Hair removal upper lip mostly light - Applisonix?

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

Hi, i’m in my late twenties and have had hair on my upper lip for as long as I can remember, I’ve only ever bleached it but it makes me so self concious and knocks my confidence.

I live in the UK I’ve been to SKIN clinics and had test patch went back second time was still worried about going ahead as I want it gone forever I had someone different the second time who didn’t think it would work as the hair is mostly light (i did refrain from bleaching for a month).

So now I am back to square one I really want to deal with it once and for all and have literally spent days searching google, it appears electrolysis is the only permament method though I have called harley medical centre for advice as it seems they have a laser that works on light hair now so I guess this is just my question really has anyone else successfully got rid of light hair (it is fine as I have never shaved it) through laser treatment? I’m guessing things may be a bit different in America as you are always a few steps ahead of us.

I would consider electrolysis but would rather the majority of the problem solved with laser obviously as it is much quicker and then tackle any stubborn ones with electrolysis. Has anyone had experience of electrolysis at a college as I know a college that offers it for free though not sure I’d want beginners practising on my face as it seems there is quite an art to it!

Also if anyone has had any success with the laser home kits that are available in the UK any thoughts would be greatly appreciated as if they do work its something I’d like to invest in for other areas like legs and underarms where I have dark coarse hair

I also plan to ask the doc for vaniqa though it seems this may be discontinued over here.

It gets me so down sometimes I would just love a solution

#2

Laser doesn’t work on light hair. It doesn’t matter what they tell you to get you to pay them something (usually up front). It also doesn’t work well on finer hair (i.e. the type you can bleach easily). For coarse hair like bikini and underarms, laser is great. And yes, it’s permanent. You just need to know when it’s appropriate to use it and not fall to sales pitches.

You need electrolysis for your upper lip. Are you in London? People here recommend Sharon at Parkside Beauty for electrolysis there.

Home laser doesn’t work either. All gimmicks. Underarms cost around $50-100 per laser treatment. Don’t waste your hard-earned money on gimmicks.

Vaniqa is kind of a waste of money. It just makes the hair grow a bit slower. For the crazy amount the tubes cost, you will be much better off getting electrolysis and never dealing with the issue again. Electrolysis removes 5-10 hairs per minute.

Please read our FAQs at the link below.

#3

Hi LAGirl,
Thanks for replying to me :slight_smile: here is the link to harley http://www.harleymedical.co.uk/non-surgical-solutions/laser-hair-removal/?document_id=161 the paragraph under the bullet points says about the light hair. It’s £450 for a course of 8 I believe which I’d be willing to pay if I knew it would get results

I’m not in London I’m on the south coast about 2 hours to London I have looked in the electrolysis directory and there are 2 people that do it fairly near me however I haven’t been able to find any reviews on them.

I also found this dated 2008 http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/article4538697.ece about the Aesthera PPX though says treatments are £350 each which is way out of my price range

If its 5-10 hairs per minute I reckon I’ll be there for a good 24 hours! and then with the different growth cycles I dread to think

Is there nothing out even in America yet that does blonde hair then?

So frustrating as it makes you feel awful about yourself and the culture we live in doesn’t really help!

Do you have to shave whilst having electrolysis? as this is something I don’t feel comfortable with

I’m trying to find someone in the forums where they’ve succesfully had electrolysis in th UK and are now hair free in that area if you can think of a post relevant I would be most grateful, I am using the search function

Many Thanks

#4

I have just read about Applisonix which uses ultrasound see http://www.ultrasoundhairremoval.ie/ and http://www.affordable-laser-hair-removal.com/painless-hair-removal.html has anyone heard of this?

#5

Once again, there is NO laser that will treat blond hair anywhere in the world. Don’t believe the glossy brochures. Everyone advertising that is being dishonest and once you don’t get results, there is nothing you can do because they make you sign a waiver that they don’t guarantee results. If you want to spend money to test it out for yourself, that’s up to you. Others on this forum have already done this, though the reason was because they only found the forum after they wasted their money and came here to seek out a solution.

Do call those electrologists and ask what type of electrolysis they perform. Thermolysis would be best as it’s fastest, but blend would be ok too. If they have one of the newest machines, like Apilus, even better. Most give free consultations and sample treatment, so go in for one.

