Laser And Fine Hair.......Yes Or No?

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

I have started laser hair removal on my underarms (mainly to see if it works) and am thinking about having it done on other areas as well. I’m a transsexual, and was unlucky enough to be cursed with a lot of body hair. Since surgery and with hormones, the hair on my breasts and abdomen has thinned out a lot…but it’s not gone. About half of the hairs are little and blonde now (I know, laser won’t work on those) and the rest are still brown and slightly coarse. There’s way too much to have electrolysis on, but now I read reports that lase r can actually STIMULATE hair growth if used on finer hairs! Obviously, I don’t want and cannot afford for this to happen. Would it be wise for me to try these areas, or should I just try for electrolysis no matter how long it takes?

Thanks!

#2

it’s very hard to tell from the description how light and fine that hair is. if you can post a picture, we can help you decide better.

#3

How long have you been on hormones? How long since the surgery?

#4

I am going to jump in here and post a different opinion on this very subject.

There is no question that fine hair is more challenging to treat than coarse hair, but the point that fine hair can not be treated with laser is not correct. The reason that this belief exists is multifactorial.

  1. Fine hair is hard to treat and a number of lasers are incapable of treating very fine hair due to intrinsic limitations in the technology. The diode is the best example of that. But other lasers like most YAGs also fall into that trap.

  2. Many people who do laser hair removal don’t understand the fundamental physics of what they are doing and do not understand the impact of their settings. Some of this is due to errors made by the people who were doing much of the early research. Many of the conceptual errors (such as needing long pulsewidths) have gone away, but many people who were taught those errors haven’t kept up with the research. The net result is their success on fine hair is poor.

  3. In some people, the treatment of fine hairs results in growing of more hair and in some cases it appears to be coarser. This is really a function of two events and appears to be somewhat genetically predetermined.

a. The laser synchronizes dormant hairs so that more hairs are in the growing phase than when one begins, giving the appearance of more hair. This process can be exacerbated by the problems in 1 and 2 above.

b. The laser causes hair, that was otherwise not growing to begin to grow. This is due to the stimulative effect of heat in the skin. This is potentially where the “coarser” hair seems to come from. It is not uncommon for women who have fine hair all their lives, to suddenly begin to grow coarse hair on their chins and face as they approach menopause and beyond. Those hairs never grew before but were always there. It appears that the laser can potentially stimulate those hairs to start growing long before their time.

Those are the processes that appear to be in play with this issue. I don’t know of any mechanism by which laser energy can increase the size of a hair follicle thereby making the fine hair thicker. I am not even sure that hormonal issues can do that, though I would consider that a possibility.

What I do know is that with the correct equipment, approach, and understanding that it may take time and effort, laser hair removal can get rid of fine hair. Even on the face, which is the most difficult place to treat a woman. Though upper lips do well.

#5

I am going to jump in here and post a different opinion on this very subject.

There is no question that fine hair is more challenging to treat than coarse hair, but the point that fine hair can not be treated with laser is not correct. The reason that this belief exists is multifactorial.

  1. Fine hair is hard to treat and a number of lasers are incapable of treating very fine hair due to intrinsic limitations in the technology. The diode is the best example of that. But other lasers like most YAGs also fall into that trap.
  1. Many people who do laser hair removal don’t understand the fundamental physics of what they are doing and do not understand the impact of their settings. Some of this is due to errors made by the people who were doing much of the early research. Many of the conceptual errors (such as needing long pulsewidths) have gone away, but many people who were taught those errors haven’t kept up with the research. The net result is their success on fine hair is poor.
  1. In some people, the treatment of fine hairs results in growing of more hair and in some cases it appears to be coarser. This is really a function of two events and appears to be somewhat genetically predetermined.

a. The laser synchronizes dormant hairs so that more hairs are in the growing phase than when one begins, giving the appearance of more hair. This process can be exacerbated by the problems in 1 and 2 above.

b. The laser causes hair, that was otherwise not growing to begin to grow. This is due to the stimulative effect of heat in the skin. This is potentially where the “coarser” hair seems to come from. It is not uncommon for women who have fine hair all their lives, to suddenly begin to grow coarse hair on their chins and face as they approach menopause and beyond. Those hairs never grew before but were always there. It appears that the laser can potentially stimulate those hairs to start growing long before their time.

Those are the processes that appear to be in play with this issue. I don’t know of any mechanism by which laser energy can increase the size of a hair follicle thereby making the fine hair thicker. I am not even sure that hormonal issues can do that, though I would consider that a possibility.

What I do know is that with the correct equipment, approach, and understanding that it may take time and effort, laser hair removal can get rid of fine hair. Even on the face, which is the most difficult place to treat a woman. Though upper lips do well.

Since I am using your place, Smooth Solutions, what would your recommendations be? I have been very pleased so far with the work I have had done on my under-arms. When I start my chest, would I do better with the Apogee, or should I use the Gentlelase? Some of my abdominal hair is still somewhat coarse, but most of the chest stuff is only fine to medium (though still somewhat pigmented.) I probably won’t be able to get started on these areas until after my facial surgery in March, but I want to plan as far ahead as I can.

Thanks!

#6

When I start my chest, would I do better with the Apogee, or should I use the Gentlelase? Some of my abdominal hair is still somewhat coarse, but most of the chest stuff is only fine to medium (though still somewhat pigmented.) I probably won’t be able to get started on these areas until after my facial surgery in March, but I want to plan as far ahead as I can.

I really haven’t wanted to promote my place, so let me just respond in generalities between those two alexandrites. The big difference between the two is really that the pulsewidth of the Gentlelase is 3 ms versus a minimum of 5 ms. What that means is that the Gentlelase can treat very fine hair more effectively than the Apogee. The other big difference is that the spot size is 18 mm versus a max size of 15 mm. That small difference of 3 mm actually translates into about 50 square millimeters in area, which gives a little more depth of penetration.

So what’s the bottom line. The Gentlelase is the better machine but for most people and for most hair they are the same. Only when the hair is very fine or not responding to the final set of treatments does the Gentlelase show it’s superiority. The Gentlelase is also a better built machine. So I would not worry about the first set of treatments.

PS we are migrating to Gentlelases and keeping the Apogees as backup machines. I hope to have a Gentlelase in that center by March.

#7

PS we are migrating to Gentlelases and keeping the Apogees as backup machines. I hope to have a Gentlelase in that center by March. [/quote]

Thanks! I will wait and start my body hair removal until March. I’ve been VERY pleased with the results of my underarm hair removal; I’ve only had one treatment, and haven’t had to shave at all (there’s only light, sparse regrowth.) I have my next one November 11th.

#8

I’ve been VERY pleased with the results of my underarm hair removal; I’ve only had one treatment, and haven’t had to shave at all (there’s only light, sparse regrowth.) I have my next one November 11th.

Don’t worry, it will come back. And if it doesn’t come back soon, let’s wait a little longer.

#9

[quote]I’ve been VERY pleased with the results of my underarm hair removal; I’ve only had one treatment, and haven’t had to shave at all (there’s only light, sparse regrowth.) I have my next one November 11th.

Don’t worry, it will come back. And if it doesn’t come back soon, let’s wait a little longer. [/quote]

Yeah, I figure it will. I don’t go in for my next treatment until November. Don’t get me wrong, there is still hair there. Just not very much. I’d say half the regrowth of what I had before.