I’ve been obsessively lurking on this website for quite some time now, but have never mustered up the courage to start a post. I have gotten both electrolysis and laser hair removal on a few parts of my face and body and have had good results. I’m an Italian female with dark hair and therefore have been blessed with some dark facial and body hair. When I was about 14 years old (I’m now 24) I got laser hair removal on my forearms. From what I remember I received six treatments and the results were incredible. It removed all but a few fine hairs from my forearms and gave me a newfound sense of confidence at the time. A couple of years ago I started to get very uncomfortable with the hair on my upper arms as well, which was more noticeable than most people’s because it was brown, but it was extremely fine and really only noticeable to me. I became so obsessed with it that finally I decided to get laser hair removal on that hair too, aware that it might not actually remove that hair, but not realizing that it could actually INDUCE worse growth! I received three treatments with no issues at all, and then a couple months after the fourth treatment I noticed more hair was growing back and it was thick, dark, and long. The woman who does my laser hair removal (and also my electrolysis) is convinced that it is not laser induced hair growth because the hair on my forearms started to grow back in all of a sudden as well, almost 10 years after no growth. I have seen several doctors and have gotten several blood tests done (no I do not have PCOS even though I suffer from other common symptoms as well such as hair loss and acne). I am also a Registered Nurse so I do know how hormones can affect your body and it seems as if I am perfectly healthy. All I can come up with is that I came off of my birth control last February and it was after my May treatment that I noticed worse growth. I know it sounds like it wasn’t actually the laser that caused the growth on my arms, but I truly feel that even if I do have something going on hormonally, my arms wouldn’t have been affected by it if I had just accepted the fine hair on my arms and not tried to change my appearance with laser hair removal on that area. I have been so extremely depressed from this situation and I resorted to electrolysis last October, and then stopped in December after my electrologist recommended I just stick with laser on such a large area, which I refuse to do. I received a total of ten hours of electrolysis (I believe I received thermolysis with an Apilus) on my upper arms and I feel like it did absolutely nothing. There was still so much hair to be removed and then my electrologist convinced me it wouldn’t be worth it to keep getting electrolysis on a large area like that. Since December I did nothing to the hair except be so incredibly uncomfortable and depressed over it, but I just haven’t wanted to even deal with it. About two weeks ago I decided to wax it myself because I just couldn’t bear to look at it anymore. I’m still uncomfortable even with the waxing though because the thick hairs growing back there look weird and stubbly. Basically I’m at a complete loss and I don’t know what to do about it anymore. I think about it almost every second of every day. It has completely taken over my life and I’m so angry at myself for ever trying to remove the hair there in the first place. I’m not sure if I should find a new electrologist who can maybe give me quicker results or if I should just keep waxing it forever. I’ve already spent so much money on this area between the laser treatments and the electrolysis (my electrologist charges me $65 an hour, which I know is reasonable, but not if she’s not doing a good job). I just need some feedback or suggestions as I feel completely hopeless. I would include pictures, but there’s really not much to see since I waxed it a couple weeks ago. I will say though that I know the hair isn’t terrible…it is sparse and I really can’t even see it when I stand a foot away from the mirror, but up close some of the growth that is there is dark, thick, and long. I apologize for such a long post here, but I wanted to give as much information as possible in order to receive some helpful answers so I can just start living my life again. Thanks in advance for any replies.
I don’t agree that electrolysis is not for large areas. Ten hours on the upper arms with thermolysis (machine brand doesn’t assure speed and success) should have made a dent, but you say it did nothing. Ten hours over two months is not enough time.
I personally would like to see a picture or two of your upper arms with the hair grown out, in its natural state. Induced laser hair stimulation is a possibility on the upper arms of men, so why not women? I would say this could be so in your case? The upper arms are not hormonally dependent areas, so that’s why laser stimulation make sense.
As for your forearms, it is a possibility that the laser stunned the hair and halted its growth long term and for some reason, ten years later, the hair started to reve up again. Just an educated guess and I admit that I can’t say for sure what happened in your case. What you report is very important and many of us have noted your story. On the other hand, perhaps you are still developing your hair patterns and that is new hair.
If your hair is fine, it is good that you refused further laser treatment. Your only remedy is electrolysis. If you can shop around for an electrologist who is aggressive and resolved enough to do your arms with full confidence, then you will be fine. Large areas are not the domain of laser if the hair is too fine or too light. It can do nothing for you, so don’t waste your time or money. A professional electrologist, with the passion and pride it takes to do a job well, will save you.
