Is laser right for me?

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

Hello All,

I’m really wanting to laser my upper cheeks but am afraid of the possible side effects. It is my face after all. So my beard line is really high above the normal and I’m very self conscious about it. I’ve read here that laser isn’t a good idea for fine hair which is not my case. My hair is thick like the rest of my beard. I think my skin type is somewhere between 3-4. I would prefer to have electrolysis but i’m too self conscious to let it grow out for the treatments and don’t want it to take forever. I’m hoping to go for a few laser sessions and then have it perfected with electrolysis. Am i thinking right on this or?? Thanks in advance for your feedback.

#2

Hello! I recommend getting some test patches done that are NOT on your face, ideally on very thick coarse hair. After you see how your skin responds, you can try to work on your cheeks. Don’t start right away on your face, in case you have a side effect.

Please let us know how it goes!

#3

So i had a couple test zaps done yesterday and am glad to report there were no serious side effects. The test was done using the gentlelaze with yag setting. I had the one zap on my right cheek and two zaps on my left cheek as well as a couple zaps on my neckline. Aside from a little redness which is barely noticeable and pretty much cleared up within 24 hours there isn’t any negative effects. Is it safe to assume that doing a full session will be same results or will multiple zaps cause side effects not experienced during the test zaps?

#4

There should be no issues with continuing if the test treatment was fine. You should be aware that slight redness in a small area may be less noticeable or perceived as less severe than redness across a whole treatment area. This is not a cause for concern, but you should prepare for the reality that your skin may look a lot more red than what you remember from the test treatment.

The only other thing you may notice with a larger treatment area, and therefore more hairs treated, is that the treated hairs can appear as little black dots in the skin before the hair is expelled from the follicle. This is normal, and I’m sure your clinician will explain this to you.

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#5

Thanks for your input Scurvy but after looking closely at the tested areas I can still see some redness so i’m reconsidering the process. It really is hard to see the redness but I believe you are 100% correct in that the larger the treated area the more it’ll be noticeable. I will be looking for a good electrologist local to me and hope for better results. I was told that I should start with short sessions and work my way up to avoid similar reactions which again makes lots of sense. Is it safe to assume that a more experienced electrologist will yield better results and less side effects?

#6

As a consumer who has received both laser and electrolysis treatments, I have to say my reactions to the two were very similar at first. The skin reaction from electrolysis became less severe and less noticeable after each subsequent treatment. This is because there were fewer hairs to treat each time. I was not an ideal candidate for laser, so the skin reaction was much the same after each treatment because the reduction in hair was negligible after the first few treatments.

I would caution you to actively expect that your skin reaction to electrolysis will be similarly noticeable at least at the beginning. Redness, swelling and pinpoint scabbing are a reality of normal electrolysis treatments, but they are never as severe as you may expect and never as noticeable as you convince yourself to believe. The same is true of normal laser side effects.

A more experienced electrologist does not necessarily translate into better results or a less severe skin reaction. There are electrologists with decades of experience who produce very average results, and electrologists with a few years of experience who produce fantastic results. You can assume a correlation between years of experience and skill to an extent, but your decision should at least be made based on a short trial treatment, testimony and previous examples of work.

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#7

So I found a local electrologyst that’s got great reviews on yelp and went in for consultation. We spoke for a good 15. She was super sweet, answered any question I had and explained the entire process very patiently. She said she uses a Fischer electrolysis machine and says she achieves amazing results with the thermolysis method. I felt very comfortable with her so I’ll be going in for my first half hour treatment next week or the week after. I stressed to her how important it is to have as little redness as possible so we’re gonna start with a half hour session divided equally in three areas, right cheek, left cheek and neck line. Depending on my skins reaction I plan on going in weekly or bi-weekly to work on said areas. My question is should I be concerned with the machine she uses? I read somewhere here that the Apilus is the preferred machine for electolosys. Thought?

#8

The preferred machine for electrolysis is whatever the electrologist feels most comfortable and knowledgeable using. As long as the brand of epilator is legitimate, which Fischer is, then that should be the only concern regarding machine. Apilus is merely the Apple iPhone of electrolysis epilators. A Samsung or Huawei smart phone can perform the same function as an iPhone, but the brand just isn’t as strong. A lot of people still prefer to use Samsung or Huawei phones.

If you’re planning on committing to weekly or twice weekly sessions, be sure that she does not treat in the exact same areas. Your skin still needs time to heal.

#9

I’m happy to report I had my first 30 minute session yesterday and am very pleased with the results so far. I had her do 15 minutes on each cheek. Cheeks were red for a little over 24 hours and are still a little puffy but i think that’ll go away by tomorrow morning. I’ll be going back next week(7 days after the first session) and have her work on areas not treated such as neckline and the rest of my face as I would like to thin out my beard. I applied Neosporin a couple times a day as well as sunblock while I was out. I’m curious to know if i’ll need to treat the areas treated in the first session and if so how much time is needed for the skin to heal before treating it a second time.

Also, is there a certain technique to follow in order to achieve a certain cheek line or do I have to trust her artistic capabilities?

#10

You ask if Fischer is a legitimate epilator. You don’t see much about Fischer because its no longer manufactured. I loved that epilator but I can say no more because the rest is up to your experience in terms of sensation, healing and results.

You ask if you will need the previous area treated. Yes. All of the hair growth in one area is not showing at one time. You will begin to see less growth in previously treated areas. How soon can the electrologist return to the previously treated area? Discuss that with your electrologist. Some will ask for about a week. It depends on the situation.

in terms of the shape of the hairlines, that is something to clarify. Take a photo of yourself and draw the line that you are hoping to achieve. See if the electrologist can achieve that. Do not leave it up to us to be able to read your sense of aesthetics.

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#11

Thank you for that Arlene. I went back for a second session after a week and the electrologist insisted it was safe to do the same area again as my skin appeared to be completely healed which I agreed with. I’m a bit concerned because now 3 days later the treated area is still showing redness, more than it did 3 days after my first treatment. Am I just paranoid or do I have reason to worry? Is there anything I can take or apply to help rid the redness sooner? I have been applying either Cortisone or Neosporin a few times a day and have been applying sun screen when out in the sun.

#12

Your skin reaction is not abnormal, so you have no reason to worry. Unfortunately, this is a reality of laser and electrolysis. Your skin reactions will lessen after subsequent treatments as the amount of hair dwindles away, but it is largely unavoidable.

I would recommend simplifying your aftercare. Neosporine and hydrocortisone topicals are really unnecessary and only beneficial in some instances. The main goal should be to keep the treated area clean and hydrated. You can use water to do this, so there is no need to be buying any extras. If you absolutely need to use something, I like witch hazel and aloe vera for my skin. I also use alcohol swabs, but there are a few electrologists who don’t really like that.

#13

Thank you Scurvy!