I had 10 laser treatments in a period of 2 years from 2003-2004. I did this because I really did believe that at least some of my hairs would not grow back (ever). The lasers were top of the line and I believe the people treating me were skilled. I was at a very reputable hair removal establishment in new york city. I have the optimal conditions for laser hair removal (very light skin and very dark hairs). I was quite happy with the results 6 months after my last treatment. A year later I had a small amout of regrowth, but the hairs were very fine and I was still happy. A couple years later, there was a lot more regrowth (maybe about half of my hair had grown back). Now, 6 years later, I believe my body hair is almost exactly the same as before laser hair removal. I wasted thousands and thousands of dollars. It absolutely sickens me that people go around calling laser hair removal permanent. Regardless of what the FDA has claimed, regardless of how much hair you have 6 months or a year after your last treatment, laser hair removal is not permanent reduction, but rather 100% temporary.
GentleLASE, at most about 20 or 22 joules. I can’t remember exactly, but I could find out if you really think it’s important. The facility was: Romeo and Juliette Laser Hair Removal, New York, New York. As far as I know, this place has a very good reputation.
She/he posted this info in the Success Stories thread. She/he had GentleLASE at 20J from Romeo & Juliet in NY.
The areas you treated almost always have too fine of hair to be permanently killed, Carpet (except the bikini, which should have responded well). How thick was the hair? A dark color is great, but the hair also has to be about as coarse as bikini hair or underarm hair, or else it can’t transfer enough heat to permanently kill the follicle.
Very few women could have results on the chest/back/butt. If you’re a guy, then the back is actually susceptible to MORE growth caused by laser if the hair isn’t coarse enough.
I’m sorry it didn’t work for you, but we have lots of long-term people here with results, so it is not 100% temporary. At least a good percentage of people HAVE truly received permanent results. As with every single medical procedure: Some people just don’t respond as well as others. It really sucks that you had bad results after all that money. I’m sorry to hear that.
How old were you when you had treatments? Have you had hormone tests done if you’re female?
Well for men, the areas I mentioned have pretty much the same type of hair as bikini/armpit. Yes, I know it should have been permanently killed. The hair was (and still is) very think. I heard the same information you did about the hair needing to be thick and dark. I was 25-26 years old at the time of my treatments. I’m male (And for what it matters, I had my testosterone levels tested once and they were normal for a man.)
This has little to do with laser effectiveness and everything to do with why your body is developing hair. If the hair doesn’t “come back” for 6-12 months, it’s definitely gone for good. Any hair you would see after that point is NEW hair that your body is developing. If the hair isn’t killed, it will surface again when the hair cycle is up again and hair cycles at the longest every 2-3 months or so.
Men develop hair into their late 20s or early 30s even. Your body is just developing NEW hair. I would look into the cause of it. Please read our sticky post on potential causes for growth (not just testestorone levels).
What specific areas are you talking about? Do you have photos of the hair?
The GentleLASE only goes up to 20J on an 18mm spot size (which is the best setting and can get deep hairs), but perhaps you were treated with 15mm spot size instead (which would make sense if the joules were set to 22).
Either way, thanks for the feedback so far. Will you be doing electrolysis instead? Laser is always a bit risky regarding results, but electrolysis is 100% effective.
Editor’s note: This post by Member carpet carpet has been moved to this thread for people who do not feel their results were successful[/i][/quote]
Please indicate:
- Area(s) treated chest, back, buttocks, bikini.
- How long it’s been since last treatment 6 years
- Your skin and hair type on that area(s) very light skin, very dark hair
- Device used and settings (if known) GentleLASE alexandrite, about 20/22 joules (I think)
- Estimated % of reduction in the area(s) [size:20pt]1%[/size]
- Name and location of clinic (great recommendation!) Romeo and Juliette Laser Hair Removal, New York, New York
- Finishing with electrolysis? no, almost all my hair grew back…
6 months later is too early to post a sucess story! It’s always a “sucess” six months after your last of 6-8 treatments. I’d be interested in hearing if there are any sucess stories 3 or more years after the last treatment.
