Laser Hair Removal different machines question?

[hairy91]

Hello,

I’ve been going to a laser clinic near my house for the past 4 months to get my full face lasered. I was informed that I need 8 sessions (2 packages of 4) I purchased my first package 4 months ago and now I have to pay for the second package of 4 at my next session. My problem is that I’m not sure if I want to return to that particular laser clinic.

I feel like I’m getting over charged, and as a poor university student, I can really feel the pinch. I also dont appreciate their customer service. I have the ‘best’ and ‘worst’ hair/skin for laser hair removal. I have THICK DARKKKK Black hair but light skin. Thus laser hair removal is very effective. But I have the worst combo because my skin is EXTREMELY dry and sensitive so with each laser blast it HURTS LIKE A B*tch! But I stomach it and do it but obviously am a bit fidgety (not too much but a bit) and the laser technician is very insensitive to this and gets really frustrated easily. Which upsets me…I mean I’m paying you HOW much? least you can do is be sympathetic.

Anywho, I found out about another laser clinic from a friend who tried the one I’m at now and she says the other one is better. Apparently it hurts “a bit less” and is MUCH cheaper!

I checked out the competitors prices and for the full face she charges $120 per session …thus for the 4 remaining I would pay $480 (which is almost half of what I would pay at this current location!)

I’m wondering if it is possible for me to switch locations? Will it have a negative effect on how effective my laser hair removal will be if I change machines/technicians half way through? Should I stick it out or does it not matter?

Hopefully that makes sense and I would appreciate any advice

thanks!

[LAGirl]

You’re not really approaching LHR in the right manner. Effective treatments should hurt. A lot. If you can’t handle the pain, you can use a numbing cream. “Less painful” treatments can be had easily by decreasing settings. It’s not a matter of the machine. However, those low settings won’t get you results. Are you looking for comfortable treatments or to get rid of the hair permanently? That’s the issue at hand.

Also, you don’t mention anything about the machine being used, shedding, Fitzpatrick skin type, or settings, which worries me that you haven’t done enough research to actually get results from these treatments. Cost shouldn’t be your main priority - getting results for whatever price you do pay should be.

It’s really impossible to make a recommendation on what to do without the above information. The most important thing in getting results are settings and machine combination.

Have you even been seeing all treated hair shed within 3 weeks? How are you judging whether the treatments are working at all? If all your hair doesn’t shed, you’re probably not getting anything out of these treatments.

Also, are you male or female?

Please read the FAQs at the link below ASAP.

[hairy91]

Thanks for your reply,

and I did do a bunch of research before hand and I understand the whole ‘no pain no gain’ scenario. I also realize that mine hurts more than a friends of mine who has light brown hair, but I also know mine will be more effective because i have really thick BLACK hair.

As for the other stuff…sorry I was stupid to not mention it loll ok heres the info:

I’m a 19 year old female

I’m a mix between type 3 and 4 …I’m half middle eastern and half eastern european …I tan well but I have never ever gotten sun burnt (though I do wear longer sleeves and loads of sunscreen)

In terms of judging whether they are working or not: The fact that I look human. As bad as it sounds. Like I had tried everything from nair to wax to tweezing to using string. some worked longer than others but usually if I removed the hair on monday by Friday it had visibly grown. Like it was BAD as in there was 1/4 inch growth in 2 weeks I looked like a man.

The first laser session I was SO surprised because for the first two weeks there was NOTHING :o !! first time in my LIFE. week 3 and 4 there was a bit of growth but only stubble…anyways…right before my last session I had no growth in moustache area just a stubble or two here or there (in comparison to all over stubble first time) and only a few VERY FINE hairs in side burn area (it was EXTREMELY think in the past) so I’m assuming that laser is working? I’ve also been told that face hair removal isnt as effective as the rest of the body cause face is hormonal but I’m happy with the major reduction so far. So I am assuming its working?

Also, the laser system that she uses on me is GentleLase (im 99% sure its this, if not then its the Gentle-Yag System, but im pretty sure its the first one)

In terms of shedding, I had thought it would be visible shedding? but its not. I did notice a bit of stubble about a week and a half to two weeks after laser and then it would go away so I’m assuming its fall out

[ayshachaudhary]

If you’re between type III and IV then I doubt it’s the GentleLase.

The only real way that you will know if it’s worked is when you stop treatments.

It sounds like you have been going every month for a month. That’s a little soon (I think it should be more like 6 weeks between treatments, maybe even 8). Basically, if you are going back for your next treatment when the next cycle of growth has only just started to come through, you aren’t really seeing the full extent of what’s there. Perhaps if you waited another few weeks before each app, you’d see much more hair reappear. This is when you should go for your next appointment.

In addition to this, you will only be treating what’s come up at that time and the rest of the hair that would have come up if you had waited is being missed.

