LHR in Edinburgh, Scotland...questions and concerns

Hi, I’ve just found this site, and I’m very impressed already. What a great resource!

My background is this: I suffer from severe inherited hairiness…I’ve been tested for PCOS and the usual hormonal things, and I was on Yasmin for a year with no discerable difference in hair growth. I have finally decided to take the plunge and get LHR on my tummy (very large area under navel), my thighs, and my upper/inner thigh/inner buttock area. I have recently moved to Edinburgh, Scotland from the States, and have only found one LHR practitioner local to me (They are a Laserase clinic). I have gone for a consultation, and the doctor determined I am an ideal candidate, and should see good results (pale skin, dark course hair). However, she told me that they do not treat the inner buttock area, as it is too painful. Now this sounded like a bit of a prude cop-out. Shouldn’t it be up to me to decide what is too painful? I am desperate to get rid of this problem…I can deal with pain. It’s only the one female doctor at the clinic that treats female body hair, and I was a bit disappointed. That is one of the areas concerning me most.

Also, they charge £50 for a test patch, and £75 per 15 minutes of treatment. Considering the area I need treated, that would amount to £350-400 per treatment, and was told to expect 10-12 treatments. How does this compare with other clinics in the UK? Unfortunately, I’ve not been able to find another clinic close enough to make ‘shopping around’ possible atm, as I’m working long hours.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Is it usual for a clinic to not treat a certain area? And am I right in thinking the pricing is a bit steep? (I did my initial LHR in the States, so perhaps the cost of treatment in the UK compares unfavorably with cost in the US). Are there any good clinics in Glasgow?

Thank you in advance <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

-kate

What I have found is that many clinics will be a little more lenient about areas they treat if you are a regular customer. Another option is to say that you will take steps to ensure that pain relief is taken care of. There is a topical anesthetic called Ametop (made by Smith & Nephew) that’s only available in Europe. This gel can make most laser treatments tolerable, even the sensitive area you mention. However, it takes so tme to figure our how it works best for each person, and some people do not respond well. recommend using it as you undergo treatment if they will let you, and when you figure out how best to use it (usually leaving it on covered with plastic wrap for 20+ minutes), you might ask it they would treat that area. This stuff will greatly deaden the pain.

For more on Topical Anesthetics, see:

http://www.hairfacts.com/tips/pain/painprods.html

I just finished yesterday - I think - LHR treatment for my bikini (or more like upper thighs). The place it hurt the most was at the top inside of my thigh - the crease of my leg. I did not have any local topical pain meds, but I would surely suggest them. I could only handle few zaps at a time in this area, where as in the “normal” bikini area I could go for about 15 to 20 pulses before a breather. So I’m not to sure about the prude cop out…It freakin hurt. Anyway it is all well worth it…being able to wear a bikini bottom w/o a giant razor rash. I’m in the US so I have no recommendations…
Good Luck!