I doubt you have as many individual hairs just on your upper lip as you think. Most people need about 20-30 min treatments once every 2-3 weeks and then it slows down to once every 3-4 weeks. After 12 months or so, you’re done.

I wish I could give you an alternative solution that works, but it doesn’t exist. This forum exists primarily to help consumers like you avoid wasting their money. We get nothing out of it. I’m a consumer just like you and have done both laser and electrolysis successfully, including electrolysis on my upper lip.

Also, if you’re worried that shaving may make things worse, it will not. That’s an old wive’s tale. You can shave all you want and nothign will change. People associate more hair with shaving becasue they typically start shaving when new hair is still developing, back in their teens.

#6

Laser, at this time, has never ever successfully had a trial where light hair was removed. No matter what anyone says. The minute it becomes feasible, the studies will be published, but so far there is no laser that can treat light hair. We have lots of companies here that say they can treat light hair (some of them dye the hair first and everything), but it’s all wishful thinking combined with a money-making mentality.

If your hair is fine, then it’s not good for laser either way, because laser needs to be used on COARSE hair only. It can induce growth on fine hair, especially female faces (the most common area for laser-induced growth). We have tons of posters on these forums who were told they could have lip/chin/cheek hair removed when it was really too fine or light, and now they have lots of new thick hair as a side effect. Laser is a serious technique and very useful, but only when used on appropriate areas, despite what many clinics say.

Also, shaving doesn’t make the hair thicker. That’s an old wive’s tale because people start shaving at puberty- Right around the time the hair thickens on it’s own due to hormones. In the olden days people thought the shaving caused it, but that was scientifically disproven quite a while back. Part of the reason it still persists is because the hair feels “pokey” when it’s been shaved since you make the tip blunt. The hair growth isn’t actually affected at all, it’s just an optical illusion.

My point is, bleaching is fine but don’t go around telling anyone that shaving made their hair coarser. Some mom’s do that to guilt their young daughters out of shaving, but hair is genetic and hormonal, not caused by shaving, and that misinformation just won’t die.

I think electrolysis would be pretty easy for you if the lip is the only area you want to do, as long as you get a good electrologist. Even if you only get a couple of clearances, the difference will be huge. :slight_smile: Good luck, and let us know if you decide to go with electrolysis.

(P.S.- Vaniqua is so expensive, electrolysis would be cheaper, so I personally wouldn’t buy vaniqua. But it does work as long as you keep using it.)

#7

Hi icekit, I don’t need to repeat what LAgirl and MPK have already said very well.

Some additional positives about electrolysis - you don’t need to shave the hair and you can even continue bleaching. As long as you find a good electrologist, the situation will only get better than what it currently is.

I would suggest going straight to the electrolysis forum and reading as many threads as you can to inform yourself about the process and what you should be looking out for during and after the treatment.

I would only begin by trialling any electrologist, rather than going for full on treatments as you want to observe that he/she is treating and removing hairs properly and that your skin doesn’t look a mess afterwards (beyond what is normal and heals quickly).

If you aren’t happy with the electrologists near you, it would be worth the two hour travel to see mine (Sharon in Parkside). You won’t need to worry about trialling her or whether you will get results or not or whether she will look after your skin, because there are many hairtell members who now see her and can verify the good work she does.

I started off with 20min treatments every 3 weeks in April last year. Just after a few months, you really see a difference - everything after that is mostly just maintenance and is done before it even becomes a problem for you.

#8

Dear All,

Please may I suggest you review my topic titled:

“UK Electrologist Referral >>> ATTN UK READERS”

Many Thanks.

#9

Thanks guys for your replies I am going to fire off emails to both the ones that are nearish me, London is a bit far really the added cost of getting there would easily quadruple the cost of the process.

I haven’t been going round saying shaving makes hair coarse magicalprincesskitty though i do believe it would be more noticeable than if you used removal cream. When i first started shaving my legs they were fine hairs now they are coarser and have darkened even when I leave them to grow throughout winter for extra warmth (lol I am single atm!) even when they are long they def appear to be thicker, so i myself would rather use cream if i had to pick one method.