Thank you for the response Dee! I will post pictures eventually, but probably not for a month or so, as the hair has been waxed recently. From what I’ve gathered looking around this website, it seems a lot of people work by completing a first clearance, second clearance, and so on. At the rate I was going with my electrologist, I don’t think there ever would have been a full clearance at one time, and my arms would also be in a constant state of scabbing. It seems that before we would have even gotten to all the hair for the first time, some of the already treated hairs would be growing back.
That being said, I’ve been having a difficult time finding an electrologist who is willing to put in enough time and be aggressive enough to really give me the results I need to feel good about mysel again. Any chance you happen to know of a good electrologist somewhere on Long Island, NY, particularly Suffolk County? Thanks again for your help, and I will post pictures when the hair returns to a more natural state.
Are you close to here?
http://www.electrolysisinformation.com/
The Gior siblings would be a great choice for your needs.
You can have laser induced pretty much anywhere. I know a laser tech who refuses to give up her laser treatments even tho I’ve seen the hair get worse on her face, neck and chest (collar bone, breast bone, breasts). The energy is NOT too low: the hair WAS too fine even tho its dark.
You may see the hairs on your upper arms continually get worse for up to 8 months maybe a yr due to the laser treated hairs coming back. Or you may see certain months the hairs worse/thicker throughout the yrs. This is most likely the laser treated hairs going through its hair cycles.
All is not lost tho, thanks to electrolysis. Just try to be patient since laser induced hair is trickier to treat due to the returning “laser hairs”. Goodluck finding the right electrologist 
PS. yes lasered hairs on your lower arms can definitely come back with or without a hormonal reason. 7-10 years seem to be a common timeline for lasered hair to return. Nobody truly knows how long lasered hair stays away?
Dee, thank you for the suggestion. They are a good 45 minute trip from me, but I might be willing to make it if they will work on me for more than one hour at a time, which is the problem I’ve been running into. Ill have to give them a call to set up a consultation. Thanks again!
CareBear, thanks for your input! My last laser treatment on my upper arms was about 10 months ago, so I think the worst is over. I am hoping that it is just a coincidence that the hair on my forearms is growing back now too, and not that there is something going on with my body that no one is picking up on. Thank you for the electrolysis words of encouragement!
This may not apply to you Cichigirl but, I should mention that alot of times after the laser sessions are done people may think the remaining hairs look worse/longer.
This is because the the hair pattern has now reversed. The thicker/darker hairs on the front forearm hairs are now finer and sparser while the upper arms and underside of forearms remain unchanged. These hairs look worse/longer compared to the forearms now.
Mine are this way now, but I don’t feel I had laser-stimulated hairs on my arms. This applies to full legs if the thighs originally had finer hairs than the lower leg or vise-versa.
Laser-stimulated hairs are not all that common, but they can for sure happen anywhere the hairs are too fine and the settings are too low (even tho my last post mentioned the energy not mattering. I should have said it wasn’t too low in HER case). Hormones and genetics do factor in too.
I lasered almost every part of my body and the only place I saw stimulated hairs was on my neck and it was only 2-3 treatments when I saw a difference and stopped (I did not laser my face except upper lip). There was also area’s where the laser did barely anything (good or bad).
I will add I had many Photofacials (IPL) on my face and I did notice my vellus hairs are a 1/2-1 mm longer (not darker or thicker) than before.
Hi Dfahey,
I had a similar problem with thighs. I have been doing treatments for nearly 3 years now. Hair has reduced dramatically after so many treatments. But I still get regrowth. I do not go for long intervals without treatment as I can not phantom the sight of the long hairs on my thighs, this is also another thing. The hair has become so long when it grows.
Are thighs hormonally dependent areas? Or is it just laser stimulation with hairs still coming through?
I know I do not have PCOS.
Can the thigh area also, be androgen sensitive area?
Hello professionals, I would like to know the answer to the above question as well. I have a similar situation on my thighs as mentioned above. I have been performing treatments for some time now as well, approximately 2 years. Is this normal?
Thank you,
Meme
Yasm and me me, your thigh hair is not hormone sensitive hair. If you are doing the prescribed treatments from your qualified laser tech and after two years of treatment has not finished the job then you are wasting your money. You now need to finish with electrolysis and it is going to take another 12-18 months.
Thank you for your response.
No, I do not do any laser treatments any longer. I stopped 3 years ago. I also started my electrolysis treatment 2 years ago. The lady I visit is a professional electrologist. She is one of the best in the business.
I am unsure as to how long hair will continue growing on thighs after laser treatment.
Meme