This forum strongly recommends longer periods between treatments (different for different body areas) as it really lets you assess what is going on and also allows you to get the maximum out of your treatments.

In reality, you need treatments for about a year. If you’re going every month, that will be 12, which sounds like too many.

Clinics employ this strategy of having you come back as soon as the hairfree period is over so clients never really get to see whether it’s working properly.

Therefore, in this case, you really will only know how much reduction you so far have if you stop for 2-3 months.

[LAGirl]

Can you call and ask them for the exact name of the machine? Also, ask what settings they used. If it’s GentleLASE, ask for spot size and joules used. Pulse width is fixed on that machine at 3ms. If it’s GentleYAG, ask for pulse width as well.

If proper settings are used, pain basically depends on how coarse and dense the hair is. Your friend probably shouldn’t be getting treatments on her face in the first place because it can stimulate MORE growth if the hair is not dark, dense and coarse.

Is your hair coarse btw? Does it leave a shadow when shaved or stubble?

Yes, shedding should be noticeable. It’s more noticeable if you’re not shaving while it’s happening. It should take 3 weeks for all hair to shed. After that, you should have a hairfree period for another 3-5 weeks depending.

You can’t tell whether it’s actually getting rid of your hair for good yet. You won’t know until you have 6-8 treatments spaced 8-12 weeks apart and stop for at least 6 months. That’s why it’s very important to get good effective treatments at highest settings your skin can handle from the start.

[hairy91]

sorry for the late reply.

I’m starting to get a bit concerned about all of this. Is the 6-8 weeks for EVERYONE or for some? Because if I wait till 6 weeks a LOT of hair will probably have grown back… so now I’m worrying that its not working?!

As for the laser…this is their website: http://www.advancedlaser.ca/

Now, to try to answer some of your questions: I’m naturally very dark haired, like I have black hair, but all my black haired friends always say woah! you have such nice DEEP DARK black hair…as for coarse-ness I would say it is… sometimes when I plucked…if i smooshed the hair around my palm it would give off black pigment. YAh. THAT HAIRY/THICK/COARSE/BLACK. lol

I was supposed to go in for my appointment yesterday night, but I had to cancel because I have had the flu for the past week and a half and my body is not strong enough to go to school/work let alone be lasered. In terms of growth, (assuming today is the day to get lasered - exactly 4 weeks from last session)

I have very VERY FINE hair growth on my cheeks and its not uniform but in patches…theres a teeny bit of growth on my chin, but nothing you can REALLY NOTICE (unless I stare at it for a few minutes) and no hair growth on my neck at all! Worst part is my mustache area. its sparse AND fine (as apposed to thick and all over) but they are long…

This is the progress after 4 sessions. She says I need 4 more. After that she offers ‘touch ups’ for $50 each session.

Also, side note: I found out about her from a friend of mine, who was JUST like me (hair type, skin tone, ethnicity) and she said that after 8 sessions it had been greatlyyy reduced and that she goes in a few times a year (2-3) for touch ups. If that happens for me I’d be happy with it

[LAGirl]

Ah, I think you’re going to the infamous national chain. Please call them and ask what specific machine and settings were used.

And yes, it’s not uncommon to undertreat patients, which is when you’ll see hair grow in sooner (i.e. becuase it wasn’t really affected). Many clinics out there don’t know what they’re doing, which is why we advise to research carefully before choosing one and starting treatments.

4 weeks is way too early. If hair didn’t shed, then it’s either too fine or settings were too low, or both. So you’ll basically be paying for a retreatment of the same hair.

Fine hair will NOT be affected by laser. In fact, you’re likely to stimulate MORE hair with laser - a common side effect in these cases. Do NOT touch any of that finer hair. It needs electrolysis.

Touchups aren’t necessary 3 times a year if hair was actually killed. If remaining hair is too fine, it needs to be treated with electrolysis to be removed for good. Otherwise, it’s just being burned. You might as well shave at that point - it’s cheaper.

[ayshachaudhary]

Please pay attention to LAgirl over whatever your clinic has told you.

Since you have not paid for the second package of 4, I would advise you to STOP at this point. You cannot really say what you have right now is ‘progress’.

Wait for 8-10 weeks since your last app and then re-assess. If there has been some reduction and you feel Laser works for you, you may want to continue. And this is not too late to continue, despite what you may be being told at the moment. Optimum treatment intervals are far longer than what clinics advise.

You can use this time to really research what proper treatments should constitute. From what Laser is most appropriate, what machine types come recommended, what typical settings should be, what should happen before/after/during treatment and how long you should wait between treatments and why. And also to establish where would be the best place to go if you wish to continue.

The information on the treatments you had already will help as well, in case you want to continue where you currently are.

The fine upper lip hairs would be better tackled with electrolysis.

[hairy91]

ok so now I’m pretty worried…

My mom saw my dilemma and actually spoke to a friend of hers who is studying to become a laser technician…she said that 4 weeks time interval is fine, but that she should use an IPL machine on my face for it work ? is this correct?

