I have been browsing hair removal forums for a while now and finally saved up enough money to have this done. My lower legs, backs of my thighs, feet and toes were done today. The front of my thigh’s hair are blonde and fine and don’t bother me as much so not having them done right now. I have been epilating (motorized plucker for anyone who may not know what that is) for 5 years until this past November. I am sick of shaving and epilating. Did not get my underarms done as I only stopped epilating them last week so I will have to wait at least the 8 weeks. I have been shaving them again for a week after not shaving them for the past 5 years so is weird doing it!
The light sheer diode laser was used and she put it on 34J and it hurt less than epilation did. I am already used to pain with the epilater and she said if I can do that, the laser probably wouldn’t be bad and it wasn’t. I did not use any topical anthesetic or anything. I guess I would considered type III as far as skin as I have very dark brown hair and light skin that tans OK, I do not burn easily.
Only posting this as reading other ppl’s experiences helped me so thought I would “pay it forward” so to speak.
I am to go back in June (in 8 weeks)for 2nd treatment of everything done today and to start first treatment for underarms.
During the consultation, found she has done electrolysis for 20 years and the laser for 6 years which I was satisfied with as laser has been out 6 years and was somewhat hard to get an appointment there, busy is good as it means more likelyhood of satisfied clients or they wouldn’t keep going there.
I shaved an hour before going and was over before I knew it.
It is me again. I had my second treatment done June 7th. I did not get my underarms done as I wanted them to be further out then 8 weeks since I have been epilating them for 5 years. I had stopped epilating my legs last November so they were already 5 months of not doing it when I had the first treatment. I stopped epilating underarms only in mid-April.
This 2nd time was worse as far as pain but before anyone is scared or whatever, I will add that I had been awake over 48 hours and I did not wanna reschedule the appt. due to my going out of state for vacation next week until July, would have been too long between treatments then so I kept the appt. I was up that long due to work and the insomnia that comes with working swinging shifts, I swing shifts in the same week and had just worked a double. My skin was not burned or anything, it just hurt more this time. No topical anesthetic used either treatment.
When we are tired like that, our tolerence for pain goes down. Just wanted to make sure ppl knew this. I also had not shaved that day, I had worked a double (2nd and 3rd shifts) and was not able to get home to shower and shave the day of the appt, I had just gotten out of work when I went to the appt. I had shaved the day before. This may have factored in the pain being increased as well. I made my next appt in August on my day off from work, but work schedule is likely to change, lol…
I got through it. I have noticed less re-growth but was only after one treatment, not long term. The backs of my thighs is where I noted the reduction the most, was scary before the first treatment, lol.
The re-growth on my lower legs was not noticable til about 6 weeks after treatment and was nothing like it would have been without treatment, I did not shave at all. Can get away with not shaving as having to wear pants so I do not tan while having these treatments, plus I am lazy as far as shaving and don’t have time alot w/my work schedule as I have to sleep sometimes.
Backs of thighs, entire lower legs and feet and toes were done again. I saw no regrowth on my feet and toes, which, to me, hurt the worst getting done. Dunno if for everyone but those are done quickly, too so is over fast.
Lightsheer diode laser was used and I saw on my chart 40J, long pulse was used, I dunno what that means but thought I would add it on here
Hope all are having a nice day <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
LightSheer is a good laser for dark hair and light skin. Keep us posted on your results. Thanks!
You mentioned that you might want to get your light and blond hairs done later (since they don’t bother you now). Just wanted to let you know that laser doesn’t work on light hairs, so only electrolysis for those if they bother you.
Good luck.
Just FYI, the Syneron Comet gets all hair colors and skin types. I can attest to that first hand. Look in your area for a clinic that uses the Syneron Comet.
Just FYI, the Syneron Comet gets all hair colors and skin types. I can attest to that first hand. Look in your area for a clinic that uses the Syneron Comet.
I was just going to as you about your skin and hair type.
RJC2001
It is me again, as I said I would post. Yesterday I had my 3rd appointment with entire lower legs, backs of thighs, feet&toes and this was first treatment with underarms. Same laser used as first 2 appt’s (my exp. with the first 2 appt’s are in the first 2 posts of this thread if anyone feels like reading them and hasn’t. I am writing my experiences with the laser treatments as I have each appt.)
I was ‘warned’ the underarms hurt the worst but having all these parts done yesterday, I still have to say toes hurt the worst, my exp. only and I am sure is different for everyone. The underarms did not hurt bad for me.
I have one more treatment for every part but underarms. I am happy so far with the results. I am the type of person who got this done done out of “laziness”, I do not want hair, but I don’t want to shave and I had no time to epilate anymore as I work swinging shifts in the same week and my minimum work week is 60 hours. I do not want to spend time not sleeping and not working (not much time left, lol) shaving just to go out or realize been days since I had the time to shower long enough to shave, AGAIN and have a forest on my legs again (gross). No more of this (YAY), lol…
The backs of my thighs do not resemble a gorilla anymore, they are more “normal” when I do not shave and what is growing/not yet treated is much thinner and sparse. I still did this treatment with out a topical anesthetic, have never used one. This time, was still coming off a midnight shift but was not as tired as last appt and I was able to shower&shave less than an hour before the appt unlike last time, lol. She also turned it down to 35j, I hope this is not bad and is still not as low as was my first treatment (34j first time) Are these low?
This appt I talked her ear off (lol), too, a first but this was not as painful as the last time. She did say as the hair comes in thinner, does not hurt as much.
For anyone who hasn’t had this done yet, the feeling ppl have written that it feels like a rubberband hitting the skin is an accurate one for me. It is sharp and quick. And the endorphins kick in, too after a while and is not so bad once you think about only putting up with an hour of that to not resemble a gorilla (talking about myself only) or to not have to shave 40000 times a day, an hour every 6-8 weeks is not so bad if thought of like this. The underarms took a couple of minutes and so do feet and toes, feet&toes being worst for me.
35 joules is fine for settings on LightSheer.
4th and final (for now) treatment for lower legs, feet&toes and back off thighs. 38j used today, light sheer diode laser used as in prior treatments. I had noticed ‘patches’ of hair missed during treatment when I didn’t shave for a while but overall, happy so far with my results. I wore jeans all summer so legs would not get tanned. Pain facter not bad, no topical anesthetic used, have never used one. Most of the re-growth on legs is fine hairs and this I can deal with, I no longer have a ‘forest’. The leg treatments started in April and spaced 8 weeks apart. I was coming off midnight shift and actually almost fell asleep during treatments until she did areas around the ankles, the known more painful areas but this time not as painful as first or 2nd time I had this done.
2nd treatemnt for underarms and she told me to not shave for a while, I shudder at not shaving underarms but she said I shouldn’t have to shave for 4 weeks. I will TRY not shaving, lol. Unlike my legs, I shave my underams every day but I will try to not shave.
I dunno if this affects laser results, I exfoliated areas to be lasered daily for several days before treatments with mild exfoliater (the kind that can be used daily, nothing strong), I figured less dead skin on the surface, the laser can penatrate root better, I could be wrong but wondering if others do this/know about this…
you can shave all you want. it doesn’t in any way prevent laser from targeting the root. what you CANT do is remove hair with the root, with any method that does that.