Consultation at Renew Medica - Lightsheer settings

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

Hi,

I had a consultation at Renew Medica (Oxford circus) yesterday with a tech recommended by Stoppit. I went to the consultation expecting that the tech would use the ND Yag for my test patch (I’m of Indian Origin). However, when she had a look at my legs, bikini line and underarms, she decided to proceed with the lightsheer laser instead. She said this would be the best laser for me as I have light asian skin (She marked me down as skin type IV on the sheet) and very dark coarse hair.

I rang the clinic and they said the tech used the following settings 20J and 30ms on type IV skin. I’m a bit worried that the settings are too low for me? Would I be better off with the ND yag

#2

Hi Still,

Another user, peace1 had exactly the same predicament. Because she was more like a Type III, the tech (same one) used the LightSheer.
They were not willing to change to the YAG for her either when she asked them to as a result of the feedback she got here, which was that the settings were too low.

Here is her thread: http://www.hairtell.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/73194/Searchpage/1/Main/11792/Words/peace1/Search/true/Re_My_Laser_Journey_Starting_2.html#Post73194
She was treated at the same pulse width as you but lower joules.
It would be interesting to know what sort of regrowth peace1 now has on those areas.

Another thing is that I know that this clinic always starts off with more conservative settings at the beginning where there is an abundance of thicker hair. But they do increase the settings by a good amount each time if your skin can handle them. So even though the first treatment may be borderline what is recommended here, by the time of your third treatment, they should be using much more aggressive settings.

This tech seems to have a lot of experience and I quizzed her about her use of the LightSheer a while ago. She said she found it no more difficult to use than the Apogee and missed patches weren’t any more frequent.

Other than that, I’m satisfied with the way my treatments have gone. My sister, cousin and two friends also currently have treatments here. All with the same tech and using the Nd:Yag. One friend had facial treatment previously at the Royal Free Private Clinic but now actively recommends Renew over them (perhaps because they are cheaper?). The other friend has been satisfied with their customer service - the other day she started her period on the same day as her appointment and was having a lot of pain, so the tech in question allowed her to postpone it until next week without any charge.

#3

Hey,

Thanks so much for the reply! I’m actually considering booking a consultation with the Royal Free hpspital, but their prices are alot more expensive. I’d probably be paying at least double what I was quoted at Renew Medica! However, I’m pretty sure they’d be using the Yag on me.

I did really like the Tech and she seemed good. She said I would get better results with the lightsheer as my skin is lighter, which is why she plumped for that one over the Yag. She didn’t want to go any higher than 20J though, as she said the hair had already carbonised, whatever that means?! I’m just very reluctant to spend over £2000 on laser hair removal when I keep reading that any settings under 20J aren’t strong enough. Maybe I should just plump for the Royal Free?!

#4

I’m sure they will go higher as the treatments progress and the growth to be treated is more sparse and less coarse hairs to treat.

It’s a difficult decision. Perhaps you can call around and find a Renew clinic that doesn’t have a LightSheer (if such a clinic exists), so you can benefit from cheaper prices, but then you don’t know if the tech you have will be very good.

If you want to risk it, I’d just start with one area (something cheap like the underarms) and see how it goes. This is what I did as when I started Laser I had no recommendations to go on. It’s time consuming but worth it in the long run.

#5

20J is a bit low on LightSheer. We generally recommend at least 25J and up on that machine. Does it have a 9mm or a 12mm spot size?

Also, there are other clinics around. In that thread StopIt posted above, another clinic with a Yag is being discussed.

#6

LAgirl, the spot size is 12mm. Does that make a difference at all? I’ve booked a consultation with the Royal Free, so will see how I feel afterwards.

Thank you both :slight_smile:

#7

I should give an update in my thread but basically I would avoid the Lightsheer and that clinic because they won’t change it.

There was a member here previously who tried many different clinics and he suggested derma beauty. I am yet to go there but it seems like a good place for laser from his posts. You can avoid the high costs of the hospital that way. I’m not sure what kind of results th laser produced to be honest. My left arm has hair but I think the thicker hairs are still going to grow back as what I’ve seen from explanations, and my left leg looks untouched. if you can, go to derma beauty for a consultation to see if they’re still the same. I need to book an appointment myself but I am still observing the hair growth from Lightsheer before I get a test patch done from another clinic.

#8

Yes, I was thinking of Derma Beauty when I mentioned it above.

Still, with 12mm, 20J is still low. It’s also a hard to use machine, meaning they need to use compression and up and down method instead of light gliding which many do instead.

#9

Yea exactly. I let her stand her ground that she is a professional, but unfortunately my left leg looked untouched even though the achine went over it, so I would avoid Lightsheer from now on unless I read really good reviews about the practitioner.

#10

Peace1 and LAgirl thanks for the additional replies

I had a lookt at the derma beauty website and it seems like they only offer the Gentlelase laser. The website doesn’t mention the yag laser? Putting price aside, is the ND Yag a better choice for a type IV skin type, or the gentlelase?

#11

Still - Type IV skin cannot be treated with the GentleLaser which is an Alexandrite. You will need the GentleYag.

Another poster fizzywizzy recently had treatment at a clinic in London with a YAG. I think she had the same issue with Renew as yourself; they test patched her with the Diode.
http://www.hairtell.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/78169/1.html
http://www.hairtell.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/77731/3.html

The only thing I would recommend is that you choose a clinic with both the YAG and Alexandrite. If you start off with very high settings on the YAG (if your Type III-IV) you may be able to switch to the Alex towards the end when the hairs left are finer.

#12

Type IV is in the middle between skin types, so you could be light enough for GentleLASE. Skin types are approximate. I would go get a test spot and see if you can handle high enough settings (on GentleLASE, 14-16J on 18mm minimum).

Otherwise, you need a Yag or a diode.

#13

*I meant GentleLase in my previous post.

#14

Thanks!

#15

Hi Still04, your Renew Medica experience seems like it was very similar to my own! Even down to the fact the person I saw even mentioned ‘oh there is good carbonisation’ too (whatever that means)

In the end I decided not to proceed with treatment as it was all very salesmen-like. Telling me I needed to buy all these different gels and creams, some Australian brand, and saying that they were the only products they recommended - as if they got commission or something.

The one good thing about Renew was how thoroughly they went into detail re. risks and the whole process. The place where I am going now barely told me anything in my consultation, but I wasn’t too bothered as I’d already heard it all from Renew. In regards to products to use she just said Aloe Vera gel and it cost me £3.

If you are interested in the place I go to (it’s in North London) just drop me a message.

#16

Fizzy/Still04 I had problems with Renew Medica in that I couldn’t for the life of me figure out their pricing structure (I’d had similar problems with Sk:n clinic and their pricing and hard sell). After the first session I went up to pay I didn’t want to discuss in reception the part of my body that had just been treated. It was £90 for what seemed like a ten minutes of treatment. I paid and didn’t go back.

Though the girl that did my consult and work was very nice but I did feel that she hadn’t covered the area fully that I wanted done.

Fizzy think I’ll be dropping you a note.