I had laser hair removal with Gentlelase candela at 25Joules/15cm2. Skin type 3 to 4 on Fitzpatrick scale. How long does it take for the round hyperpigmented circles to fade away completely. Its been 7 days since first treatment. I can still see some minor evidence of the round hyperpigmented circles on my back. Is this normal and how long does it take for the skin to completely go back to normal color?
It’s more common than many practitioners care to admit, but it sounds as if yours is somewhat mild.
If you avoid sun in the treated area, exfoliate, and possibly use a lightening agent, you may be able to reduce the appearance, but it may take some time to resolve (a few weeks to a few months).
Thanks Andrea…
I have another question. Is there any over the counter fade creams? And can I use it in between treatments or is it a waste of money because each treatment will cause the hyperpigmentation again?
How long does the fading cream take to work?
ALso, for my skin type of 4, is 25Joules/15cm2 from the Gentlelase candela laser reasonable to achieve a good response for hair reomoval? Or is there another laser you recommend for my skin type that will have less hyperpigmentation and better long term hair removal?
BTW–You offer excellent information…
Thanks
The Gentlelase is an alexandrite laser. I am a type 4 and have had better results with the Lightsheer ET which is a diode laser. I have been treated at higher fluences with the Lightsheer, up to 45 Joules,with less scabbing than with the alexandrite lasers.
What you think is hyperpigmentation may actually just be scabbing and it will go away in a few weeks. When the the scabs fall off the skin undrneath will be lighter but once you go out in the sun it all evens out again. At least that has been my experience.
A lot of people have had disappointing results at 25 Joules but your results may vary.
RJC2001
Thanks RJC2001.
So do you think it requires more treatments with the Gentlelase Candela to get the same results with less treatments with Lightsheer ET? Or from what you have seen, will the Gentlelase not give good results at all regardless of how many treatments?
Thanks
</font><blockquote><font size=“1” face=“Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif”>quote:</font><hr /><font size=“2” face=“Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif”>Originally posted by RJC2001:
<strong>The Gentlelase is an alexandrite laser. I am a type 4 and have had better results with the Lightsheer ET which is a diode laser. I have been treated at higher fluences with the Lightsheer, up to 45 Joules,with less scabbing than with the alexandrite lasers.
What you think is hyperpigmentation may actually just be scabbing and it will go away in a few weeks. When the the scabs fall off the skin undrneath will be lighter but once you go out in the sun it all evens out again. At least that has been my experience.
A lot of people have had disappointing results at 25 Joules but your results may vary.
RJC2001</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size=“2” face=“Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif”>
Others on the list have had disappointing results with the Gentlelase. OTOH, some have had success with it. My practitioner told me that the Gentlelase is not as good as the Apogee which is a more powerful alexandrite. The Lightsheer may very well take fewer treatments than the Gentlelase. Up to 60J is available but with Type IV skin you probably won’t see that level. 40-45J has given me very good results with the Lightsheer.
It seems to me that if 25 Joules is the highest fluence level available with the Gentlelase that would limit its effectiveness.
RJC2001
BTW, I had no scabbing at all with the Lightsheer until I hit 45J.
RJC2001
B2002, you can get Porcelana and other vanishing creams. Most contain hydroquinone. You also find them at stores that cater to African-Americans. Ask your pharmacist-- I’m sure there are a couple of products at your local store, but you may need to special order stronger concentrations.
Hi Andrea,
Thanks for the great info.
Can I use hydroquinone creams in between treatments? Or is it a waste of time and money because the hyperpigmentation will come back after each laser treatment?
Does it negatively affect the results of each lasr treatment?
Thanks!
RJC2001–
How many treatments with Lightsheer did you have until you were satisfied? I originally had my 1st treatment done with Candela Gentlelase, but am thinking of switching to the lightsheer…I have type 4 skin…Would you recommend switching after 1 treatment with candela gentlelase…Do you think I would benefit a lot by going with lightsheer…
It seems like you have had a lot of luck with lightsheer…
Thanks
QUOTE]Originally posted by RJC2001:
<strong>Others on the list have had disappointing results with the Gentlelase. OTOH, some have had success with it. My practitioner told me that the Gentlelase is not as good as the Apogee which is a more powerful alexandrite. The Lightsheer may very well take fewer treatments than the Gentlelase. Up to 60J is available but with Type IV skin you probably won’t see that level. 40-45J has given me very good results with the Lightsheer.
It seems to me that if 25 Joules is the highest fluence level available with the Gentlelase that would limit its effectiveness.
RJC2001</strong>[/QUOTE]
I have had 3 treatments each for the chest, abs and upper arms, and two on my back. Before that, I had several treatments, 6 or 7, with the Apogee. So a lot of hair was removed before I started the Lightsheer.
One thing you notice with laser treatments is diminishing returns. This is normal. It seems to me that about 30-40% of REMAINING hair is permanently removed at each treatment. That is why I noticed the most hair being removed at my first 3 Apogee treatments. There was simply more hair to be removed. So as you have more and more treatments there is less hair left so there is less to remove. Also, the hair that is left is finer. However I still observed a noticeable improvement after each session.
When I switched to the Lightsheer, I noticed that more hair was being removed at these later treatment sessions. It seemed that the diminishing returns were improving compared to the Apogee.
Another thing I noticed with the diode lasers like the Lightsheer and Iridex is that I had less post treatment pain and redness and the redness did not last as long. I also had less scabbing compared to the Apogee too. I have type IV skin and have to stay out of the sun for about 3 months before my tan fades enough for laser. Based on my experience, I believe that the diode type lasers are definitely better for people that have darker skin.
So to answer your question, yes I would switch to the Lightsheer, especially if you had disappointing results with the Gentlelase. I really believe that 20J is too low to see meaningful results, at least in my case.
Now if I had my beard done, I would have to at least start out at about 20J to thin it out because my beard is so dense. Otherwise I would experience severe redness and swelling, not too mention the pain. My practitioner warned me that having the beard done is a lot more painful.
Hope this helps.
RJC2001
You can continue using hydroguinone, B2002, but it’s unknown what effect this will have on laser treatment. The best way to avoid recurring discoloration is getting treated at the right energy level for your skin tone and avoiding all sun a few weeks before and after treatment. Even that is no guarantee, though.