First experience with LighSheer

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

Hi everyone,

I had my first laser hair removal using the lightsheer diode on my full legs and bikini area 3.5 weeks ago. My hair is mostly coarse and thick, except on my thighs which is slightly finer, but they are all dark hairs. I have light skin.

I would say that only 75% of the hairs shed. I was expecting more of my hair to shed and was very disappointed. I am a good canditate for laser hair removal and I believe my LHR tech did not do a good job and skipped over many areas. So I called her and told her that I’d like to redo the areas that didnt shed and she said its normal to miss some areas because as she puts it, “the legs and bikini areas are extensive, so its normal for some hairs to be missed.”
This may be true, but I still think she could have done a better job, there is seriously a lot of patches and individual hairs all over she missed. And I paid good money for this. I think a responsible tech would try to cover the entire area.

But she did allow me to come in today, after three and a half weeks and do a touch up, but only over some patches. So today she redid some of those patches, but she refused to remove all the hair that didnt shed because she tells me “its normal that not all the hairs will be shed in such a large area” and she goes over only some. Some of those hairs that she went over have already fallen out, and its only a few hours later. Does this mean they were covered the first time around but needed a little “push”?

She also refuses to go higher than 30 joules on the laser machine.

She also wants me to come back June 9th for my next appointment, which will be six weeks from the first one I had. However, I think it should be later since I had a touch up today and those need six weeks. It will be too early to do those hairs.

I’m starting to think shes not qualified and I should find someone else. BTW, I’m in NYC.

What do you all think??

#2

For your first session, 30 joules is average to high not loo low. My first few sessions were at 28. As far as your 75% reduction…If it were me, I would have been very happy. I never got more than about 10-20% of the growing hairs per session.

Lana

#3

For your first session, 30 joules is average to high not loo low. My first few sessions were at 28. As far as your 75% reduction…If it were me, I would have been very happy. I never got more than about 10-20% of the growing hairs per session.

Lana

10-20% seems very low. Whats the normal amount of shedding one should see after 2-3 weeks of a laser session? I was under the impression that the amount of shedding one sees is exactly the amount of hairs the laser tech targeted. And if s/he missed a lot of hairs, a lot of hairs wont shed. Maybe your tech missed tons of hairs, is that possible?

#4

I don’t think that is possible. The technician doesn’t target specific hairs just spots of hair. Whatever the laser hits is what sheds. I think my results are more typical. I have never known anyone that got a 75% reduction in one treatment. That result sounds amazingly good to me.

Lana

#5

Hi,

I am doing GentleLASE treatments on bikini and underarms. After the first treatment, I had about 95% shed for both of those areas. I am a skin type II with black coarse hair. 10-20% seems very low for shedding, especially if you have light skin and dark coarse hair. The setting your tech used was probably too low and only killed the darkest most coarse hairs. I recommend that you ask her to up the setting next time. What laser are you using?

By the way, I recommend waiting until you see enough hair grow back in after the shedding process to go back in for treatment #2, not exactly 6 weeks or whatever they tell you. This time really varies from person to person. For me, I didn’t have anything to laser after 6 weeks. The hair only started coming back in after 9 weeks or so. If you don’t have any regrowth yet, no reason to come in for treatment. There is nothing to treat until you see hair growing back in. So why waste the money?

Good luck to everyone and keep us posted on your progress.

#6

Actually, I had my laser sessions long ago. I had several treatments spaced about six weeks apart with the Lightsheer Diode. The laser burnt my skin so I doubt that the setting was too low. I now have red splotchy discoloration that was left on my skin after the blisters went away…AND…the laser didn’t kill the hair.

Lana

#7

LightSheer is a type of laser that is bit harder to operate than some others (GentleLASE for example), so the tech really needs to know what they are doing in order not to burn you. Did you feel they were experienced/knowledgeable? 20% still seems pretty low. hair grows in 3 cycles, and you have several treatments in order to kill all the hair in the anagen stage every time. Something is not right here…I would try another tech/laser. You should be shedding at least 50-60% of the hair after every treatment (takes 2-3 weeks to shed), and usually more. Also, if the tech is not careful, he/she might be missing a lot of spots, which makes it seem like the hair wasn’t killed when it actually was just never hit by the laser. Most places offer free touch-up treatments when this happens, which is pretty often.

#8

Thanks for your input. I have researched laser for a couple of years now. My tech was very experienced and came highly recommended. The problem with laser is that it is NOT consistent as far as how well it works and skin reactions. There is not a chance in this world that I will let someone else do more laser on me considering I now have skin discoloration.

#9

There are a lot of things to consider. Did you shave down to the skin before treatment? What is your skin and hair color?

8-12 week treatment intervals are usually recommended for the Lightsheer. And it is possible the tech did not use the correct pulse widths. That is very important. Did they use compression also?

I had a substitute tech one time and was treated once at 28 Joules, and I got absolutely no hair reduction at all. The treatment was repeated at no charge by my regular tech at 45 Joules. From what I understand, undertreatment is very common.

RJC2001

#10

There are a lot of things to consider. Did you shave down to the skin before treatment? What is your skin and hair color?

8-12 week treatment intervals are usually recommended for the Lightsheer. And it is possible the tech did not use the correct pulse widths. That is very important. Did they use compression also?

I had a substitute tech one time and was treated once at 28 Joules, and I got absolutely no hair reduction at all. The treatment was repeated at no charge by my regular tech at 45 Joules. From what I understand, undertreatment is very common.

RJC2001

I shaved the skin before my treatment but I didnt do such a good job in some areas because theres a ton of hair and some hairs were on my body when I was being lasered.

What are pulse widths?

I dont know if she used compression or not. But I can say that the treatment didnt hurt at all on my legs except very slightly in some areas. I think its SUPPOSED to hurt, right?

I still have peppershots from the time I was lasered. I dont understand how some of the hairs still have not been fallen out.

Maybe I was undertreated. I am not going back go her.

#11

Especially with LightSheer, it IS supposed to hurt. It shouldn’t be completely unbearable for most people, but if you don’t feel anything, there is a good chance you are being undertreated.

Whenever a laser is used, the tech adjusts the pulse strength and spot size. Usually, the smaller the spot size, the higher the setting (joules) to treat finer hairs and larger spot size and lower setting for dark coarse hairs.