Also, now that I’m seeing that the laser technician may not be as excellent as she says she is…I have a few questions…

1. How much redness/swelling is normal after laser? I usually have it reallyyyyy bad and dont go to school the next day because my face looks like a monster its all swollen up and red…I apply a bunch of aloe vera and by the next day (so 24-48 hrs later) its back to normal. is this normal? Or should my face not react THAT badly?

2. My laser technician said that I shouldnt miss my appointments because it will make my treatments less effective if I wait too long? is this true?

I thought it was because for my 3rd sessions I was about 3 weeks late (I got sick and couldn’t reschedule because it was during Christmas holidays) and by then there was a LOT OF HAIR growth, so she shaved it all off. That day I had the worst reaction to the laser…my face was SO RED I looked like a burn victim! like think apple red! I had to sit in front of a cooler for 2 hrs…it was REALLY bad! She said it was because there was so much time in between my sessions…

now I’m not sure if all the things I was told were true or not?

I assumed that if someone is in business for over 10 years then they should know what they are doing right?

[system]

Do not do IPL on your face, it’s not permanent and can cause more hair to grow. The only reason someone would say use IPL is because that’s probably all their clinic has. IPL is not laser and is more for skin treatments like acne and vein removal etc.

I’m a guy and when I do it I’m red and puffy probably an hour or so then it’s gone, but I always go right back to work never had any issues definitely not next day, but could be different lasers etc.

It won’t be ineffective if you wait, it’s just that hair grows in cycles so doing it regularly keeps them on the same cycle where as if you wait too long some hair may be dormant and not treated but there’s certainly nothing wrong with waiting a bit if you have to. Waiting long between sessions has nothing to do with redness after and 10 years experience really means nothing as well. I could be a hair dresser for 10 years and buy an IPL or laser and legally say I’ve been in business for 10 years, doesn’t mean I’ve been spending 8 hours a day for 10 years doing nothing but laser.

[ayshachaudhary]

No and No to your first two questions. IPL is inferior to true Laser, please read the faqs.
I don’t know why laser technicians are taught so incorrectly. I don’t blame this person but what she is being taught is not right.

I’ve never had the face treated with Laser but the redness and swelling (if it happens) can take a day or two to subside. It sounds normal as long as it subsides.

What your laser tech said about not missing appointments is somewhat true but even if you went back after 4 months, the treatment should not be totally ineffective. But she is having you come back too soon in the first place. As already mentioned, for the face about 8-10 weeks is optimum. So even if you wait until this time to re-asses your situation and you decide you want to go back, it’s not too late.
This is one point on which you just have to ignore the person doing your treatments.

Lots of hair growth isn’t bad (as long as treatments are working) because it means that session can potentially kill all this hair. If you go back when you just have 50 hairs, you can only potentially kill those 50 hairs. Waiting another few weeks for 200 hairs, means you can potentially kill those 200 hairs. I keep saying potentially because it is dependent on a lot of factors and generally not ALL the hair will be killed.
My friend is having treatment at the same place I had it. I tried to explain this to her when she started (underarms and bikini) but she didn’t seem to understand. She couldn’t get her head around why what I was saying was so diff to what the tech was telling her. Now she is having her legs treated, she finally understands. The tech told her to come back after 8 weeks. At 8 weeks she was still hair free. I told her to wait. She waited and finally at week 11 hairs have started to come through. At week 12, even MORE hair is coming through. She finally understands that this is the next cycle of hair coming through and to get the maximum results from her second treatment, she should wait until all of this cycle has surfaced. So she is going to wait until week 16 for her second treatment.

The areas are supposed to be shaved before treatment regardless.

The reason why it was so red was because you had a lot of hair, hence a lot more heat being generated in your skin. This is actually good in terms of treatment. But if it was so bad or bad enough that it is blistering, then something else is wrong, like settings being too high or the laser type not be the right one for you.

As for your last point, that’s not an assumption that should ever be made.

[ayshachaudhary]

We can only help in regards to if your current treatment is possibly right for you if you tell us your skin type, the laser being used and the settings (joules, spot size, pulse width).

I’d call the clinic up and ask them this stuff.

Pictures of your facial hair currently and in a few weeks will also help.

[LAGirl]

I feel like you’re only reading parts of our responses and you still haven’t read the FAQs at the link below. Please do this because I feel like we’re just repeating ourselves.

• Your technician is not as good as she says she is. This is a pretty common problem. If a person is getting GOOD treatments on any machine, there should be nothing to treat at 4 weeks.

• Redness should be going away within a few hours. It’s not normal for it to last that long. Either you’re allergic or settings are too high or there is something else at play.

• I think you’re missing the most important point. LASER ONLY WORKS ON COARSE DENSE GROWTH. The type of hair you’ve mentioned so far is pointless to treat in the first place.