So, last Thursday(3/25/2010)I had my first session of laser hair removal on my face. I was so excited to begin the process of terminating my facial hair forever and guess what happened to me?! HUGE RED WELTS! I left the laser place a little red and irritated but by late night I noticed red bumps. I figured to put some ice and aloe vera on it, and it continued to get worse. Now it’s Monday night, and the welts do not seem like they’ll be going away anytime soon and they itch…Has anyone ever heard or seen anything like this? I’m gonna try to post a picture…it’s horrible, i’ve been upset all day…I’ve made a dermatologist appointment at NYU but they’re backed up…I dunno what to do, it’s my face and it looks like a I have severe cystic acne…Help Please!
It would be great if you could post a photo.
This could be an allergic reaction (for which you should take an anti-histamine) which some experience, or it could be a burn (though it doesn’t sound like it). You should go back to the clinic. Do they have a doctor on staff?
Btw, is your hair dense dark AND coarse? Can you call and ask what machine and what settings were used (joules, spot size, and pulse width)?
What is your skin type? See the FAQs below.
My hair is dark and coarse and my skin type is a IV. The nurse who worked on me is out of town…but I did send pics to the owner who is also known for his work in laser removal here in NYC and am waiting for him to get back to me. I made an appointment to see a dermatologist but it’s not till Friday.Every time I get a glimpse in the mirror it freaks me out… I’ll post a pic… it’s horrible…
Here’s a URL to the Face…I’m so embarrassed guys, please help me get rid of this…
http://picasaweb.google.com/102031338304111382038
Ok so they used the Lightsheer Diode and the setting was 20 joules/30 ms… what does this mean? is 20 too much?
You should call the clinic where you got treated immediately and they should want you to come in immediately to check it out. Don’t email. Call.
Have you taken an anti-histamine? This seems like an allergic reaction. Benadryl or something similar would be a start.
If you go to a dermatologist, you should bring in information on type of laser used, settings, etc. It would also help if the dermatologist is experienced with lasers. Can you find another one where you don’t have to wait so long? I know there are many here in NYC and you probably have insurance restrictions.
Yes definitely call the clinic, they should be able to help you. Did they use any numbing cream or anything on your face? It may have been an allergic reaction to that as well. First time I did my face they used numbing cream then the ultrasound gel followed by lotion after the treatment. I didn’t really wash or change it when I got home and I broke out a bit with pimples around my mouth. The second time I went, as soon as I got home I used cold water to rinse any residue off my face and I didn’t break out again. Not sure why the laser would have caused that. Please try to find out what machine was used on you as well.
You know what… they didn’t use any numbing cream. The nurse tested on a spot and asked if it was okay… I said, “yea” and she went at it. She kept wiping my face with a towelette and that was it. She didn’t put anything besides that gel stuff on me. I’m waiting on a call from the owner still…I am afraid this is going to turn into a really nasty situation. I’ve called them twice already this afternoon and they haven’t returned my call. I guess i’m going to have to make the trip into the city tomorrow morning and bitch up a storm. I’m waiting for the nurse to call me and tell me what machine and settings she used. Thanks for the help…
Ok so they used the Lightsheer Diode and the setting was 20 joules/30 ms… what does this mean? is 20 too much?
Those settings are not too high. The issue is likely that you’re allergic to either the gel or whatever chemical is in that toilette. I hope you didn’t pay for a set of treatments at a clinic who doesn’t respond asap to this type of a situation.
Have you taken an anti-histamine?
No i haven’t taken anything…assuming that i would irritate it even more… I stopped wearing makeup in fear that it would clog whatever this is and make it worse…All i’ve been doing is keeping the area clean,cool,using aloe vera with a little vitamin E, drinking lots of water and eating fruits. My fear is that this is going to leave me with some sort of scar…i’ve done alot to keep my face acne free while threading and tweezing every week and for this to happen is really messing with my person and confidence…and you know what it’s 8:00 at night and the owners haven’t called… I guess tomorrow morning I’m marching downtown… ill look for a dermatologist with laser experience… i hope it doesn’t cost a bundle…I have Metro Health Plus and am a student… so you know how that is…i have to count my pennies…
im gonna run to Duane Reade and get some Benadryl…it has been itching a little and i’m afraid at night i’ll scratch…my sister told me to wear socks on my hands…haha, she fears too that i’ll scratch and scar myself… she looked at the rash closely and says that some of the welts have liquid in them like chicken pox…
A pill like Benedryl won’t harm you any more. It’s just over-the-counter medicine for allergies and helps often in the rare cases when someone is allergic to something during the laser treatment.
I would also use cortisone if it’s itchy.
Got a call back from the Laser center and the owner said he saw this happen twice in 15 years and both individuals seemed to be allergic to the gel and they did recover. He said he uses an all natural aloe vera gel, which is probably not the problem for me because I use aloe for everything especially my face. I guess maybe it was the towelettes she was using to wipe my face with…I couldn’t get a dermatology appointment any sooner than Thursday… it’s ridiculous…The bumps have gone down a little and the redness is lighter than before…but I can see that this is gonna take a while to get rid of because it has the characteristics of a pimple…dammit…
The owner did suggest that if I wished to continue, after healing, we could do a small patch and see how I react the 2nd time… I dunno…
Unless he uses pure aloe, it’s not “all natural”. If he uses the LightSheer machine, it’s probably with a gel that is definitely not all natural.
Did Benadryl help with the swelling and itching? It should.
If you want to continue laser, I would advise you to go for a machine that doesn’t use gels. There are many.
However, we need to figure out if laser is the right method of hair removal for you in the first place. The only time we recommend it on a woman’s face is if a woman has dense coarse growth, with a shadow etc after shaving. Otherwise, laser won’t work anyway and can actually stimulate more hair to grow. You would need electrolysis if you don’t have growth similar to a man’s beard.
If you bought a package, this is a good reason to use to get out of it.