Just had my laser consult. Im looking for feedback

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

I feel like my skin type is type III but the practitioner said I’m more of a type II. I have very thick, dark coarse hair on my chest and abs (area to be treated).

The machine she’ll be using is the Apogee Elite. I asked what kind of laser it was and she says it has two modes, but she’d be using the Alexandrite on me.

I asked about the following…

Pulse width: start at 22 and go up from there if possible
Spot size: 12mm
Energy level: 20j
Repetition Rate: 1.5

She even lasered a small spot on my abs so I would see how it felt. It felt fine. I smelled burning hair. Although the laser is air cooled, she put on a gel on my skin before beginning the laser. I asked what it was for and she said it’s to help the laser hit the hairs. She said the gel doesn’t impede the laser.

It’s been 10 days since that sample spot was lasered and some of the hairs are coming out in a disfigured fashion. Most of them still haven’t come out from under the skin yet.

I’m comfortable going forward with the treatments. I just wanted to make sure that people on here feel that these numbers and info sound about right.

#2

my dear!please stay awa from laser as it could stimulate more hair growth in other parts of the body.aparts from the legs.but abs,chest etc it could stimulate more growth on your shoulder region.

#3

Are you serious? How come I’ve never seen this discussed anywhere – including here?

#4

Actually, Laser induced growth is discussed and reported on here all the time.

Not sure if it occurs on chest and abs though. Male upper arms and upper back for sure.

#5

Laser induced hair growth is not common but when it does happen, it can be a nightmare.

#6

Yea you’re right. I found the threads. But no one is talking about “chest and abs”. They’re talking about using laser on areas that have fine hairs… Well… my chest and abs have the same amount, thickness, and coarseness of hair as my underarms or pubic region… Does this negate what other poster was talking about?

EDIT: Then again, the poster mentioned it could stimulate growth in other areas. Is this possible for any case, or only for fine hairs?

#7

There are areas that are susceptible to laser induced growth, so it is not advisable to have laser performed in those areas. It is not always a problem with just treating fine hairs either (in those areas).

I don’t think I have come across any reports of this happening on the male chest and abdomen. As long as the hair is coarse enough, you should be okay in terms of results as well.

#8

Great thanks for the replies! If this forum had a rep system, I’d definitely +1 you.

EDIT: Oh! I also read that it’s important to have high laser strength to prevent laser induced hair growth. Are those number strong?

EDIT2: I remember seeing somewhere that dark coarse hair should have a spot size of 15mm instead of 12mm…

#9

It is important for hair removal lasers to be calibrated on a regular basis … a minimum of twice a year is recommended but every three to four months is preferred. Most practitioners pay a flat rate for a service agreement (after the laser is out of warranty) which takes care of the laser whenever it needs service or repair. A laser can slip out of calibration in an instant. When this happens, a readout of 20 joules might only be 10 joules at the hand piece. Eventually the practitioner will notice but it’s not always apparent when it first happens. As a consumer, I would ask to see documentation verifying the machine used on me has been properly calibrated.

#10

I see this all the time! Most common is male upper body and the female face. They come to me for electrolysis after years of failed laser.

Laser-induced growth on the female face is a very old one, there have been studies about it from over 10 years ago, and it’s pretty much a given. If you are a female with unwanted hair on your face, laser will make the problem worse.

I also see many men who complain of induced growth on their upper bodies due to LHR. I haven’t seen any studies about this phenomenon, but the evidence is overwhelmingly impressive.

I have an electrolysis client now who’s done laser on his upper body over a 5-year period. He came in complaining of induced growth from laser on his chest, back, shoulders. This is nothing new to me, but this time he had proof! He has a tattoo on one side, and that part is almost hairless. There is a hairless border around that tattoo, where the laser wasn’t used, surrounded by a lot of hair that he swears grew out as a result of his laser treatments.

#11

yes i had laser done in the vpart of my chest and it stimulated growth some places.Thanks to electrolysis.av destroyed almost all the hairs there now(both induced n regular flat hair)

#12

Thanks for the info, I will definitely do that!

Your post actually gives me comfort. You mentioned that the only parts of his body that experienced laser induced hair growth were the parts targeted by the laser. I’d be surprised if my body can find room on my chest and abs to grow even more follicles.

Only the v-part of your chest? Sounds like I have 100x more hair than you. You mentioned that it stimulated growth “some places”. That’s a little vague but it sounds like the amount of hair was small enough for treatment by electrolysis. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
EDIT: I understand the risks of laser induced hair growth but it sounds like this is mostly a problem for the specific area being treated, rather than a catalyst to new growth elsewhere on the body. Given that my chest and abs are… closer to Austin Powers than Sean Connery, do you think the risks are almost non-existent?

#13

It’s a misconception that for electrolysis the area needs to be small. I treat full backs, chests, legs, butts, beards, you name it. Properly done, it works very well.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
EDIT: I understand the risks of laser induced hair growth but it sounds like this is mostly a problem for the specific area being treated, rather than a catalyst to new growth elsewhere on the body.

Yes, I would say the specific areas treated by laser and immediately adjacent areas.

#14

[quote=“yb”]

It’s a misconception that for electrolysis the area needs to be small. I treat full backs, chests, legs, butts, beards, you name it. Properly done, it works very well.

snip

Yes, I would say the specific areas treated by laser and immediately adjacent areas. [/quote]

Thanks a bunch for your input. It’s nice to know that electrolysis is always there for a worst-case-scenario but since my chest/ab hair-count is like 100,000-200,000… I think I’m gonna go ahead and start laser treatments.

Also, given that no one has really commented on those numbers I posted in the original post, I’ll assume the numbers are strong enough.

#15

I’m surprised they’re using the 12mm instead of the 15mm spot size. 15mm would be more effective. The settings aren’t bad but they aren’t fantastic. If they up the spot size to 15 and drop the pulse width down a bit, I’d say those would be much better. 10 days isn’t enough for shedding as it can take up to 3 weeks. I personally like the Gentlelase more than the apogee.

#16

I don’t think that the number of hairs is that high. How many can you count in a sq inch?

Maybe, you can benefit from laser, but take a look at this thread: http://www.hairtell.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/101811/1.html

#17

The risk of stimulated hair for you would be the borders of the thick hair patch. Usually the hairs are thinner on the outskirts of the chest/abs :(III): and its these hairs that are at risk. Make sure to have her carefully outline it and you should be fine.

Be aware that your chest/ab “pattern” will probably reverse (thin hairs remain or get thicker and thick hairs get thinner or disappear) and you may still need to shave/wax or finish with electrolysis. This effect will probably be subtle so no need to worry.

#18

I lost count after 100, but I’d say there’s 200-300 hairs per square inch on my abs/chest.

It’s been 2 years since my consult and I feel like I’m finally ready to commit to laser. They did a test patch on my abs during the consult, and I’m still noticing a 10% permanent reduction and 30% miniaturization in hair in that spot.

I do think I’ll ask them to adjust the settings. Maybe suggest 15mm spot size and 14ms pulse width instead of 12mm and 22ms. The hairs appear to be thick and deep rooted – they look just like pubic hair. This PDF on the machine they use suggests 15mm spot size and longer pulse widths for pudic-type hair: Apogee Elite Recommended Settings (Page 4)