I just started getting laser hair removal done on my beard and neck. I want it to be permanently gone and I was wondering if I have the money (which I do) if I kept getting laser done on my face and neck, would most to all of my hair eventually be gone after a number of sessions? I know I would have to go back to do a couple session every once in a while to get stray hairs, but is this realistic? To just do laser and try and get near 100% removal?
Sorry if my post is confusing. Please ask any questions you have.
I know someone who had a full beard done at one point (trans), it takes a while but it can be done. She did laser for it at first then had it tidied up. Laser doesn’t really ‘remove’ the hairs from what I am told, it targets the pigment in it and can reduce the thickness (but I am not 100% the latter is true.)
It’s hard to get a 100% removal with laser, but if you are not short for cash electrolysis is an option. I’m having it done soon for hirsutism. Electrolysis removes the hair follicle’s ability to produce hair, so it is actually removal rather than reduction. There is a board here on hairtell, good info can be found there.
Laser doesn’t work for everyone from what I have read (and experienced), but if it works for you then I’d say finish your sessions with it then get electrolysis to tackle the rest of the stray hairs for good! Good luck 
How does electrolysis pain compare to laser pain?
and If i do lets says 4 or 5 sessions of laser, would electrolysis take less time?
Also, how long should I wait in between laser hair removal sessions on my face? The place I get it done at says 1 month but I read on here I should wait like 3 months for the hair to grow or something.
Adam,
I feel like I’ve told this story a million and one times.I do get when the pro’s around here say they get used to repeating themselves …A LOT.
So , I’m a transgirl. I’ve done, or am doing , complete beard removal .I’ve done the gambit on hair removal ( to the point of near infatuation) and I’d like to give you the benefit of that experience, at least from my experience.
I did laser ( apparently and on the advice of the place I had it done, did it wrong). 11 Sessions of it. Where I may have gone wrong is that I did 11 sessions over a year. Ideally what you should do is space out the treatments about 3 months apart.
I had dark hair and light skin. It did not remove my hair. It removed some of it, but not anywhere near all of it, and what was left was patchy and looked irregular. I’m about 90% sure that I dealt with alot of the removed hair, as regrowth when doing electrolysis. So, to be honest, I dont think I saw benefit from laser.
This isnt to say that others havent had success. I talk to other transwomen on a regular basis through IRC and in person. I’ve never personally met ONE that said they were able to remove all their hair with laser. I did chat with one person claiming they did , online, but I dont know all the details so I dont really count it not seeing the results. Typically the “happy just did laser and nothing else and all my beard is gone” creature is a mythical one.
I can say I’ve had good luck with electrolysis. It has successfully removed the majority of hair from my face (I’m still working on the neck) . But I also learned myself how to do it, and put in literally HUNDREDS of hours doing it. It takes a long time. A professional, could have cut that time perhaps.
What they could not change is the time frame. Electrolysis takes about a year to a year and a half to complete IF and ONLY IF you are putting in enough hours to get the job done.
So if you are doing laser, and going the recommended every 3 months, you could only do 4 treatments in that time.That’s not enough to clear your face in my opinion .
So electrolysis, if you are following recommendations and undergoing frequent ( and expensive) treatment, should actually yield faster results than laser. In my opinion, electrolysis is the superior option for this and other reasons but that is just MY OPINION.
Pain wise however, I would say pain from electrolysis and laser are comparable. Laser is more painful all at once, but the pain from electrolysis does build up in you a bit depending on the area you are having worked on .There are some topical anesthetic options for this if it’s a huge issue. Also some electrolysis is more painful for a person to tolerate than others depending on the modulation and frequency the machine is working on.
Seana
Have you already paid for a laser ‘package’ of a set amount of sessions, or are you pay per session? I only ask because you mentioned 4-5 sessions of laser, from what I have read and been told personally 6-10 are usually recommended on an area. If you choose to go the laser route you may want to consider that. (Maybe take before and after photos to show others how it goes?)
I was curious about Seana’s response and actually messaged my friend. She said she had about a 40% reduction in the beard, about 70% on stomach hair but not much luck on the arms or legs. I wasn’t aware she was still going to electrolysis sessions!
So yeah, if it’s just your beard I would say electrolysis. Much more thorough, and just about as time consuming. I’ve just found out that some practitioners do ‘marathon sessions’ to cover larger areas, too. There’s loads of posts about how to find a good one over at the electrolysis board. They know far more than I.
On a side note, Seana you are FAR braver than I to attempt DIY electrolysis. How did you start on this route? I’ve got tiny wee (but steady) hands and I think electrolysis might be a good career to consider.
I did lots and lots of reading here. And I listened to some of the pros here who gave me advice along the way. And I read alot, and learned by doing.And I didnt listen when anyone told me I couldnt do it.
Seana
I haven’t paid for the laser package yet. I’m just paying session by session. Would it be smart to thin out the hair by using laser for 2 or 3 sessions and then finishing with electrolysis?
Sorry for all the questions! I just want to make sure I’m getting as much information as I can. I also would be interested to know how often I should do electrolysis if I do choose to start it.
2-3 sessions is 6-9 months. You can make an awful lot of electrolysis progress in that much time.Its up to you, but I know what my answer would be.
Seana
To answer your first question on the page before: LHR is reduction. It will never be 100% removed, and it will only remove hair that is dark and coarse.
With electrolysis, it depends if you need a smooth look all the time, in which case you’d go very often for long sessions at the start to clear all hairs, and then “maintain” by going every week, or fortnight, or month, depending on hair growth and what you can stand.
Otherwise, you could have an initial clearance and then allow a full “cycle” of hair to grow in, have another full clearance, allow another big crop of hair to grow in, have another clearance etc.
Depends what your needs are.
For me, I have appointments more often for my upper lip where I want all hair to be gone all the time (although I’m only going monthly now), while for body areas I will wait two or three months between each session because I don’t mind.