R&J is considered as very reputable and has very experienced techs there. I doubt they would under-treat or work on you if your hair wasn’t dense or course enough. Do you have any pics of the areas before your treatments and how they look now? It would help people decide if it’s just new hairs that developed over the years or if the actual laser treatments that failed.
I understand your frustration with your ordeal. Though electrolysis can be a permanent solution for you, but realistically it’s unattainable for such large areas in terms of cost and time.
anotherdude- I’ve heard good things about that clinic as well, I wasn’t implying they messed up. Just trying to get the facts.
But I have to disagree that electrolysis can’t be done for large areas. Plenty of people do it. Yeah, it’s an investment, but not unrealistic. It just boils down to how much you hate the hair. There are males at my electrologists office getting their entire backs and chest done. And he lives in NY so maybe he can go see James and get a first clearance lightening quick. After the first clearance, the rest is a breeze.
Buffalo is a 7 hour drive from NYC. It’s a lot closer to Toronto or New England states 
Arlene Batz is in the NYC area and does larger area work.
I think some of the older GentleASE machines didn’t have 18mm spot sizes.
This reply to carpet by MagicalPrincessKitty has been moved to this thread:
Carpet: If you had bothered to read the thread, you would notice many people who have had success for longer than that (one person posted that his success has lasted 8 yrs). Six months is just the bare minimum to qualify for this thread, many many people on this website have had their results for much longer than that. So you say you want to hear success stories for three years or longer, and you’ve got two or three of them just a few posts back.
Sorry it didn’t work for you. How old were you when you had laser? Out of curiosity, if you’re female, have you had your hormone levels checked?
Carpet replied:
Hi:
I’ve had laser done on my face and arms/hands with Lightsheer.
I did get some reduction on the face, but finished off with electrolysis. It took a number of hours, but I think the laser helped reduce the total number of hours. Truthfully I don’t think laser is capable of completely and permanently removing 100 percent of a persons visible facial hair.
I wasn’t happy with the reduction on my arms and hands, and it’s difficult to say if it had much affect at all other than in the short term.
I have been getting my chest and stomach done with electrolysis and have gotten excellent results, even though it has taken time since I want next to zero regrowth there, just as I needed done on my face.
Alicia
Alicia: Can I ask if you think the initial laser reduction on your face was worth it? If you had to do it over again, would you still start with some laser, or would you just go with electrolysis from the get go? I’m just curious…
I can’t believe that my body developed new hair. What you’re saying is that, had I not had any laser sessions, I would have 2X the hair density as I have now. Sorry but no way. It’s not possible.
Also: I see you’re recieving laser treatments at this time. You sound pretty confident that you know how effective laser hair removal is. I suggest that you wait until a few years after your last treatment and then post your experience.
I told the members of consumerbeware that I would post my experience a few years after my last treatment, because people were warning me, but unfortuneately there is no more consumerbeware.
Hi Princess Kitty:
When I started on the laser, I hadn’t any experience whatsoever with hair removal and I had high hopes that laser was going to be my salvation. In the end I was not singing hallelujah however.
I think that based on it being partially successful it was not a total waste, but to answer your question I would probably have started with electrolysis from the gecko, I mean get go.
Probably the hardest part of only having partial success is that I was so disappointed at
the amount of regrowth I had, including dark hairs to the point of disillusionment.
I’m thinking that the laser may have weakened some of the facial hair somewhat since I’m trying to find some value in what it did for me.
People who don’t need to go through either are so very lucky.
Alicia
What AliciaDarling has said is basically what I have been trying to say for years. For the person doing the face, an electrolysis provider like myself would give much more for the money, it would just cost you more time up front. The maintenance, however, would be an easy thing, and the final result would be in hand in no more than 18 to 24 months, while you would look finished to everyone else, even as your appointments trickle to fewer minutes spread weeks farther apart. The prices I have seen for the packages, and even full price appointments, there would be parity on the price of getting the same area done with a hair zapper who has some speed.
