Hi… Im 24 and from Australia. I am looking at all the options for laser or IPL hair removal methods. I am quite pale with dark hair. I hate body hair with a passion and want the best alternative for removing it permanently at any cost. Please tell me your experiences and recommendations. If you know of any clinics to recommend in Melbourne, Australia also… would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
[ August 27, 2003, 07:06 PM: Message edited by: Ells ]
hi i am looking to do exactly the same thing, and i am also from melbourne!
so when you or i get some more info we should help each other, i can tel you so far from what i know, that the more effective you want the hair removel to be, the more painfull it becomes, for most people in most cases, you can go for lasers that do have less pain (softlight) but they are more like getting a wax job that can last 4 months and thins out your hair more than waxing. keep searching! 
As an RN who provides laser hair removal treatments with a Candela Gentlelase, I can make the following reccommendations (only in regards to that laser). Always insist on a test spot (I don’t care how light your skin is). I prefer to use underarms for my test spot because I believe it gives a good representation of what to expect as far as pain, it is usually not tan and the hair is coarse so you get a good idea of what the shedding process will be like. Be aware that it will take at least 4 treatments. Never, ever treat on tan skin. Always give your technician a complete updated list of all prescription and over the counter medications and/or supplements you are taking. Your skin will be mildly red and bumpy after each treatment. You should never have blisters or crusting. If you do, the laser was set too high. I know people will disagree with that but I can tell you from experience (not opinion or what I have read) that you can be successfully treated without damaging the skin in that way. I do not reccommend using topical anesthetics. They cause vasoconstriction which I believe interferes with results (slows them down). The laser technician should be able to adjust the energy level to your pain tolerence—keeping in mind there will be some discomfort. Do your homework. Go to a couple of laser places and compare. Get everything in writing. We use a form that is the outline of a human body on which we highlight the area the patient wants to have treated and both patient and I sign off on it. That way there is no confusion about what you are paying for. If a place wants money at the consult I would not be comfortable with that. They should be happy to give you the time to evaluate your test spot results before you owe them any money. You can’t make an informed decision before you are allowed to see some results. We actually do a free treatment on a small area (1-2 weeks after the test spot) because we are so sure the patient will be happy with our treatment and this helps to insure that they are making an informed decision. Once you see the results with properly administered laser hair removal I’m sure you’ll be happy (once again, keep in mind I don’t known about other lasers–just the brand I work with). Candela is an international company and you should be able to find them online to find a place in your area. I don’t know if they are in Melbourn or not.
Good Luck!
Ells and Hairquest: I don,t know what areas you concerned with; but I am a male that had my chest, stomach, pubic and underarm hair removed by electrolysis. I was completely satisfied with the results.The only down side is that it takes longer than Laser. For me dragging it out longer was a benefit; since I never had the money to go any faster. I made going for 1 hour every 2 weeks part of my routine. For the 1st several months it looked like little progress was being made; but the day did come when it was gone forever and we could move to another area. For me it seemed that the under arms went faster that the pubic area. Need any other info?
That is really helpful thanks. Does anyone reccommend IPL over laser??
it’s humbling to know that there is a forum of support, such as this, out there on a problem that is all too consuming.
does anybody have an opinion or have experience with ‘the australian laser clinic’?
i’m on my 6th session for my neck area and i’m slowely becoming cynical of the whole thing!
thanks!
hi - i’m from Melbourne and have had one treatment with Gentlelase at Aust Laser Clinic in the city. I’m Fitzpatrick I (pale skin, blue eyes) and black hair. Areas treated were: extended bikini (basically very like a Brazilian but with a larger more Tasmanian’ shaped patch left - aka ‘the Tasmanian’), underarms & snail trail (between top of pubic area & belly button. It’s 7 weeks since my first treatment and i’m really surprised how little hair has grown back given that i’m due for my next treatment in a week. The operator was fine. I used Emla (numbing cream) only on the ‘pink bits’ of the bikini area. Overall I’m pretty happy. But it was not cheap - all that including the Emla was $510 and there was some confusion over the quote I was given when I went to get my test patch - so get a written copy of the quote. Having said that, I’ve been painfully self-conscious of this hair, particularly the bikini with it’s nasty ingrowns, for years and it’s really exciting to think that this will no longer be an issue for me in the not too distant future. In terms of other clinics in Melb, i got a listing of places advertising laser hair removal from the online Telstra directory and rang around to find out who had what machines as I’d decided I only wanted Gentlelase or Lightsheer. There is one called Minoo’s (i think) in the city which has a Lightsheer machine but i’m not sure what their prices are like. Feel free to send me a private message if you want more info. Best of luck.