Hi all, I’m new to this forum and have already been reading a lot of old topics.
I’ve been looking to get laser hair removal for years now because I have a unibrow. I also want to get my entire face done. I’m skin type II. My unibrow hair is identical to my eyebrow hair and is very black and coarse. My facial hair is dark brown and pretty coarse as well, though not nearly as coarse as my unibrow hair.
I went to two laser clinics today, and I need advice on which one to choose as it mainly comes down to price and laser machine.
The first clinic said they would charge $100 per treatment for my entire face (chin/neck area included). They use a Sciton, which, after reading old topics on this forum, would work better on dark skin types?
The second clinic said they would charge $175-200 per treatment for my entire face. They use a GentleLASE, and the doctor said that she was able to get rid of her unibrow in two treatments.
It really comes down to cost for me. Will the Sciton require more treatments because it’s not as powerful, and thus end up costing more than the GentleLASE?
Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
You need to slow down a little. We need more information and you need to do more research before jumping into this so that you understand what you’re getting into.
Are you male or female? How old?
What kind of reduction are you trying to achieve on your face?
Laser is not a good option for eyebrow area. First, it’s too close to the eyes which can be damaged by laser. Second, it cannot give you precision which is important for this small area. Electrolysis is often a better option for this area given the detail that is needed (unless you don’t care if it’s uneven, too much gets removed permanently, etc).
Where are you located? I doubt those are your only options. For a type II, an alexandrite laser like GentleLASE is best as it gets better results faster in good hands than a Yag. However, if the goal is only to remove the most coarse hair, a Yag may be ok. $100 is a very low price though. I would be a bit suspicious. Make sure they know what they’re doing first. And most importantly, please answer the questions above so we can advise if this is something that’s even possible and/or suitable for your needs.
I apologize if I seemed to be bombarding you guys with information.
I’ve researched it quite a bit for the last two years. I’m female and 21 years old.
I wish to make the hair on my unibrow significantly finer or reduce the amount of hair.
Electrolysis seems like it would take too long as I have a full, thick unibrow, not just fine hairs. I guess it would be comparable to Madonna’s daughter, maybe a bit more hair (though I haven’t let it grow out since I was 10):
I haven’t really thought about it being uneven. Thanks for bringing that up. But I assume if they at least get the middle part removed, I can easily maintain where my eyebrows begin and even it out.
I live in New Orleans. I did a search on Candela’s website for practioners, but the majority of the numbers I called were no longer in service. Thank you for your time!!
Electrolysis would not take too long and it would be permanent. Period. No big deal. Go with the hair growth cycles and you will finish in 9-12 months, but will look great even after the first or second appointment.
I really don’t know where laser will take you for this area. If you have some electrologists in your area, you’d be better off doing electrolysis.
Electrolysis doesn’t take long for a small area. A good electrologist removes 5-10 hairs per minute on average. Good laser machines have large spot sizes, meaning that each zap will probably zap an area that covers more than you want. I wouldn’t recommend it.
Now, since you’re female, have you addressed WHY you have hair growth on your face? Have you been tested for hormonal disorders like PCOS? How much hair are we talking about on this area? Laser may not be a good option either if the hair is not coarse enough, as it can actually stimulate finer hair to become more coarse. Unless you have growth similar to a man’s beard, electrolysis is often a better option.
Your concern should be what will actually work and won’t cause negative side effects rather than what will be faster. Fast and ineffective is probably not what you’re looking for, especially at this price.
Also, if you do have a hormonal disorder that is not controlled (with medication etc), your body will continue to develop NEW hair with time that you will need regular touchups for. So you really need to address this part first.
Thank you dfahey and lagirl! Electrolysis is looking like the better option for me, but the doctor I went to for my consultation said that laser would most surely work for my unibrow, and would most likely work for my face. Of course, I do realize she may have been saying that so she would get paid, but she has more than 15 years of experience, and seemed very knowledgable.
My dad is exceptionally hairy, so I don’t think it’s a hormonal disorder (the doctor seemed to have ruled that out as well). Also, about a year ago, I asked my physician if I had a hormonal disorder because I’m hairier than most girls, and she said that some ethnicities are just hairier (I’m hispanic).
The hair on my face is thicker than most girls. It’s not a lot of hair, but it’s enough to be noticeable. The doctor told me about the possibility of the finer hair being stimulated, but after looking at my face, she said that it seemed like it would be okay because it’s more than “peach fuzz.”
The doctor at my consult said that she did her unibrow, and she didn’t mention anything about spot sizes. This is really something to look into though. I will try asking her about it.
I read that electrolysis treatment depends on if one has used temporary methods to remove one’s hair for a long period of time. I’ve been plucking my unibrow consistently since I was 10, so it’s been 11 years. Does anyone know how that factors into it?
The only thing I can tell you is that we don’t get anything from telling you one thing or another. The people you’re going to do. The final decision is yours. I just don’t like people coming back to this forum complaining that laser either didn’t work or stimulated more hair. We’re outlining the potential side effects for you, but in the end it’s your decision whether you want to take the risk. Personally, I don’t risk with my face. The area is too visible.
She can’t have over 15 yrs experience with laser. They’ve only been around for 10.
Darker skin has more potential for stimulation of fine hairs. Not only peach fuzz gets stimulated. If the hair is not coarse (like underarm or men’s beard hair), it’s a possibility.
Eyebrows is one of the easier area to treat with electrolysis. It’s an area where hair gradually stops growing anyway as you get older, even if you just continue plucking. It won’t be harder to treat.
Most doctors dismiss hairiness issues as jsut genetic etc. Only a true specilist (a good experienced endocrinologist) would be able to determine whether you have something for sure. You can be ethnic and have PCOS too. I’m not saying that you definitely have something. What I’m saying is that it’s really hard to diagnose. We have numerous people on this forum who have been told for years that their hair issues are just genetic, who then went out to find a knowledgeable endocrinologist to find out otherwise.
Good luck with whatever you decide. I would recommend you at least check out 2 more laser places and 2-3 more electrologists to compare things.
I’m going to shout, okay? ELECTROLYSIS WORKS NO MATTER WHAT TEMPORARY METHODS WERE USED OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME!!! That was a polite shout, by the way.
I don’t know where these rumors get started, but I think I know why so many erroneous statements are made about electrolysis. It’s an age old concept at work. Simply put, it’s a struggle to kill the king in order to become the king. No method can do what electrolysis can do as completely and permanently as electrolysis can do.
Doesn’t matter that you have tweezed for years, a skilled, modern electrologist will deliver the gift of permanent hair removal to you. The challenging part is to find the best in your locale. Get samples from several practitioners before you settle on a professional with modern equipment and well-honed skills. I hope you live in a city that has several electrologists or at least, one good one.
