Diode, Don't Let Me Down... Oh Re-Growth ;-)

I am ready to book my first treatment and have a question for the awesome people in this forum.

I understand results vary between individuals but after your last treatment, I’m assuming hair does grow back, but finer and lighter in colour. Does it stay like this for the rest of your life? Does the regrowth turn out to be shorter than what it previously was, or just finer and lighter? Is there an actual reduction in the number of hairs that were once there?
They will be using a Diode Lightsheer one me

Thanks everyone! This site is so much better than an actually practitioner!

Sorry a dupe

[ July 13, 2004, 10:07 PM: Message edited by: Balius ]

Hello Angelus

If you are a good candidate for laser and are treated at an effective intensity you can expect the following;

  1. Some of the hairs will be gone permanently from the treated area after each treatment.
  2. Some of the hairs may become lighter in color or white making them non-treatable by the laser in subsequent treatments.
  3. Some of the hairs will grow back but be finer in diameter.
  4. Some of the hairs will tend to grow slower.
  5. Some of the hairs will grow back as if nothing had happened.

As you can see there are so many various ways the hairs can go that you can not predict how your treatments will progress. Some people have high levels of permanence after 1 or 2 treatments others need 7 or 8 and still others fail to respond at all and most likely were not the best candidates for laser or are being treated with too low of an energy level.
Laser is a bit of a gamble but if you play an active role in your treatments and make sure you are being treated at sufficiently high but safe levels you will notice progress.

One thing I can say for sure is that you should not expect miracles from 1 or 2 treatments.

Chris

Hey Chris,

Thanks for the quick reply, I really appreciate it. Do you have any idea if it is possible for the hair to grow back shorter? I have typical white boy skin (Type II) and very dark brown to black hair. It’s a toss up between getting Lazer hair removal or getting Lazer eye surgery. I was thinking it might be a bit better to wait a few years for hair removal since I am 21 and new hair continues to grow until your 25, I think. And maybe by then they will have better equipment and one that is more reliable, who knows. But perfect vision does sound nice. Oh the decisions one has to make when they feel like throwing money away.

Thanks again!

Well it can’t say for sure but i figure that the hairs can grow at a slower pace but as to final length I am unsure because I shave every few days to maintain a smooth look. I would hate to wait 3 or 4 months to see how long they could grow.

As to your decision as to were to spend you cash hee well that is a tough one. Both the laser vision and hair removal methods are improving with time and sure if you wait better or more efficient technologies and methods will appear, but I will say this, how long do you wait?
Bluntly put you are on this planet for some fixed amount of time, if you are always waiting till newer approaches develope you might be wasting precious years of your life not being in a state you desire to be in (hair and vision wise).
It is true at 21 your body hair is most likely not fully grown in (heck at 30 I was still gaining hair on my shoulders etc) so you will have a longer time after achieving high levels of clearence in which you will have to have maintenance done to remain clear.
If I may be so bold as to suggest what I would do…
I would pick an small area of your body you want hair removal on and just work on that area. This will allow you to see if laser treatments work for you and give you an idea on what is involved and the time and effort and costs it takes. This approach has the advantages of not tying up a lot of cash in laser removal while still giving you a taste of it. If you find after 1 year it is working well for you and you want more, at least you will be an informed customer and understand the financial and time required to clear the new areas.
For me the only reason I waited as long as I did was that the technology was slow in coming to my area of Canada and the costs a few years ago were too high for me to support.
Also be aware that to achieve a finished result some electrolysis will be required in the later stages of your treatment.

Chris

hey angelus, that is a tough decision… if i was in your shoes,this is what i would do…

I would go for the hair treatment (i am also your age)…because to be hair free is just great and i would do a test, ,just like balius suggested…

plus your eyes and eye sight is a precious thing and just like hair removal can have many complications and problems… its only skin… if complications occur with laser in your eye… its your eye! your precious eye sight!.. i wouldnt gamble with that at all. plus there isnt any long term research on laser eye surgery… its fairly new and as a medical science student, laser eye surgery might have compications 20 years from now… laser can scar the tissue in your eye, and your’ll reach a time where you cannot do anymore laser in yoru eye and this scaring tissue can result in blindness if it exceeds a certain amount… and scar tissue is not really repairable…

i am not saying laser eye surgery is horrible… but there isnt much long term research with it and it does cause scarring tissue in the eye which is bad… plus it doesnt work for all people… and some ppl who go through it still end up wearing glasses because the vision is not 20/20… but just a little bit better than before…

why dont you try contacts… or get some fashionable frames that can look cool instead of dorky (if thats the feeling you are getting).

anyways, good luck with the decision!.. buddy we suffer the same problems (except me from a female perspective anyway…hehe) … i think alot of ppl in this forum feel the same way.

let us know what you decide
-rachelle

Angelus: What area is it that you want the hair removed from? That might be a consideration as to whether to take care of the eyes first. As an example if you go to the beach often and have a very hairy chest and back that causes embarassment, hair removal may be the first option. On the other hand if you want to get rid of your underarm hair merely because you like the smooth feeling, then maybe the eyes should come first. Lets us know what areas and your reasons for wanting removal.

