My 2 Year Experience: Laser on my BACK+SHOULDERS, 24 yr old male.

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

I am 24, male, dark hair, tanned-light skin.

I had laser treatment on my back and shoulders for over two and 1/2 years now. (Candela’s GentLase) For the first two years, I had treatments once every 6-8 weeks. Since then, I just do it every few months.

Overall, it has not worked. After 8 weeks, everything grows back again. I am hairless for only about 5 weeks. I am very dissapointed and don’t know what to do anymore. I’ve spent probably $2000 so far. My specialists blame the results on my age, which I don’t really buy.

I’m moving to another city and may consider going to another treatment center. Does anyone have any advice for me?? What can I do?? Should I try Comet, or any of the newer machines??

#2

Hello.
I’m sorry to hear that laser isn’t removing your hair. But has your hair gotten any thinner? I have gone to 6 treatments for my back and shoulders and the hairs just get thinner and thinner after every session. Haven’t you seen this result on you?
And another thing, have you seen some new hair growing close to the places you were lasered? I meen new hair on places where you didn’t have hair before laser? Not a lot but still new hair you do not remember having before. I think I’m seeing this on my shoulder area and down towards my “clavicula”.

Amir <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />

#3

i don’t really think they got thinner. If they did, I cannot see the difference. I’m just wondering if the machines they use have different results on different people.

I never really experienced new hair, but it may be just natural growth that youre seeing. Are you comfortable with your “thinning” hair?

Can I ask how old you are? i just want to know if age makes a difference.

#4

It’s not that you’ve just registered yesterday after two and a half years of treatments, but you say you’ve been having this done, and have spent $2000?

52 weeks / 7 week intervals on average = 7.43
7.43 treatments per year x 2 years = 14.86 treatments

14.86 treatments + 3 treatments in the last half year =17.86

$2000 dollars / 17.86 treatments = $111.98 per treatment for back and shoulders.

No. Sorry. Even at the cheapest place I’ve seen back and shoulders runs at least $400 per treatment. Something is wrong. Period.

I really get tired of these posts where the person registers the day of or the day before just maligning laser treatment. I don’t find them credible. They are misleading. They really don’t scathe a successful industry that is proving itself everyday. And I really think it’s unfortunate people would resort to this.

#5

what settings were used? how far apart? the pricing doesn’t add up either as mantaray points out. you need to provide more details. does everything shed every time?

#6

Hello again.
I am 21 years old and I am glad that my hair has gotten thinner although I hoped it would bee completely gone (I believe I do see some real removal too but I think that it will grow back gradualy although thinner). The degree of thinning is actually very high, I meen I had my last treatment 50 days ago and on those places where they didn’t miss the hair is very much thinner then before when I had pubic like hair which was coarse and thick and wiry. On the missed areas the hair is thicker but that’s also because they missed some of those areas several times. I should also say that I have brown skinn, I think Fitzpatrik 5, and therefore can’t bee treated with maximum fluency. I have had my 6 treatments with the IPL machine (not laser) Medilux and the settings were 21J and 20ms the first five sessions and 24J on the last session. Because my practitioners miss so many spots and because they refuse to zap the missed spots (the missed areas are possible to detect after aproxamitly 8 days because they don’t shed) and because they are VERY expensive compared to other clinics that have the same device and also lasers and do a follow up session where they treat missed areas for free, I’m going to change my clinic.

I don’t know exactly what to think about my results, I meen that the hair is not gone but instead very fine. I guess fine hair is less visible and realy easy to wax without so much pain and problems with ingrown hair when they are growing back again (I waxed my back before when I had coarse hair and although the results was good it hurt a lot and when thick hair is growing back it’s like little aliens bursting out of you skinn, hehe). But I don’t know if my hair will remain this thinn, although two independent doctors (one of them a reputated dermatologist who himself has worked with laser hair removal for 7 years) said that the thinning probably is long lasting because the follicles have been damaged.
I’m actualy going to treat my arms, chest and abdomen too because my hair is very thick and uggly and I would bee pleased if it became thinn. But I’m concerned about patchyness although I think that this will eaven out if I get enough treatments to thinnn most hairs to the degree where they don’t get much thinner any more.

Also I am very worried about the new hair growth I have been seeing above my claviculas. It’s like sporadic hairs just popping up in places not så close to the actual “forest”, but it’s not much at all actually and not thick. I have heard on this forum about men and women who have had new hair growth because of laser and it sounds like a nightmare for anyone already suffering from too much hair!

Amir <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

#7

sounds like your experience with an IPL didn’t work out that well and I would recommend finding someone with a Yag laser, especially if you’re going to do other areas. Yag lasers won’t cause any burns at any settings because they don’t work by targeting the dark pigment. they are made for darker skin tones. if you do do this, please come back and post. it would be nice to have an actual comparison between an IPL and a Yag. many people do see results with Yags or other true lasers when they dont with IPL treatments. I suggest you at least try one treatment with a Yag and see the difference it makes.

