I am creating a diary (like lagirl) to document my electrolysis treatments. Hopefully, I will update it often and not get lazy and occupied with other things.
Here is my background info:
I am a 22-year-old Middle Eastern woman, light olive skin (type 4) with coarse black hair all over, and I have no hormonal problems as indicated by my blood tests. Since I was 11 - 13 I started waxing my hairs and that includes my face especially my upper lip and unibrow, my legs, my back. My leg hairs are lighter but far from smooth. My face is a way different story. I would get infections and scarring. I went to several salons to see if the problem was with the method and not my skin, but I would get the same problems.
I decided at 17 or so to get laser on my face and neck. The laser technician probably used a lower setting on her YAG and had little idea of what she was doing and female facial hairs should not be treated by laser only in certain cases (which are possibilities that lagirl suggested). After 5 sessions, there was little effect on the coarser hairs but on the finer areas like my neck (and I think chin too) I experienced abnormal hair regrowth. I felt too embarrassed to go back to the laser center, because I left on bad terms with them as they try to screw me out of a discount promise they had made.
Afterwards I just waxed the hairs whenever it grew in. My mother then encouraged me to go to a doctor. The doc said I had no hormonal problems. Went to a dermatologist, she said that this counteractive result usually happens to people of Middle Eastern descent and then she tried to sell her laser services which I passed.
In 2007, I went to see another laser technician because I was sick of waxing. She uses a diode. She said that the other laser center was probably using a lower setting and she said that finer hairs can be treated but it takes time (which I am told by lagirl is untrue). I paid for 6 treatments and she gave me 2 more, free of charge. I see no difference, perhaps a reduction in the sideburns, unibrow, and upper lip area, but not too much. But those results are overshadowed by the disappointing results on my neck hairs, the hairs that I wanted to remove the most. I think even more appeared!
For some time now I have been shaving those hairs, as I have been doing throughout the laser treatments. Now I want to get electrolysis done. I have had a patch test done recently. The electrologist took one look at my neck hairs and knew that I had it treated with laser. She said she had a lot of clients who had laser-induced hair growth and I was actually among the luckier ones. She removed all the largest of the coarse neck hairs, which I think she did out of pity. I assume a free patch test is not supposed to last for 20 mins. I think she stopped only because I expressed discomfort. Electrolysis is painful and it wasn’t worth the free minutes!! I plan to use medication for further treatments.
Anyway, I have had a few sessions of electrolysis before but the other electrologist was slow! The current one is a lot faster. I have a consultation with another electrologist, and then I will start my treatments. I will be sure to document my progress!
And one more thing, I have had hormone tests done again by a different doctor, and I am expecting the results on May 6. I am sure the test results will show that there is no problem but I have to make sure. I will make an update on that as well.
Areas to be treated: laser induced hair growth on neck, side burn hairs, chin hairs, and jawline hairs.
First treatment: not yet scheduled!
