfect looking technician whipped out a razor she informed me more hair would not grow and the hair has to be minimal on the surface because the laser would burn it off. OKAY I let her shave the excess hair, she did my chin and upper lip now it’s just a waiting game.
More hair has not grown from my initial visit, and my second visit was less traumatic mentally on me, I’ll leave feedback as I continue these treatments.
I am a hard sell, I ask a lot of questions and am very hard to please, but I am giving this machine a chance. If it does not work I will let everyone know, if it does I will do the same.
The reason I went was because one day as I was doing my daily tweezing routine, I looked at my chin and realized that this had to end.

I have fair skin plus I never tan and the hair growth on my chin is dark, according to what I have read I am a great candidate. If no improvement is shown after my 6 visits, I will let you know.
Next Saturday is my third visit…

#2

This is all wrong. I don’t know what your place is doing, but it confuses me. The hair DOES shed on the first treatment (and every single other treatment). It takes 3 weeks for it to eject from the follicle, so until then you are left with burnt looking hairs that APPEAR to be growing. If they were treated properly, the hair will “grow” (actually being ejected slowly) and then fall out in about three weeks. You should not have paid for a treatment any sooner than that, because you are just retreating the same hair that was already treated. You even admitted that the same hair was there! So that’s more like a “free touch up” than an entirely new treatment. I hope you weren’t charged. Once this cycle of hair sheds, the next cycle of hair will come in and THEN you go in for treatment #2. Most people have a full two month gap before they see new hair come in.

They were right about one thing: Stop tweezing!

Two other important points: Fair skin and dark hair means you really could be treated with an alex laser (GentleLASE is popular).

BUT: ALL LASERS CAN OFTEN INDUCE MORE HAIR GROWTH ON FEMALE FACES!!! This is a dangerous area to EVER treat with laser. If your laser center didn’t mention this, then they are ignorant or shady. Either way, stay away from this place.

You need electrolysis for a female face unless it is verrry thick, coarse hair and it is plentiful. You will get IMMEDIATE results and since you probably only have a small area to do, it should be much cheaper. 100% removal is guaranteed, and once you get your first clearance you’ll appear essentially hair free from that point forward as you progress through treatments.

#3

I did not shed the first treatment, because the hairs were shaved away before the laser. If there was shedding I did not notice any.
My first treatment was on the 2nd of March and the second one yesterday, the 12th. They themselves said it takes up to two weeks for the hair to be pushed out, now I myself have not noticed a difference but I’ll state it again I have a lot of hair in these two areas, and once one is removed, another one grows.
The next appointment is next Saturday, and the reason for such close treatments is that I’m leaving for three weeks and they promised me I would be hairless before I left for my trip.
If I left one or two months in between treatments I would be covered in hair.
I agree it does seem close, but I have new hair popping up every day, I have a ridiculous amount of hair growth and it’s quick.
The hair though is darker and almost burnt that is coming through, but as for shedding it has been eleven days so only time will tell.

You did mention something interesting:
BUT: ALL LASERS CAN OFTEN INDUCE MORE HAIR GROWTH ON FEMALE FACES!!!

This was never mentioned and I have never read anything about this, I will be looking for information on this.

Also, yes I paid $500 for 6 treatments.

Thank you for all your information.

#4

Here’s the thing - you don’t automatically become hair free the week after with laser. If you have thick, coarse hair it could take 2-3 weeks to shed completely. Shaving before laser doesn’t affect shedding. When I had my underarms done it looked like “new” hair was growing, but this was actually hair that was killed under the skin by the laser and was now being pushed through the follicle before falling out. Having 3 treatments a week or two apart is doing nothing but re-lasering hair that has already been killed.

Also, Kitty is right that laser can induce growth on female faces so it’s something to be wary of. Can you post a picture of your hair growth? That would probably help you get better advice on what’s going on with your face.

#5

You always have to shave before laser. That has no bearing on whether or not you experience shedding. The stubble begins to grow just like it normally would (a bit stiffly since it’s charred) and then beginning at two weeks and ending at three weeks later it suddenly falls out. It’s quite fun to see.

I know you’re trying to be hairless for your trip, but having treatments 7 days apart is not necessary. You WILL be hairless for your trip without the Saturday appointment because your hair from the last session will have shed by then. If it doesn’t shed, it means they did not treat you properly according to laser standards. There’s no benefit to having another treatment other than increased risk for inducing growth (to minimize the risk, you’d want to spread out the treatments and only treat when you have an abundance of good treatable hair).