#8

Hello lagirl and thankyou for your answer.
I don’t know if there is any clinic here in Stockholm (the capital city of Sweden) that has Yag-laser. What names does the devices go under?
At the clinic that I am switching to, they have a LightSheer Diod laser too. Should I try LightSheer instead of IPL? But don’t you think that the thinning of my hairs is a long lasting result? And how is the Yag-laser supposed to target the hairs if it doesn’t target dark pigment?

#9

Actually it seems like most clinics here in Stockholm have Yag-laser but only use it for removing tatoos and wrinkles, not hair removal.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

#10

Hello again lagirl, hehe.
I just wonder, if I am a Fitzaptrick skin type 5 (moderately pigmanted brown skin that never burns and always tans) and have coarse black and very pigmented hair, what settings should I bee treated with when using LightSheer?
I would like to know before I start using LightSheer so that I can argue with my practitioner, hehehe.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

#11

LightSheer is not a good laser for you because settings that would be high enough to actually kill the hair will burn your skin. It’s a laser for light skin and dark hair.

Yag lasers are made by various manufacturers. Some that I know off the top of my head are Coolglide by Cutera, GentleYag by Candela, Lyra… Check out the Cutera and Candela websites and run a provider search. Maybe there is something in your country.

Thinning of the hair is not bad, but if you’re paying that much money, you should be getting much better results, don’t you think? Plus, if hair got thinner now, there is no way to know if it will get more coarse later on again.

Here’s an explanation on how Yag lasers work:

"The long pulse Nd:YAG laser is the “newest” hair removal laser. Because it’s 1064nm infrared beam is poorly absorbed by skin and pigment, it may be safely used in all skin types, including tanned patients. Large spot sizes and fast repetition rates allow large areas to be treated quickly. Disadvantages include more discomfort during treatment and less effective clearance for fine and light hairs than the other hair removal lasers. "

“Shorter wavelength lasers such as the Ruby and Alexandrite are hightly absorbed by melanin, and can deliver more energy to ligher, finer hairs, but with more absorption in skin melanin and risk of blistering. Longer wavelength laser such as the Diode and Nd:YAG penetrate deeper into the skin, and are less well absorbed by melanin, and so can be safely used in darker skin types, but with much less effect on lighter, finer hair.”

#12

Thank you for your answer lagirl.
But isn’t LightSheer a Diode laser? Here in Sweden clinics say that LightSheer can be used on dark skin because it has puls widths up to 100ms or something like that. I don’t know realy, but a reputated dermatologis here who has held seminares in my own university (I studie medicine in Stockholm) about laser hair removal uses LightSheer on patients with my skin type. He says that proper cooling makes it fine to use that laser but he also says that IPL works as well and that it’ mostly how skilled the practitioner is that determines wether you get good treatment or not. But I will try to find those lasers you informed me about. Thank you very much.
Also, do you know of men who have experienced laser induced haur growth on areas near those treated with lser? I don’t know if this is what I am seeing on the areas above my claviculas or if it is natural hair growth. But the thing is that I got my body hair very early and it has not changed much at all during many years, and now suddenly I see some hair growing outside the original hairy areas.

Sorry for my horrible english.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

#13

First of all, your english isn’t all that bad so don’t worry about it. Other examples of the Nd:YAG laser would be Sciton (my favorite) and the Apogee Elite.

Whether the Lightsheer can be used on type V skin is still a matter of debate. At very long pulse widths, possibly. With Lightsheer, software updates can extend the pulse widths to 400ms. I would still prefer the Nd:YAG for type V skin.

Check out this interesting comparison of lasers and IPL. [color:“blue”] Laser Comparison [/color]

They are a little harsh on Nd:YAGs,other than that their information seems to be pretty accurate. I have had great success with Nd:YAGs.

RJC2001

#14

IrianboySweden

I believe that the Lightsheer can be used on darker patients if the technician is experienced and knows what she/he does. I’m not that dark but I’m not pale white either and when I started laser treatments with the Lightsheer I got some burns so I switched clinic. The new technician uses higher settings and has never burned me.

Do you have a name of the Swedish dermatologist you are talking about? I also live in Stockholm…

/Carter

#15

Hi Carter! Do you speak Swedish?
The dermatologist has his clinik in Uppsala. His name is Peter Norén and the name of the clinic is Laserkliniken.
Where did you get treated the first time when you got burned and where are you beeing treated now?
I have had my first 6 treatments at a place called Stockholm medical skin care center, awful how they have a english name!! hahahaha

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

#16

Hi RJC2001 and thankyou for answering.
They don’t have all the different kind of lasers you have in USA for hair removal here in Sweden. My choise is either IPL or LightSheer. Is there realy LightSheer lasers that can go up to 400ms? Here I think there is only up to 100ms.
And I have a question for you, when you get hair reduction like on your chest or armes, is this reduction somewhat eaven or does it look strange? On my back it lookes very patchy because of all the spots they missed, but where they haven’t missed the hair is muck more eaven. What is you experience?