Carpet, I don’t know where you’re seeing that I’m having treatments. I haven’t had any treatments in 3-4 years depending on the area. Nothing has grown back. Zero.
Whether you can believe it is not really the issue. Hair growth is not magic. The body has tons of inactive follicles. If there is something in your body causing the growth in the first place, it would continue to do so even after you remove the hair that’s currently there and disactivate the follicles that are currently producing hair.
If you said you had almost full regrowth within 6 months of your last treatment, the cause would have clearly been laser ineffectiveness (or rather settings and other factors that affect effectiveness). But experiencing growth several years later clearly indicates your body producing new hair. There are tons of reasons which can cause the body to produce hair, which you should explore. Some of the more known ones have to do with certain medications, ingredients in certain body enhancing drugs, steroids, any treatments that affect hormones, thyroid issues, etc. There are also many unknown reasons that no one is studying because it costs a lot of money and that money is going to life or death issues such as cancer and HIV.
James, if they got electrolysis, they would see the same thing happen. Growth that appears several years later like this is not an indication of treatment ineffectiveness. That’s illogical.
Here is a short list of just SOME potential causes for hair growth:
Causes
Several medical conditions can cause the growth of unwanted dark, visible hair.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common cause of hirsutism, occurs when the body overproduces male hormones (androgens). Polycystic ovary syndrome may cause decreased menstruation, unusual growth of cells in the ovaries (ovarian hyperplasia), unusually high levels of blood fats (hyperlipemia), glucose intolerance or resistance to insulin (diabetes), obesity, and a predisposition to heart disease. These symptoms often develop before puberty.
Cyst or tumor of the ovary. Cysts and tumors are abnormal growths in the body. When they occur on the ovary, they can cause a hormonal imbalance, leading to hirsutism.
Adrenal gland disorders. The adrenal gland produces hormones that affect many bodily processes. Conditions that interfere with the adrenal gland’s normal function can upset a body’s hormonal balance, and lead to hirsutism. Cancer of the adrenal gland is one such condition.
Adrenal hyperplasia—an increase in the number of cells of the adrenal gland—is another such condition. Cushing’s syndrome, characterized by obesity around the midsection, muscle weakness, altered mood, purple stretch marks, and easy bruising, is caused by the production of an excess amount of the hormone cortisol by the adrenals.
Acromegaly. Also known as gigantism, acromegaly causes enlargement of the head, face, hands, feet, and upper torso. It is due to the excess production of growth hormone by the pituitary gland.
Increased prolactin hormone levels (hyperprolactinemia). Prolactin is a hormone that is involved in milk secretion from the breast. Increased levels of this hormone can lead to hirsuitism, as well as milk leakage from the breast and menstrual cycle disturbances.
Deficiency of 21-hydroxylase, an enzyme that is needed to produce cortisol (a steroid that maintains blood sugar levels and maintains body fluids and electrolytes) and aldesterone (a hormone that maintains the body’s salt and water balance.)
Severe insulin resistance or diabetes causes the ovaries to increase their production of androgens.
In addition, there are non-medical conditions that are linked to hirsutism, including obesity, pregnancy, and menopause. These conditions are all similar in that they cause production of hormones (usually androgens like testosterone) that can increase hair growth. In the case of pregnancy, the hair growth tends to stop once the child is delivered. In the cases of obesity or menopause, the hair growth will be controlled once the problem is addressed by weight loss or hormone therapy.
Taking certain medications may cause or contribute to hirsutism [Table 1]. The underlying reason for hair growth often has to do with a problem in the body’s production of hormones. For example, if the body produces an excess of androgens (male hormones), the result will often be increased hair growth. At the same time, drugs that are hormones or that stimulate the production of hormones can also stimulate hair growth.