If you’re ocd like me and truly want EVERY SINGLE hair gone by your trip, you need electrolysis because it’s instant and they treat each hair as soon as it grows in so you never have to wait. It sounds like you’re too impatient for laser and they are taking advantage of you.

I’m sorry you got roped into a crummy package. :frowning: I hope you get lucky and it works out for you.

By the way: We have literally tons of threads here about laser inducing growth (it happens on female faces and male upper backs and shoulders). So just do a search for “induced growth” or something and you’ll get lots of info.

#6

Sorry, you must all think I’m an idiot. I meant that I can’t tell if any hair shed because it was shaved and there was no emerged hair to shed.

The one thing I did notice was that the roughness around my chin has almost disappeared, after the first treatment. Now I’m wondering if it’s because of the heat from the laser or the fact that I havent tweezed or sueezed in ten days.

With electrolysis, one of my riends has been doing a spot on her neck for 4 years now and there is no difference she claims that it is lighter than before but the hair is still there.

The reason I decided on laser, and this specific laser, was because of the no-pain no scarring motto that is attached to the Soprano XL.

There has been almost no regrowth on my upper lip since the first session and I’m the type of person that see regrowth three days after waxing. My chin, I have no idea yet, but if no improvement is shown after these treatments, I will consider electrolysis.

Electrolysis seems to be lenghtier.

#7

You woudn’t have seen any shedding just yet. When it sheds, you will know. If you do not have obvious shedding (shaved or not) then you have a problem. Even if you can’t see the hairs shed into your hand, you will notice that there is no stubble or appearance of follicles. It will suddenly be smooth, like you just had the best wax-job of your life.

Anyway, hair grows in phases. That means the laser can’t treat a phase of hair until it is “anagen” phase (actively growing and firmly attached to the base of the follicle). What this means is that “seeing no regrowth” just means the next phase of follicles haven’t started to produce their cycle of hair yet. It will grow in because the laser hasn’t seen or touched any of these follicles yet (which why both laser and electrolysis take about 9-12 months total; you need to wait 8 weeks in between each laser session so that you are treating different follicles than you were the first time).

If your friend has had 4 years of electrolysis and has seen minimal or no difference, then she is either being swindled (proper electrolysis kills 100% of hairs, there is no debate or question about this in the scientific community) or she has a serious hormone problem which is creating new hairs at the same rate that they are being destroyed (if this were true then the electrolysis was successful and has prevented her from having both the new growth AND her original hair). If you have normal hormone levels and get regular sessions, you WILL be done with electrolysis within the standard timeline.

#8

Oh, one more thing: You’re not an idiot. You’re just starting out. We aren’t trying to be argumentative or anything, but we want to help because we have personal, emotional investment in hair-related issues and the depression and humiliation that comes with it. We are sick of being taken advantage of by the beauty industry, so we make a point to arm people with the CORRECT info, and they can do what they want with that information.

We’ve been through this too. When I was a teen, I had laser on my face and it induced growth. I wish I had known in advance that a year after my treatments I would suddenly sprout lots more hair! Also, I purchased a package of laser treatments for my legs (because a package was cheaper) and ended up disappointed in the doctor but I was locked in. So I know what it’s like to feel stuck with mediocre treatment.

#9

That is great information. Thank you.

#10

You had a treatment 10 days ago and now having another one? Treatments shouldn’t be necessary more often than once every 8 weeks. The clinic you chose seems either ignorant or just careless about explaining anything to you.

Yes, you need to ONLY shave once you start treatments. Hair needs to be in the follicle in order to be treated.

Yes, the hair has to shed within 3 weeks after being treated. You need to wait this time out and see what happens. Whatever doesn’t shed should be touched up for free at that point, i.e. at 3 weeks.

Yes, ONLY very coarse DENSE hair should be treated. Laser doesn’t work on any other type of hair, especially on a woman’s face.

Can you find out settings being used? Ask for spot size, joules, and pulse width.

PLEASE read the FAQS at the link below ASAP!

Also, you may want to schedule an appt with an endocrinologist asap to figure out what hormonal issue is causing this growth, i.e. PCOS or something else. There are medications available to curtail the growth. Hair removal can only kill current hair. It can’t prevent your body from developing NEW hair, so you need to figure out what is doing that.

Please don’t get any more treatments until you do more research, especially at least reading the FAQs here.