Did laser make my hirsutism work?

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

Last year I had laser treatments for coarse hair on my chin. I started taking Yasmin about a month earlier. The HMO dermatologist that referred me represented laser treatments as a cure. He said it might take 2-3 treatments, but the results would be permanent. It seems from the Hair Facts site that the dermatologist misled me. This was a big investment for me, and it makes me angry that the doctor lied to me to drum up business for the “venture” part of the HMO.

I lost my job after the first treatment. A few months later, the hair grew back worse. The hair was higher up on one side of my chin than it was before. Also, a lot of coarse hair came in on the other side of my chin that had only had two or three follicles before the treatment. I also got some coarse hair in my mustache area, and I had never had coarse hair there before.

Since I lost my health insurance with my job, I also stopped taking Yasmin when the prescription ran out. Therefore, I don’t know whether my facial hirsutism got worse because of the laser treatment or because I stopped taking Yasmin. Does anyone have any idea which would have increased the hirsutism?

My cosmetic problem goes beyond hirsutism - areas of my chin have become permanently red and scarred from tweezing. It’s always been a problem for my social and working life - for example, I tend to keep my head down to hide my hirsutism. A permanent solution would have meant a lot to me, and I was willing to spend a few paychecks to do it. Instead, the supposed solution made the problem worse!!! I would really like to know whether the laser of the Yasmin caused the problem so I can complain about the HMO.

#2

It is very unlikely that the laser caused the increased hair growth. Some elcetrologists will respond by citing a study that purports to show lasers do cause new hair growth. This is extremely rare! Hormone levels are the most likely cause. And did you not have only one laser treatment?

RJC2001

#3

I was taking Yasmin at the time, and the hair growth did not start until soon after I had to stop taking it. The hair started coming in a couple of weeks after I stopped taking Yasmin, which would be a couple months after the laser treatment. Yes, it was only one laser treatment.

I have been dealing with hirsutism for ten years, and it spread very, very gradually. This is the first time in my life that there was a “spurt” of hirsutism - I now have a lot more follicles to tweeze in the main area (at least 2/3 more)and there was an instant expansion in the area that only had a couple of hairs before.

Something definitely intervened to make a dramatic change. If it was the laser, I think people should know it can make the situation worse. If it was the Yasmin, I think people either ought to be warned it can make hirsutism worse. I don’t know which it was, but either way, I feel like I was profoundly wronged by the HMO.

[ May 16, 2004, 11:42 AM: Message edited by: HMOvictim ]

#4

Thank you for sharing your experience. My doctor advised me to go on Yasmin as well. I have never had ANY good experience with a hormone pill. Truthfully, both times I tried pills IT (hirsuitism) got worse!!!
I lead me to learn to wax (Zip brand)& bleach to minimilize my BIG problem. What a ehartache & embarrasing topic that few have any GGOD answers/info about…right?
I am looking into laser & electrolysis in combination for a better solution, while I still ahve pigment & light skin, supposedly (???) the best candidate. Would like to know what you learn.
Thanks :fearful:

#5

Do you have PCOS? I never had facial hair until I went off the pill in college and my hormones got totally screwed up. Without the hormones provided by the pill, the hair started growing. Yasmin is actully supposed to help prevent new hair growth. The way I understand it, Yasmin is great for women like me with PCOS because it has extra stuff in it that help with my symptoms. Going off the pill can absolutely cause side effects, especially if you just stopped taking them one day. Your body was used to getting the hormone help and suddenly it was gone.
The only time I’ve had new growth or fine to coarse growth was when my hormones went nuts, not from getting laser. Check with your doctor and get a full hormone level. But remember, just that initial 1 month drop/readjustment period could have triggered the growth and once it’s started in a new place, it will continue to grow there.

#6

Hi :smile:

I completely agree with the discussion here. I am a victim of hirsutism and have far less hair on my face than I have now. I started electrolysis and got lot more hair in area where I did not have previously.

Now I was planning to go for a lazer treament but thanks to HMOVictim for making this wareness. Now I need think I need to treat my Harmone imbalance before going ahead with lazer treament or is it acceptable to go through both the treaments parallely. Is having hirsutism is like taking harmone pills life long or is there a end to it :frowning:

To tackle my hair I started using epilator and this left me in a very horibble black spots all over the body caused by ingrown hair and other reasons. I still think I should have simply saved my hair not thinking about the future increase in hair instead of ending up with black spots all over…

Any suggestions how to go about my treatment. Man when will I get rid of my hair its yuk on the face especially :-?

any SUGGESTIONS PLEASE :smile:

#7

Hey Sar97!

Is the hirsutism caused by hormone imbalance like PCOS or because of your ethnicity? If you’ve been diagnosed with a hormone imbalance that causes hirsutism like PCOS, you’ll need medication until menopause. Typically just the pill.
But you need to find out what is causing your hirsutism and if how best to treat the problem before you can look at permanently fixing the hair problem. It wasn’t until I went on the pill that new growth stopped for me. Now I have just a few problem areas and those I can treat.
Good luck!