So I’ve been getting laser hair removal for 4 years on various parts of my body. I never found laser to be super painful, yes it hurts but I’m able to sit through it calmly. I’ve been going to the same technician for 2 years but this time I had a different technician. I have never experienced laser to be this painful to the point that I was crying and my body kept twitching from the pain. She did my lower body so my legs, bikini, and buttocks. My usual technician does an 18 setting for legs and 20 for bikini, I’ve had 10 sessions so far and am able to sit through that level just fine. But this time I absolutely could not handle the pain so I asked the technician to lower it to a 14 and it was still extremely painful and I couldn’t stop crying. I don’t know what was different this time other than the level which was lower than the usual, but I had to take a picture of the settings so I make sure to never have it done again. Also I know that if it’s around the time of the menstrual cycle it’s more painful, however it was not around the time. I have made no changes, no tanning, no medication, no diet changes, etc. so I just don’t know why it was so painful this time. I plan to ask my usual technician when it’s time for my next session in 6 weeks but I just can’t wait to get an answer and see if this is normal or not.
Also I don’t know if my usual technician uses the Alex setting so I’m not sure if that has something to do with it.
14j at 40ms in a 18mm alexandrite mode is not aggressive at all. Ideally you want to keep pulse width 10ms and even lower. But she raised pulse width to make it less painful. Idk maybe there is a machine calibration issue or maybe it’s just more sensitivity for you in a specific area which can be mitigated with lidocaine cream like LMX 5.
What’s your Fitzpatrick’s skin color?
Thank you for the image.
Laser should not be painful because we or at least myself have been trained to use guidelines to follow for the clients skin type or Fitzpatrick skin color. Alexandrite mode is perfect for lighter skin types I-III (1,2,3) or so. Yag mode is good for darker skin types IV-VI (4,5,6). If the skin type is like lets say sort of speak and not limited too, lighter brown or like Puerto Rico, Greek, Italian type color we can stay with Alexandrite mode. Any type color darker it’s recommended to switch to Yag. The trained technician should know what is best setting for your skin type before starting the treatments.
As for the different tech this time, even though you had more pain, sorry for that…did you have any skin damage and or see different results? I would go back to the tech you are most comfortable with and hopefully seeing less hair each laser treatment.
As for the setting 14j and 20j you mentioned, you can’t always go by the setting because the current in the building can alternate or vary depending on what others in the building are doing in their place & pulling what amount of electricity.
Example: Someone nearby to my office was renovating & my settings were all over the board. In fact, I had to get a transformer to slow down all the currents and balance it all out to something normal for me to continue laser hair removal treatments for the duration of interference.
yes. This was an extreme example, but stuff happens:)
On the spot size of 18m then 12j or 14j can be an ok setting for medium or so type hair.
A test spot is recommended upon starting to laser the hair, then if you move to another area on the face or body test spot again to be sure you can handle that setting.
The upper lip may need to be 18m/8j and the cheeks maybe 18m/10j but not limited too.
Another words even though it’s on the face, some areas can be more delicate or sensitive or different type hair and the setting may need to be adjusted. Your skin will know and you will too!
But what we do not know is 20j you mentioned because we do not have an image.
So, 20j could have been in the Yag mode or a different spot size like 12m/20j or 15m/20j or something else.
Best wishes and hope this helps.
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