#17

Yes I do speak Swedish. I have heard of Peter Noren and his clinic before, but since it’s in Uppsala and I live in Stockholm I haven’t gone there.

The clinic where I got burned is located in Skåne and called Citadellkliniken. I’m now getting treatments at Genilab in Stockholm, have you heard of them?

/Carter

#18

Hej igen. Jag skriver på svenska eftersom det är enklare och jag tror inte att det är så många här som är intresserade av kliniker i Sverige.
Jag hade också betänkligheter vad gäller att åka till Uppsala, men egentligen så är det inte särskilt långt bort, endast 35 minuter med tåg från Centralen och kliniken är mycket centralt belägen i Uppsala så det tar 5 min att gå dit från tågstationen (jag var på konsultation där).
Jag visste inte om klinik Genilab där du behandlas. Jag tänker själv på att byta till Lasercenter i Solna men har inte bestämt mig ännu, de har bara funnits i ett år.

Vilka kroppsområden behandlar du och hur mycket tar kliniken betalt? Är de skickliga tycker du?

Kliniken i Solna har rimliga priser om man börjar behandla nu till augusti eller september då allt är till halva priset. Och börjar man nu så fortsätter man sedan med samma halverade pris, dvs priset ökar inte när sommaren är över. De har både LightSheer och Starlux som är en IPL av samma slag och samma tillverkare som den maskin jag behandlats med på Stockholm medical skin care center. Och inom 2 veckor så får man gå på återbesök då de behandlar de ställen som brukar missas. De tar bilder också, och man får ispackningar för att svalka sig efteråt. Egentligen så vet jag ju inte exakt hur de är eftersom jag inte behandlat mig där ännu, men de verkar bra i alla fall. På den förra kliniken tog de varken bilder, erbjöd återbesök eller gav ispackningar och de var MYCKET dyra.

Omid <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

#19

Har sett att lasercenter i Solna har väldigt låga priser och har själv funderat på att besöka dem men det har aldrig blivit av. Stället jag går till nu kostar lite mer men det sköts väldigt privat och det är samma person som behandlat mig varje gång. Hon är noggrann och jag brukar inte behöva komma tillbaka för att kostnadsfritt ta bort hår som missats för det brukar vara så minimalt så det känns meningslöst.
När jag först började fick jag betala 6000 kr för helrygg, axlar och överarmar. Efter ett antal behandlingar så har de sänkt priset till 4000 kr.
Vad fick du betala på medical skin care och vilka områden behandlar du? Har du varit på konsultation hos lasercenter?

/Carter

#20

Gamla Stans Laser & Kirurgmottagning är faktiskt billigar än kliniken i Solna, men jag blev helt avskräckt från att börja behandla mig där efter en konsultation jag hade. De verkade väldigt okunniga.
På Medical skin care center behandlade jag hela ryggpartiet (dvs innefattat nacke och axlar) för 6000 kronor, men de missade väldigt mycket så det såg fläckigt ut mellan behandlingarna. Och priset sänktes aldrig.
Jag har varit på konsultation på kliniken i Solna och de verkade ganska bra och väldigt “privata” och måna om att ha nöjda kunder särskilt som de måste skapa sig ett namn då de endast har funnits i ett år (egentligen så kan jag ju inte säga hur de är baserat på endast en konsultation, men de utklassade kliniken i Gamla stan i alla fall, och när kvinnan jag hade konsultation med undersökte min rygg blev hon förvånad över hur mycket som missats och tyckte det var helt onödigt att jag hade behandlat mig med 6 veckors intervall, de föredrar 2-3 månader som intervall). De tar 2800 för hel rygg (dvs innefattat axlar och nacke), 2200 för hela armar och 2300 för hel framkropp (bröst, mage). Det blir alltså praktiskt taget hela överkroppen för 7300. Jag tänker antagligen behandla hela överkoppen, fast jag har lite betänkligheter ännu. Men jag ska ta kontakt med dem imorgon och säga att jag i alla fall ska behandla rygg och armar.
Jag antar att det som talar mot kliniken i Solna är att de endast funnits i ett år. Jag tänker att de kanske inte är så duktiga och erfarna. Men de talade om för mig att de har mörka patienter (själv har jag brun hud, som en pakistanier/indier) och berättade om LightSheer och att man kan höja till 100ms på mörka etc. Fast jag vet ju inte förrän jag provar antar jag.