lightsheer too painful for male facial hair?

i called one of the local laser offices that uses this laser… and they said that while it is possible to do, that none of there patients found it bearable, so they stopped offering the service.

anyone else heard of this?
how about if emla was used?

My practitioner uses the Lightsheer on beards. She is very experienced at it and says you just have to be careful. do a test spot, and not to have the fluence turned up so high. I was thinking of having my beard done but we decided it was best to do one body part at a time. I wanted to finish my chest and back which is almost done. I was thinking of getting my legs done next, but they aren’t extremely hairy and shaving does a satisfacotry job. I’ve heard it doesn’t take as many treatments to get all the hair on the legs removed.

RJC2001

I might add that the Lightsheer can pck quite a punch as it can deliver up to 60J. I had my chest done at 45J and you can really feel that. No anesthetics for me though.

One thing about the Lightsheer is that the pain seems to disappear after treament more quickly than with the Apogee alexandrite. That could be due to the contact cooling system of the Lightsheer.

RJC2001

To RJC2001: I’ve read a lot of your posts on this board, and you seem to have found a good LightSheer practitioner.

I’m in the Long Island - Nassau County area, and I’ve gone for EpiLight treatments mostly on the back, but some on my upper chest, and a couple of adventurous attempts at the facial area(ouch). Overall, the back responded pretty well, but the face didn’t at all.

It seems like the LightSheer is generally more effective, albeit more ‘intense’. I’d like to try LightSheer on my beard(it’s very thick and dark, and since I have sensitive skin, even shaving with an electric razor greatly irritates my face, and I never quite get a ‘clean shaven’ look), but it seems necessary to go to someone who is specifically experienced with this.

Is your practitioner anywhere in the NY area? You mentioned that you might try getting your beard done. Have you, and was the pain tolerable? I was thinking about asking my dermatologist for some Vicodin ES tablets just to make the experience a little more bearable. Any advice?

I haven’t had my beard done yet. I have had the lower part of my neck done right up to where the beard starts. My lower neck is hair free, although I have to fgive the Apogee 40 credit for that. After one or tow treatments the lower neck hair in the front is just about totally gone. I did have a small section done above the lower neck with the Lightsheer and it did hurt more than on other areas, but the results were good and it makes me want to consider having my beard done in the future. I don’t know what fluence my neck was done at but I pretty sure it was not 45 Joules. I did not hae much redness on the front of my neck at all after the Lightsheer treatment. I did have more redness with the Apogee on the lower area. The Apogee did hurt just as much as the Lightsheer too.

Maybe you can try Emla on your beard. I don’t know if it can be uded there so I would ask a dermatologist.

I think I can handle the pain of having my beard done and I have total confidence in my practitioner. She has treated several beards and the results have been very good. Some guys have had swelling so the fluence level had to be lowered.

I don’t expect to have every hair on my beard removed but it would be great if that happened. I would be happy if it was only made grow back finer and more slowly. For me the beard is the hardest part to shave and takes the longest.

While you are considering laser I would suggest trying the Braun Synchro 7526 electric shaver. It is by far the best electric I have ever used. I have NEVER had any skin irritation from it and it has shaved closer than any electric I hve tried period.

RJC2001

I have undergone my first treatment with Lightsheer on my face. My practitioner started with only 12 joules, which seemed low at first. She explained that we could get more aggressive when the density of hair lessens. At 12 joules, the pain was very tolerable.

Emla cream can be used on the face but it has to remain on the skin for at least an hour before treatment with an occlusive covering ie saran wrap, for it to be effective. For me personally, it did not provide enough pain relief to be worth the hassle when treating a small area such as the face. Some find that oral pain medications are just as effective at taking the “bite” out of the pain. Staying away from caffeine and being well rested before treatment can also help reduce pain.

RJC2001-
Funny, I have the Synchro 7526, but I’ve settled on the Panasonic Linear Wet/Dry, which is the best I’ve used so far.

I think I’ll try the neck first. I’m guessing that your practitioner isn’t anywhere near NY? I’m sure I can find a competent place in Nassau.

JGirl76-
It’s interesting that they’re going to get more intense as the hair thins, instead of vice versa, but it does make sense when you think about it. Emla does seem to be a big pain. I’d rather just pop the pill and be done with it!

Thanks all for your help. I’ll report back with any news.

Male facial hair is by far the most difficult challenge in hair removal, especially if you are seeking a permanent result. Laser can be helpful for knocking thei hairs down, and some have been pleased with laser alone. However, I strongly urge anyone considering removal of male facial hair by laser to find someone extremely experienced in the technique. Try to meet a client who is done and happy.

If your hair is dark and skin light, you may have a good results, but if your hair is very dense or coarse or both, expect it to be a pretty unpleasant experience.

It’s possible to get striping and patchy regrowth, which many men have found to be unsatisfactory. That’s why once you start, you may have to commit to continuing until you’re pretty much done.