I am a 28 yr old woman and every since puberty I’ve had a lot of facial hair growth (chin, upper lip, neck) that required me to shave once a day and sometimes twice a day.
I am type IV skin type and my facial hair is dark, thick, and course. Doing lots of research about laser hair removal, it sounded like I was the perfect candidate for this procedure.
So I made an appt for a free consultation with a reputable place near by (not sure if I am allowed to say their company name on this forum…but if it isn’t against forum rules I will say their name if you are interested).
Going in for my consultation the sales woman told me she thinks I would be a great candidate for laser hair removal. They use Cutera CoolGlide Laser and she gave me some literature about the device.
Also, to my amazement she was able to give me some big discounts so I could afford all five treatments. The total came to $985 and that INCLUDED the taxes. So I immediately set up all five appointments.
My first appointment was yesterday. I did all my research by reading about what to expect pre-treatment, during treatment, and post-treatment (thanks to this forum and other online resources!).
The facility I went to ALWAYS uses topical numbing medicine in every case so I was lucky I didn’t have to request it as I read some patients in other places do.
In my state it is law that the ONLY people that can perform the treatments have to be MDs. So I felt a little better, but I did still have some reservations.
The doctor immediately put me at ease regarding the pain of the treatment by explaining that he has never had anyone tell him to stop the procedure due to the pain. He told me he’s treated every part of the body you can imagine INCLUDING men getting hair removal from their private areas (not bikini line) and women too. He said everyone has been able to withstand the slight uncomfortable feeling.
He also explained that the very first treatment is always the most uncomfortable since there is more hair to treat. If I can withstand this first treatment, then ever treatment after this will be easier and easier.
I am happy to report, the pain was totally bearable! There were some areas on my chin and neck that had a high consentration of hair which made me clinch my jaw but it wasn’t the type of pain to cause me to cry, yell out, or anything. And the pain goes away quickly too with the soothing gel he uses.
To the doctor’s excitement and to my surprise, my hair was responding very well at the LOWEST possible setting!!! We could both smell the hair burning off and what’s more, after the treatment, as I was wiping the gel off my face with a cool cloth, some of my hair was already starting to shed! The doctor had to point that out since I didn’t know what was going on. LOL
My face was a bit red and there was a few bumps that the doctor warned me about before the treatment. But the redness and bumps went away within a couple of hours.
The doctor also warned me that I may experience some swelling and slight achiness in some spots and that some Tylenol or Ibuprofen would be fine to take.
My chin is experiencing the most ache but it isn’t enough for me to take anything for it.
Today, 24 hours after my first treatment, there would be no way for anyone to tell I had anything done the day before. No swelling, no redness, no bumps. And actually, when I shaved this morning, I seem to have the closest shave I’ve ever had. No idea if that is because of the treatment yesterday burning off the ends of the stubble making shaving today closer, or if I am just imagining it. Either way, I am feeling good, looking good and anxious for the shedding to continue the next week or two.
I can and will keep everyone updated on my progress as it happens.
Thanks for reading!