I had my first treatment on my neck about 4 days ago. The picture attached is taken today. Is this normal? Also the reddness has not subsided. what can I do?
That is a little harsh for 4 days later. Has it subsided at all in that time period? You don’t show any signs of scabbing though. You should be OK.
Your treatment must have hurt like hell! I’ve never been that red. BTW, a fair amount of pain in the beard area is normal.
Some things to try: Aquaphor is good but may be a little bit greasy for the neck. Tend Skin may help too. Skinceuticals makes an excellent product called Phyto Corrective Gel. My practitioner puts it on my armpits after an electrolysis session and it works great. It’s a little better and not as greasy as Aquaphor. The Phyto is very expensive though:
http://www.skinwest.com/cgi-bin/onlinesh…_Corrective_Gel
I just go with the Phyto she puts on after a treatment and I am not charged for that. It’s too expesive to just go buy a whole bottle of it. It is really good stuff though. The fact it is non-oily makes it good for the beard and neck. If you don’t mind the greasiness, get some Aquaphor, available at Walmart or just about anywhere else. I have had Aquaphor after most of my chest and armpit electrolysis treaments and it helps with redness and prevents scabbing.
What laser you were treated with? From the looks of it I would guess you were treated with an alexandrite or diode. Your skin looks dark enough that you would be better off with a Nd:YAG laser. It causes less post treatment redness and swelling in the beard/neck area.
RJC2001
I’m not sure what type of laser it was, but will find out. It did hurt like hell. I’ve never been tasered, but I thnk I might know how it feels. I’ve been using Aquaphor and Bactraban since I had it done. I’m considering seeing my dermatologist, just in case. Thanks for the advice. When should I see it clear up by?
I would think it would clear up in another week or so. If you go to a dermatologist they will probably put you on oral Prednisone (a corticosteroid) to help reduce the swelling and redness. Prednisone is OK to be on for a week or so, but the long term side effects are not good. If you are in pain and want to reduce the inflammation more quickly taking Prednisone short term would be OK.
It looks like you shed almost immediately. Did the hairs eject out of the follicles during treatment?
It would be helpful to know what fluence and pulse width was used along with the laser type. Usually the beard is not treated that aggressively for the first treatment. The beard hairs are usually thick and dense (close together) so lower fluences are normally used to begin with in the beard area. You will be OK though eventually.
No, this is nothing like being tasered. That’s a totally different experience!
RJC2001
Do you know any stores that sell Phyto Corrective gel?
I’m thinking that upscale spa’s/salon’s or upscale department stores may sell this, but better yet you can find anything online. Why don’t you try Shopzilla.com so you can compare prices, since this stuff is expensive.
I’m thinking that upscale spa’s/salon’s or upscale department stores may sell this, but better yet you can find anything online. Why don’t you try Shopzilla.com so you can compare prices, since this stuff is expensive.
It is probably cheapest online. I told my practitioner how much it was online and she offered to match the price. It never hurts to ask.
I like it because it’s not greasy and it is less likely to stain shirts than aquaphor, though I haven’t had a problem with the Aquaphor so far.
RJC2001
Thanks Dee and RJC!
I compared prices online by going to several websites including Phyto Corrective gel’s company site, and on there they had a search feature to find stores that sell their products. Here’s the site: http://www.skinceuticals.com/dealer.asp
I thought I’d just go to a store to see how much more it would cost, but actually it’s the same price ($45), so I bought it. I hope it works. I have a few hypopigmentation spots on my thighs. It’s very light brown. Do you know how long it will take for them to go away? like a few weeks while using the phyto gel twice a day?
I don’t know how long, but would you keep track and let us know when you are satisfied and back to normal?
And gosh, thanks for that link. I typed in my zip code and discovered that one of the doctors listed as a distributor is the mother of my son’s friend. Thanks to you RJC for mentioning the phyto corrective gel, as I have not heard of that before.
Dee
Sure!
Well, I used phyto on one thigh and 2% hydroquinone on the other leg for a week to see which one worked better. I think the hydroquinone worked better, but the phyto was good too. Phyto would be better to use right after treatment to soothe and calm the skin after lasering.