Laser hair removal gone wrong

When did you first read this forum? I see your posts from just a year ago, when we were definitely talking about induced growth. It’s been in the FAQs (link below) for a good 3-4 years.

Can you describe in detail what hair you have on those areas? There shouldn’t be any induced growth on areas with DENSE COARSE hair. It sounds like that’s not what you have if you experienced more growth. The problem may have been that you described your hair as such as you consider it dense and coarse, but it’s not in reality.

There is of course the point that you may have developed more growth regardless if you’re in your 20 still.

Do you have pictures?

It sounds like you didn’t have DENSE hair. If the hair is dense, you wouldn’t have seen an increase. That only happens when your hair is sparse, so that induced growth is produced in the areas around those hairs.

Your posts here date back to last year. We definitely talked about induced growth then, and it’s been in the FAQs for more than 3 years.

LA Girl:
Yes, I was questioning why the derm would tell me to get laser again for the new growth. It did not seem to make sense at all since the hair is not really dark or course.

She did not think I had PCOS. Maybe she was just trying to give me some sort of “solution” because I was upset? She said that there is no guarantee that the hairs won’t turn into terminal hairs. So spiro was a way to deter that from happening I guess.
But I don’t want to go on a drug for a few months (she suggested taking it for 3 months) just to have the hair return the way it was.

I am nervous about electrolysis because I have read things about scabbing and scarring. I obviously don’t want that to happen on my chin or cheeks. I just don’t want to spend more time and $$ on something that could make things look worse than it already does. I spent over 2 1/2 years getting laser done & look where it got me. I am just worried now because I don’t want to go in thinking everything’s going to work out great then be ultimately disappointed again.

Smurf: I went to a cosmetic dermatologist who does laser hair removal for a consult about my stimulated hair growth. This wasn’t the same location that I originally went for the laser treatments. So she wasn’t trying to re-sell the service. She told me to go back to the original laser place to get more done, which wouldn’t affect her business in any way. Though, I do agree with you that many laser companies will aggressively push their services even on those who would not benefit from it. When I told the original clinic that I was getting more hair on my cheeks, they did say just keep coming in and it will get better, which of course it didn’t.

stoppit&tidyup: Yes, I also had good results with laser on my bikini line and arm pits. So it definitely works on the right type of hair.
I was never warned of the possiblity of induced hair growth when I first went in for a consult in 2005. And no one told me that my facial hair should probably not be treated. I wish they had because maybe then I wouldn’t be in the situation I’m in.

You are stuck. No matter how you slice this, you need a skilled electrologist. Ask for your laser money back so you can pay for electrolysis. Scarring is very rare. Scabbing doesn’t have to happen if you go to a well trained electrologist with modern tools and if YOU follow good aftercare instructions. Small scabs, lasting less than a week that are hardly visible to the naked eye, are okay, too. How do you expect your skin to react to a small electrical current destroying tissue below the skin that causes hair to grow??? What do you think the heat of laser does to your skin? Look where you are now with induced hair growth. Electrolysis should have been your first choice for your facial hair. Sorry you didn’t know that. Electrolysis is your only hope now, but it does make a difference as to WHO you choose to entrust the job to.

At this time and eleven years later since laser has been out, all laser clinics should have a warning or a word of caution about the possibility of laser induced hair stimulation, in writing, on the contract that one signs. We hear new stories similar to yours on a near weekly basis. The patterns are the same. The frustrations and regrets are,too.

The only thing I can recommend is for you to do proper research on electrolysis and sample 4-5 of them before you commit. Scarring won’t appear months later. You can tell right after a short treatment how your skin will be healing. I’ve had successful laser and electrolysis on many areas, without any problems. The key was doing the research I needed on all of it before I started any treatments, so I knew the side effects and how to avoid them, and how to tell whether someone knows what they’re doing. As long as you do that and find a skilled person, you’re set.