Hey Rachelle,

I have had glasses for about 3 years now and yah, I always get fashionable frames :stuck_out_tongue: I think I’d rather be blind than have coke bottles for glasses.
I went out today to play tennis with a friend (we play every saturday) and it happened, I broke one of my lenses and completely dented the frames. I have NO idea how it happened but as I was going for the ball I whacked myself in the head with the racket… I know, I’m an idiot. I cut my face pretty bad but I couldn’t stop laughing with my friend, I thought it was hilarious. Everyone on the court ran over with Kleenexes and asked if I was alright, but I couldn’t help but smile at the whole thing.

So I think I’m going to take your advice and not get laser eye surgery because of the possible long-term repercussions. I’m glad you explained that all to me.
And now with the laser hair removal, I keep seeing all these hot guys with not a single hair on their upper body walking around with no shirts. And then I think, “ok, I’m gonna go through with it”. But then I think, “ok, it’s a whole lot of money and I have to pay for school this fall.” Even though I would have enough money left over to pay for the treatment, the idea of it not working and losing over $3000 is a bit scary.
So it looks like I’ll be heading out tomorrow and Monday to look at a new pair of glasses. What do you think about silver frames for someone who has black hair and brown eyes? I’ve always thought silver frames looked best on people with light hair and light eyes. See, these are the dumb questions I think of.

If I knew laser hair removal would definitely work, I’d do the treatments in a second. But Noooo, no one can give a positive answer :frowning:

Have a goodnight all

Chris,

Seeing at your suggestions I did feel like jumping in the middle and asking questions. I am gonna start off…

I had a facial hair. After I started treading them I got some electrolysis done and I started getting hair in areas I do not have. Now I am just treading it every week.

I am planning to get lazer treatment done but I wanted to know if I have to get some endocrinal hormonal tests done and take medication for any inbalance in the harmone. Since the excessive hair lot of times is due to internal harmone conditions. If we do not take that into consideration lazer might not work.

So the big question is will lazer workeven with slight harmone imbalance??

waiting for some inputs.

Sar :smile:

Angelus
… thank you for your post. that was a very cute story and it made me smile really. :smile:

and i hate it that i’ll be wearing glasses (have been wearing them for 9 years) … but you know… i got contacts and they are absolutly great. its as if you are not even wearing them!.. you should try contacts… especialy if you are playing sports.

…and the silver frames would look really cool… try em at the store and see how they look… also try the black rectangle frames… or a bronze coloured frame. :relaxed:

good luck with everything. take care.

rachel

I had lasik eye surgery done four years ago, and I am currently in the process of laser hair removal.

If I were to choose an order - I would definitely have the eyes done first.

Hands down it was one of the best decisions I have made in my entire life. There is nothing like waking up and being able to see the clock, being able to walk indoors on a cold day and not have my glasses fog up, dealing with contacts, etc.

My vision is 20/20 - and it used to be really bad. I had no complications, and I was up and running the next day. Within a month I had forgotten that I had it done, it just seemed normal.

Obviously not everyone has as good of an experience as I did. But from what I went through it was very much a blessing!

wow bianca… that is absolutely great that your lasik eye surgery went well. i hope your eyes will stay working in optimum condition 20 years + from now.

my fear for not doing the surgery is the long term effects… not enough research… and i have two friends who had it done and had severe infection and are on antibiotics and eye droplets and all that… its scary… not every one goes through a good experience with it. its sad.

i hope they continue to advance the technique because it truly is amazing to be rid of glasses… i wear them and i hate them… but i dont hate them enough to do laser eye surgery… at least not now.

:relaxed:

I would go for the laser hair removal first. The technology for laser vision correction is changing by the month and getting better all of the time. I saw a new and improved method a few eweeeks ago that invloved little or no cutting of the cornea. Sorry, that’s all I remember about it. Plus the price of laser vision correction will probably come down like it has for laser hair removal.

The technology for hair removal is not evolving that much and seems to have reach a mature stage, at least for now. Chris’ comments on what to expect are right on target.

As an example of long term effects, I have had no laser or IPL/RF treatments on my abs for well over a year. The hair that is left (about 5% of the original amount) is so fine I can hardly see it. I shave it maybe once or twice a week to maintain the smooth feel and it only takes a couple of minutes. It is well worth it.

If you don’t want to get laser eye surgery right now I would try contact lenses. I wear the AccuView 2 disposables and they are very comfortable plus my vision is much better than with glasses. Since they are disposable they are low maintenance.

RJC2001

Hey Rahelle and RJC2001,

On Saturday, yesterday, I went out and finally decided on what glasses to get. My last pair were rectangular black semi-frames, which made me look “studious” according to my co-workers. I know you recommnded the rectangular lenses but I have those now Rachelle :smile: My sister said I look ‘classy’ and I couldn’t agree more with her LOL. But I have to wait a week to get them, and playing tennis without them was hilarious, it felt like I had no depth perception. I decided not to get contacts because I have a really bad astigmatism in my left eye, and the optometrist said I would have to wear hard contacts because soft just wouldn’t work. And I’ve heard that hard contacts are extremely uncomfortable, like someone is jabbing a pen in your eye. Personally, pen jabbing is not a sport that I would like to participate in. So the Laser Eye Surgery will have to wait until I become blind or rich. Hopefully I’ll meet someone rich and they can pay for me j/k!