I shall keep you all updated and would like to thank you one for having such a forum exist and secondly for all offering advice and being so kind :slight_smile:

#10

Your hair would have gotten darker and more coarse regardless of the shaving. Shaving is nothing more than a “haircut” for the hair. It only trims the hair above the skin’s surface and doesn’t affect the root. In order for the hair structure to change, the root has to be affected.

The only reason people associate shaving with hair getting more coarse is because they usually start shaving in their teens when they first start developing hair. Then they think that shaving made things works when in reality the hair was just in the process of developing still and would have gotten worse on its own even if you did nothing. This has been scientifically proven btw.

Also, when you shave, you cut the hair in the middle of its shaft, which is thicker than the tip. This is only temporary though.

The cream does nothing differently.

#11

This is the reply I got to the email to the most local electroliser

Thank you for your enquiry.

I have been practising for 17 years.

I use an Apilus Platinum which is 27 MHtz digital needle electrolysis with radio frequency, galvanic or a blend of both currents creating a chemical hair removal.

It is not possible to estimate the length of time with out seeing you. Each client is different in their needs.

The cost is £1.13p per min with the minimum being £16.00. The machine prices and will give a receipt if required. I do operate a prepayment system where you are given a card to insert into the machine and the minutes are deducted from the card. There is a 5% discount with the 300 minutes plus card.

Bleach is ok if it suits your skin but it is caustic and will irritate if used too soon post treatment. I find once you are into regular appointments you will have the confidence to leave it as the hair reduces in strength and amount.

Hairs per minute depend on the programme used and time settings. High frequency current is delivered in1000th of a second so very fast, effective also as it does not have time to travel along the needle to the skin surface. It is also more comfortable because of the speed.

I use a catorphoresis treatment to calm and sooth before you leave and apply T Tree or witch hazel. It should calm down in 30 mins and the blend a little longer.

I specialise in electrolysis and do get very good results. It is a progressive treatment and very fine hair will take a while to see the results although they are thinning all the time. Dark or coarse hair is easier to see the reduction.

I hope this is helpful to you.

So are those machines any good? I guess I should book a consultation with her now

#12

Ahh just read LA girls first reply to me so I guess I can answer the above question myself as Apilus is one of the best. Sounds like it could be expensive though!

#13

She sounds pretty good, happy to answer your questions - some will get snippy with you if it sounds like you’re questioning their expertise, when all you really wanted to know was if they had extensive experience or what machine they use :S

#14

Sounds great to me. Assuming her office is sterile and clean and her insertions are good, then everything should be great.

#15

Sounds like it’s definitely worth a free consultation and sample treatment.

Btw, please add your location to your profile. I’m sure others here rom the UK will be pleased to know someone is happily using an Apilus there.

#16

HI All,
I am living in melbourne - have just tried applisonix selectif pro for the first time this evening… think there only one place in melbourne who actually currently does it - took me a while to track it down… it is ultrasound (not laser)… meant to have 38% hair reduction in first treatment… apparently it takes a few days for the hairs to fall out, so i will keep u all updated… if u want any info check this video out… http://www.applisonix.com/page.aspx?id=331 … it is very common in ireland and i have researched on the net a lot of peoples review which all seem to be positive, so i will let u know… i got one side of my face done only so i can compare with the other side in a few days…

#17

I would be wary of reviews for somethign like this. These companies go on forums and post their own glowing reviews posing as consumers.

#18

ok so today I finally went ahead I’ve had my consultation and first treatment, I’m a bit red and feel a bit burny so am sat here with one of those eye mask coolers over my face, next appt in 2 weeks will keep you updated now I’m going for it though I am imagining it will be a good 6 months before any lasting results start showing

#19

All signs of redness and burny feeling now gone so quite happy with that at least I know within 2-3 hours I can go out in public without being conscious of it! Can’t wait for clearance :confused:

#20

I have had the Soprano XL laser treatment on my back in Courthouse Clinics London. I would like to say that I have found the Soprano laser to be fantastic with very quick results and no pain! I’m really pleased with the results. Noticeable results are noticed within 3 months.

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