Looks great! I had a treatment with the Gentlelase laser a couple years ago and felt ripped off, was considering looking into the new technology again once I can afford it.
Although everyone and all lasers are different, it really does take time and sessions to see results. They say that 6 sessions are needed for 90%+ hair reduction.
I just sent an email to my practioner for advice on the burns. I’m pretty sure they were caused by me sitting in the car for the drive home, after my treatment. That likely trapped in the heat and, like with any burn, when trapped by oils or clothing they will continue to burn long after exposure.
Everyone should buy and bring an instant-activated cold pack (used for sports injuries usually).
I forgot to add “money” to that list of things required. You’re right that it is expensive: it cost $1600 for the package (4 sessions, plus 5th free) for my full arms and hands. If not for the 2 year guarentee, I might think twice about investing that.
Great results!! And great advice about keeping the treated area cool, too! I’d never have thought about the risks of sitting on the treated area!!
If, indead, that’s what caused it!! It does seem odd that it’s only the back of your thighs that reacted like that. I think the skin there is a little more delicate as well, isn’t it? Maybe that didn’t help, either.
Will you post back when you have an update from your doctor?
WOW!
I can’t believe your results after just 2 treatments! Your arms look brilliant! I can’t believe you got such a huge reduction in growth after just the 2 goes. Thanks so much for sharing your experience and the photos - they really help to see what to expect. I am going for the first treatment on my legs this week, and your pictures have shown me what to expect from them. I will sure be careful about sitting on them afterwards following your warning though!! I’m in the UK, and we are not offered Emla cream or any kind of topical anaesthetic/oral medication of any kind. 
Thanks again, and keep us posted! 
If I’ve had a heavy electrolysis session, I use these little frozen gel packs to hold against my skin for a half hour afterwards. It really seems to stop the swelling.
I’ve been thinking about this problem with driving … do you think it would help if you sat on a couple of bags of frozen peas in the car? I guess as long as you wrapped them in a towel so they weren’t against your skin it should be OK.
Just a thought… I’ve never tried it myself!!!
Vulpes, great pictures! You appear to have light skin. Much lighter than mine. I would have like to have had my lower arms lasered to for better muscular definition since I lift weights, but I was afraid I would have scabs and blisters because my skin is so dark. Plus, I only wear short sleeved shirts because I am always hot. I just had the upper part of my arms done and no long term side effects. Less scabbing and redness with the Lightsheer compared to the Apogee.
I have two questions for you: 1. What fluence level were you treated with on your arms and legs and were the levels different? 2.Did they put Aquaphor or a similar ointment on you after treatment? That is very important to prevent scabbing.
When I went to my last laser appointment there was a woman leaving and her legs were covered with Aquaphor. She had the wet look and looked like she was ready for the beach. Her legs looked great though, and no red spots.
I had some scabbing when I was first treated with the Apogee alexandrite but not quite as bad as what you have. It all went away in a few weeks and there was no problem.
Sitting with bare legs on hot vinyl or leather seats may have contributed to those spots on your legs. You’ll need to sit on a towel with maybe some cool gel packs under it. Come to think of it though when I had my back done sitting against the car seatback did not cause any problems, other than the shirt that I was wearing sticking to my Aquaphor covered back. Another reason to wear an old dark colored shirt if you’re having your chest or back done.
After one February treatment on my chest, it was burning afterwards so I took of my jacket and turned the A/C in my car on max. It helped a lot.
Overall, it looks like you responded very well to the Lightsheer laser. Great report too.
RJC2001
Hi there,
I heard the lightsheer is much better for darker skinned people. Hope your results turn out good!
The last time I had my arms done, there was a guy leaving who just had his legs done. He didn’t have any redness at all. My technician told me that’s because my hair is much darker and more course, his was lighter and brown. Darker hair reacts more strongly to the laser, and causes more burning/redness, evidently.
The fluence used on my arms was 28, then 30, then 32 for the 3 sessions I’ve had. My legs were done at 28, and only the backs responded so badly. I’m going to the doctor tomorrow, and I spoke with Advanced Laser Clinics who thinks it could be burning + hyperpigmentation(?) or something simmilar.
Since it takes 2-3 weeks for burns to heal to any good extent, it will be a while before I know what long term damage has been done. I hope I can continue my laser sessions.
Vulpes,
I think you’ll be OK. Those spots on your legs are probably not as bad as they look. The camera flash may have accentuated them too.
Since you didn’t react aywhere else like that you should be OK. The more I think about it the hot car seats may have had something to do with it.
The up side to all of this is that the dark hairs will respond more readily to the laser than the lighter colored hair like brown.
I am very pleased with all my laser treatments but especially the Lighsheer. The post treatment redness goes away much sooner with the Lightsheer than with the Apogee.
I have concluded that I am doing very well if I can handle 45 Joules with my relatively dark skin and minimal side effects.
RJC2001
Great report vulpes thanks for sharing that with us.Great results too ! I wish after 2 treatments my hair thins out as much as yours. Sorry about the legs and how that turned out. Its very akward how your legs reacted like that while your arms are coming out so good. Im suprised also the heat would cause that too because i lasered my butt and i remembering it being a very hot day but i didnt have any side effects compared to yours. Well anyway better luck on the legs and a GREAT job on the arms.Take care.
Telling your experience brought light to me in many ways. I have a leg-thigh problem since puberty and thinking o 
f doing laser removal. It is a burden to have my legs like this. Wax work but I need to let the hair grow again in order to do it again, I am embarrased about the way they look.
I am living in Indiana, USA. How can I find out or local places to make an appointment?
Thanks for your story.
Paloma
Wow, vulpes, you rock! 
Thanks so much for sharing the photos (good and bad)! I think they help to show the great results as well as the possible problems.
The gradual thinning you see in the photos is a common result of laser. You get rid of dar coarse hairs and replace them with thinner, light hairs. The cosmetic effect and feel are usually very desirable.
Unfortunately, the burns are also a very tyical pattern. Although it looks bad at first, these things usually resolve themselves in time.
vulpes, if you permitted ratings, I’d give you five stars! Here’s five cools instead:
Just bumping my own post. 
Since I updated the page today a little:
http://www.geocities.com/vulpresults
Thanks for the input Andrea!
Vulpes
Wow! Animation! You rock!