Classes of drugs commonly understood to cause hair growth include the following:
Sex hormones. These are hormones such as estrogens or androgens that are produced by the ovaries, testicles, or the adrenal gland. Androgens are hormones, such as testosterone, that drive male sex characteristics.
Steroids. The adrenal glands naturally produce steroid hormones to help control stress, maintain body mass and muscle tone, and perform other essential functions. If someone takes synthetic steroids, the drugs will prevent the adrenals from making their own supply. At the same time, if a large dose is required, the drugs may cause hair growth and other bodily changes, exactly as if the adrenals were producing too much hormone. This effect, however, applies more to anabolic or androgenic steroids than to glucocorticoids.
Drugs that stimulate the pituitary or adrenal glands. The pituitary gland is located in the head and controls other organs in the body that make hormones, including the ovaries and the adrenals. Some drugs can stimulate the pituitary, causing it in turn to signal other hormone-producing glands.
Anti-seizure medications. The mechanism is not clear, but anti-seizure medications tend to have hirsutism as a side effect.
Sometimes hirsutism can occur without any underlying cause. This is called idiopathic hirsutism.
Table 1. Medications That Can Cause or Contribute to Excess Hair Growth
Drug Use
Sex hormones
Androgens and estrogens (varied) Combination of male and female hormones often prescribed for symptoms of menopause
Androgenic progestin (varied) Hormone used for a number of reasons, including regulation of the menstrual cycle
Contraceptives (varied)
Prevent pregnancy
Danazol (Danocrine)
Used to treat endometriosis, cysts in the breast, breast cancer, and hereditary swelling of parts of the body (angioedema)
Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS)
Prescribed in older people to help offset a decrease in lean body and bone mass.
Testosterone (Android, Testoderm, Androgel)
Male hormone sometimes used to treat breast cancer in women
Steroids
Anabolic steroids (Primobolan, Parabolan)
Prescribed to help rebuild tissue after a serious injury or illness, to treat some anemias, to treat some kinds of breast cancer in women, and to treat hereditary swelling of various parts of the body (angioedema)
Corticosteroids (varied)
Used to treat inflammation-based diseases like asthma and lupus, and to prevent rejection of transplanted organs
Medications affecting the adrenal or pituitary gland
Aminoglutethimide (Cytadren) Treats tumors that affect the adrenal cortex.
Corticotropin (Acthargel)
Stimulates production of hormones by the adrenal gland
Metyrapone (Metopirone) Used to test for proper function of adrenal glands
Anti-seizure medications
Acetazolamide (Diamox)
Used to treat glaucoma, some epileptic seizures, and to lessen the effects of climbing to high altitudes
Phenytoin (Dilantin) Treats epileptic seizures
Valproate (Depakote) Used to treat epileptic seizures and bipolar disorder
Miscellaneous medications
Cyclosporin (Ciclosporin)
Prevents rejection of transplanted organs, treats rheumatoid arthritis
Diazoxide (Hyperstat) Treats low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
Hexachlorobenzene
Pesticide that may be ingested with contaminated food, water or air. Although this is not a medication, when it is accidentally ingested it can cause hirsutism.
Metoclopramide (Reglan)
Treats symptoms of a stomach problem called diabetic gastroparesis, treats heartburn in patients with esophageal injury due to backflow of gastric acid, used to diagnose some problems of the stomach or intestines
Minoxidil (Rogaine)
Treats high blood pressure, and can be used to promote hair growth
Penicillamine (Cuprimine)
Used for treatment of Wilson’s disease (excessive copper in the body), rheumatoid arthritis, and lead poisoning. Prevents kidney stones
Phenobarbital (Luminal)
Prescribed for hot flashes and migraine headaches
Phenothiazine derivatives (varied) Antihistamines to relieve allergy or hay fever symptoms
Psoralens (varied)
Used, along with ultraviolet light, to treat vitiligo (a disease in which skin color is lost) and psoriasis (a skin condition characterized by red, scaly patches.) Sometimes used to treat white blood cells in a type of lymphoma