And RJC, you mentioned that you had hair removal on your abs, and yes I will hate you if you have a 6-pac, but besides that… :smile: <— What a weird emoticon, is he supposed to be a pirate? Maybe he’s a victim of pen stabbing…
And you said only 5% of the original hair was left after a year? Thats pretty incredible eh.
By the way, I asked my technician if I could do a patch test and she said that it would be pointless because I’m an ideal candidate for it. Should I tell her I want the patch test or should I just go through with it? I don’t even think I have the patience for a patch test. And I swear, if you have abs…
And yes, it’s starting to get worse. I see the perfect smooth people walking all over the city. Damn them! Damn them to Hairy Hell!
One last thing, I asked the technician if she could set the little dial thing for the Diode Lazer at 30 when first starting my treatment and she said, “Oh no. I would never start that high on a new client for his first treatment. We can work our way up there but no on the first. Our machine will only go up to 40.” Is this all true? Should I follow her advice or should I tell her to start closer to 30? Personally I don’t care about the pain, that’s what screaming is for.

Please respond to this post as I have no life. kidding!

See ya everyone

[ July 25, 2004, 08:08 AM: Message edited by: Angelus ]

Hey Angelus!

Dude! Your stories are hilarious. I’m goin through exactly the same dilemmas as you! (I – being financially responsible – started off by buying a leather coat :wink: but hey… it was regular 625 on sale for 130. if ur looking, go now! danier rocks for sales during the summer lol).

NEway, i’m white, 23 yrs old, hairy chest and i hate it! (are u from edmonton by any chance?? if so, we should chat about what laser hair clinics are good here!)…

I totally relate to the ‘hot guys without hair’ syndrome. damn. like, i started getting chest hair in grade 7!

so, i’m gonna go ahead with it… i’ve been quoted by most places about $500 per treatment, and i’m budgeting for at least 2 or 3 treatments to start out with (most places say 4-6 though lol)…but… even if i can just thin it down (u know?) like, if had even 50% reduction that would be sweet, and then i could just wax or shave to take care of the rest… my hair is so thick it literally feels awful if i shave it down to the skin…I’ve only shaved it down once and was completely flabergasted at the muscular def. i (unbeknownst to me) had (lol). my body hair basically covers it all, which totally sux! how do u deal with it right now? do u wax or shave or anything?

They should for sure do a patch test! (even if ur skin/hair is ‘ideal’)… I’d wanna check to see how my skin reacted – cause u don’t want any surprizes if u do a large area…and u could also see if u respond or not… i think it would be a ‘must-do.’ Lemme know what happens… and what laser type they use if u go in for a patch test… i’ve heard really good things about the NG Yag laser, (and light sheer diode also seems to have a high rated rep. too), NG Yag has a longer wavelength so (from what i understand) will penetrate better into through the skin.

glasses! i know what u mean. the silver frames sound hot. i need to buy some new ones too. what’s funny is i own a pair exactly like the old ones u described (black, rectuangular, semi-rim) lol.

take care man…

Hey Angelus!

Dude! Your stories are hilarious. I’m goin through exactly the same dilemmas as you! (I – being financially responsible – started off by buying a leather coat :wink: but hey… it was regular 625 on sale for 130. if ur looking, go now! danier rocks for sales during the summer lol).

NEway, i’m white, 23 yrs old, hairy chest and i hate it! (are u from edmonton by any chance?? if so, we should chat about what laser hair clinics are good here!)…

I totally relate to the ‘hot guys without hair’ syndrome. damn. like, i started getting chest hair in grade 7!

so, i’m gonna go ahead with it… i’ve been quoted by most places about $500 per treatment, and i’m budgeting for at least 2 or 3 treatments to start out with (most places say 4-6 though lol)…but… even if i can just thin it down (u know?) like, if had even 50% reduction that would be sweet, and then i could just wax or shave to take care of the rest… my hair is so thick it literally feels awful if i shave it down to the skin…I’ve only shaved it down once and was completely flabergasted at the muscular def. i (unbeknownst to me) had (lol). my body hair basically covers it all, which totally sux! how do u deal with it right now? do u wax or shave or anything?

They should for sure do a patch test! (even if ur skin/hair is ‘ideal’)… I’d wanna check to see how my skin reacted – cause u don’t want any surprizes if u do a large area…and u could also see if u respond or not… i think it would be a ‘must-do.’ Lemme know what happens… and what laser type they use if u go in for a patch test… i’ve heard really good things about the NG Yag laser, (and light sheer diode also seems to have a high rated rep. too), NG Yag has a longer wavelength so (from what i understand) will penetrate better into through the skin.

glasses! i know what u mean. the silver frames sound hot. i need to buy some new ones too. what’s funny is i own a pair exactly like the old ones u described (black, rectuangular, semi-rim) lol.

take care man…