lightsheer, cooglide, lyra, how do i decide?

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

hello,

ive posted my situation on the ‘other’ popular hair removal forum, but didnt get much of a response. maybe ill fare better here…

im interested in LHR but cant decide between lasers. i have dark type III - light IV skin (well, this is the range of values i was given by the different techs i met) and id like to get my legs done. my hair is black and pretty coarse/dense. ive had some test spots, but its soo hard to decide which is best for me! perhaps i could get some advice.

Test 1: Coolglide. 55J. hurt sooo much. so much. 1 month later, the spot on my upper leg is bare, however the one on my lower has some dark spots… its the pain, and the technician (didnt like her), that makes me want to avoid this laser…but the results do seem good.

Test 2: Lightsheer. well, this didnt hurt as much. she used 28J, 30ms. no discolouration. its been over a week, and i can see some hair growing back. maybe 1/2. i really liked the tech and the laser, but im not sure these levels will be effective. plus i would have to avoid the sun for sure, and she wouldnt be able to treat part of my bikini area thats too dark. but she was very informative and up front…tough call

Test 3: Lyra Laser. another long pulse, but i heard this one would hurt less because of the cooling method. she used 40ms/44. and though it was painful, more than lightsheer, it wasnt as bad as coolglide. i just had this test spot recently, so cant say much about how effective it was…

so is pain an indication of effectiveness? what about actually hearing the hairs ‘pop’? i would say coolglide did the most popping…followed by lightsheer…

im trying to figure out how i can tell which laser is most effective for me. any help would be appreciated :smile: . obviously each tech tells me theirs works best…its hard to get an unbiased answer

#2

Hi: Coolglide would be your best machine, since it is very high-powered and efficient for darker skin types as well as light. The initial setting used for your skin color and hair density was too high, which could be why you had some discoloration. Also, it must be stated that you must wear sunblock and avoid direct sun exposure immediately after treatment. The Lightsheer is inappropriate for your skin type - in order to treat you safely, the fluence must be too low to get effective hair removal. The Lyra is just too under-powered to be effective on all skin types. Try topical anesthetic, especially for the bikini area. One hour or more, occluded with plastic wrap. I hope this information helps - keep us posted! :wink:

#3

thanks for your response.

i will make a decision soon. i think i know the coolglide will work best for me, i just havent come to terms with the pain factor. how in the world am i going to sit through 2 hours of torture…oh dear.

i will post updates as i go along.

couple questions: why is the lyra ‘less’ powered? i thought all long pulse lasers had equal power. is it true they are better for treating coarse hair (becuase its deeper rooted?) i have been told by some tech’s that my coarse hair will need more tx’s. while others tell me the exact opposite. i suppose im trying to figure out which tech was being more honest (or better informed).

as for anesthetic creams, i have considered them. but they are $$ (i live in canada). how much would i go through per tx? im thinking of covering my bikini area, and maybe my knees…

#4

Hi Hair: the power I am referring to is the wattage that the machine itself can generate. For example, the Lyra has 6,000 watts of peak power, and the Coolglide has 14,000 watts of peak power. This means that the machine can achieve certain setting parameters that can treat different skin types and hair types. A Coolglide can be set at 60/10 at peak power, which makes it effective for type1 and 2 skins with dark hair. A Lyra cannot go that high in fluence, nor that low in milliseconds, so it can only achieve fluence/ms settings appropriate for type 4-6 skin types (ie: 30/30, 35/30, etc). All lasers work most effectively on dark, coarse hairs: most cannot do anything about lighter, finer hairs, even light brown or black hairs. Topical anesthetic for bikini area could last you through 3-5 treatments, depending upon your application and area being treated. You need to consult with your technician about this- as they should be able to provide you with it. I hope this info helps - keep us posted.

#5

Hairfetish, do you treated suntanned skin with the Coolglide? IF yes, how long before and after treatment must one wait to go back out in the sun?

How does the maximum fluence of the Coolglide compare with the Sciton, which is also a Nd:YAG 1064 laser?

RJC2001

#6

You better read this site very carefully before you have any kind of treatments: ElectrolysisInformation.com