ok so i finally got the guts and the cash to go in for my first treatment tomorrow im getting my chest and back done i went in today for my consultation at http://www.advanceddermalaser.com/ in manhattan ny very nice place they seem a bit booked though.
anywayz she gave me some zaps on my upper chest and i was pretty surprised that it did hurt quite a bit she was using setting 16 on the gentlelase i cant even begin to imagine the pain at 40 so she recommended i get a cream
so i bought 1 called (LMX) 5% which im very scared to use for some reason cause i hear bad news about these creams (deaths and other stuff am i just paranoid? i also have been sick for a few days from a flu will this matter in anyway?? i hope i got the right 1 its called (L M X lidocaine 5% anorectal cream)
she buzzed me with a buzzer and told me not to shave as she wants to see where the hair is. is that weird? since i always hear about shaving beforehand unless shes gonna do it tomorrow im not sure.
i have light skin and dark black hair all over my body and i wanna go to the beach damnit…
basically im nervous and im trying to get some input from those who have went thru this already is there anything i should know? or try to avoid?
you can’t use the cream on your entire back and chest. the way you use it is put it on about an hour or so beforehand. you might have to go there and do it before the treatment.
you really should be checking out several places. it’s fine if you don’t want to, but just remember this in case you DON’T get what you expect from your results. people here ask for advice sometimes, then do their own thing, and then come back 8 months later complaining that they didn’t get results.
how do you really know it’s a good deal if that’s the only clinic you went to? what is the price you’re paying? we can tell you if it’s a good deal if you’d like. how do you judge when you say they’re reputable? because they said that? most places in manhattan treat males and those areas are very common. There are dozens of clinics there as well there.
If they’re using GentleLASE, 20 jouels is max on 18mm spot size, 30 joules max on 15mm, and 40 i believe max on 12mm. You should be treated at the largest spot size if possible and as close to max as your skin can handle. 16 joules on 18mm is ok to start, moving up on following treatments.
I would try to use ice for your first treatment instead of the cream. Yes, it does hurt. But that’s a good sign that it’s effective. If it doesn’t hurt, settings are probably too low.
and yes, the area should be treated only when shaved. i’m assuming they will shave you before the treatment themselves. if not, i would questions them being “reputable”.
well thank you for all the input everyone i finally went thru with it yesterday and i didnt use any cream it wasnt as bad as i thought it would be i highly recommend the place the staff is very polite and understanding.
it took about an hour with a few water breaks in between i had a little tattoo on my chest which she insisted we didnt laser so she went around it
all in all it was a pleasent experience i will keep you guys posted on my results. so far my upper chest seems to be the reddest since thats where my thickest hairs were i was recommended a cream called vita-k which helps heal redness and it seems to be working…
its a bit to early to tell anything but im hoping for the best.
i checked out the website and they seem to be honest and use good lasers. so that’s a good start. it’s also a good sign that she told you to only put the ceam on the area that hurts most. and the setting of 16 is good if its an 18mm spot size.
most people put on the cream and then put serran wrap over it. then you can put the shirt on top of that, but yes, it can get messy. um, yes, it will get somewhat numb - it’s called a numbing cream after all . i’ve never used a cream for any of my treatment. ice worked fine.
yes, you can have redness and raised follicles (signs of good treatment) for up to a few days. it’s normal. use pure aloe vera daily for about a week. you should shed within 2-3.5 weeks. you shouldn’t break out, this isn’t same as waxing, you’re not pulling any hair out. it’s just applying heat to the hair, which is completely different.
you can use pure aloe vera too to heal the skin.
can you find out what settings were used?
let us know how shedding goes.
she is right, since the tattoo has pigment, you could have ruined it by lasering it.