Newbie With Consults Coming Up. Q's About LHR

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

Hello, all. This forum is great. I have a few Q’s about LHR. I will provide some basic info. and hope you guys can give me some ideas about what to expect in regards to my skin type and the particular lasers that will be used.

32 yo female. I am skin type II. I have very dark, coarse hair on my upper lip and chin.

I have 3 different consultations coming up within the next 6 weeks. Bear in mind that because I haven’t actually been to these places yet, this is just some general info. I received from phone call/internet.

First place is a well known plastic surgeon’s office. Their website states it uses the “new Cheveux” laser for hair removal.I can find almost no info. on this laser, and it worries me that it does seem so new and untested. Their website states “new Cheveux uses an 810nm diode laser which makes hair removal faster, more effective, and with less discomfort”. Sounds like some advertising hype. All I can find on the net is that a company called “Sandstone” manufactures it. Anyone hear of this laser? Also, I believe they also use the Luminese Lightsheer. If that is the case, what would be a good recommendation for pulse, spot size and joules for me? I know that this laser has been out for a while.

Second place is a Dermatology Clinic. Very nice, new building. They use the Lightsheer Duet. I have def. read conflicting reports on the efficacy of this laser, so I am not sure. What about settings for this machine? What is the minumum joules that I should expect. I would just like a ballpark minimum so I know what questions to ask, and what to expect with treatment.

Lastly, I will visit a place called Advance Clinic. I don’t think it is a chain. Local M.D. owns and manages the office. They do several cosmetic procedures, such as Botox, laser skin resurfacing, hair removal, etc. They use the Gentelase laser, which I feel good about. What kind of settings should I expect for maximum results? I don’t care about discomfort, I just want this to work.

Also, this is my face, so obviously I am worried about side effects. I want to have spot treatments to test my skin’s limitations. Where should I have that done? Does it have to be the face, since that is where I want treatment? Sorry this is long, and thanks for your help

#2

  • How much hair do you have on your chin? Do you actually have coarse dense patches of growth that a male would have? That’s the only type of hair that we recommend treating on this area. If the hair is finer than that or coarse, but sparse, then you have a high chance of stimulating MORE growth when laser touches any skin around those hairs. Electrolysis is generally best for this area on women.

  • I haven’t heard of this machine and just looked it up. Looks like it’s a diode laser and the specs are ok. http://www.globalusedlasers.com/content/cheveux-810-nm
    Where are you located? Do you have limited clinic options because you’re not near a major city?

  • LightSheer Duet is the new model with a very large spot size. It should be good if they know how to use it well and use good settings.

However, an alex laser would still be best if they use good settings. Ask for joules, spot size, and pulse width at every consultation. On GentleLASE, 18mm is the best largest spot size and max is 20J on that spot size. They may want to use a smaller 15mm spot size for the upper lip since it’s a small area, and max on 15mm is 30J. You want to be as close to the max as possible without burning the skin.

They can spot test elsewhere on your skin, but it’s not 100% identical since your face may get more sun. You should definitely use sunblock daily starting now to keep the skin as light as possible so they can use the highest settings possible.

#3

Thank you so much for the reply. Those settings you gave me give me somewhere to start. I plan on asking a ton of questions at each consultation, and when I get specifics I will likely come back to give you the info, and hopefully get more great advice.

I am very light complected, and use sunblock everyday. The hairs are very coarse and dark. They are so coarse, in fact, I would call them whiskers. They are very thick and stiff, to the point it hurts me skin and leaves redness when they are growing out of my skin. Every single morning the first thing I do is go to the magnifying mirror and pluck and squeeze. The hairs are so dark and thick, that they show as black dots even as they begin to grow and just touch the outer layer of skin, and I squeeze them out. Others are long enough to pluck.

As to the density, or amount, of hairs that are growing, that is still up in the air, as I supposed that is a relative term. The main areas are small patches on the right side of my chin and on the right side of my upper lip. There are scattered hairs on the left sides, but these areas don’t bother me so much and would be okay with electrolysis, which I have never tried. I wouldn’t say I have a “full” beard, but definitely patches or clusters of dense hair. It is hard to say because I tweeze every day, usually twice a day to stay on top of it. I have never let it all grow out. There are literally dozens of hairs in these clusters. I pluck at least 5-10 hairs every single day. This is a problem that was a nuisance 3 years ago, but has dramatically worsened over the last 2 years.

I saw an endocrinologist about 1.5 years ago and was told I don’t have pcos, but my testosterone levels are high. I was put on Aldactone, which did begin to help, but I stopped due to side effects. I actually have an appt. with same dr. tomorrow to review other medicinal options, as I want to tackle the cause, not just the symtpoms so that I can prevent new growth.

I live in the southeastern United States. Here in Alabama, in the rural area I live in, it is very difficult to find clinics for this type of treatment, especially with experienced clinicians. I literally can find no reviews or referrals anywhere online, including this site via the referral section or by searching with Advance Forum Search. I do live close to two larger cities, but there are still limitations. I have been scouring the internet and calling offices at random. Hopefully, out of the 3 consults, at least 1 will be a worthy option.

#4

Thanks for the heads up about the “Duet”. I have def. read conflicting reports about the effectiveness, but it is really hard for me to distinguish the difference b/w an inferior laser system vs. a technician that simply does not apply the proper settings. From all the reading I have done lately, it seems that any laser can produce poor results in the wrong hands. But, yes, I am more interested in the GentleLASE because of the positive reviews. Hopefully the clinician at that office will know her stuff.

#5

Hmmmm…the more I educate myself on the subject, the less confident I am in LHR for my facial hair. I worry about an increase in hair growth and incomplete removal. Seems like electrolysis is the best option. Off to cancel consultations and begin new search for electrologists. This site is great!

#6

You should also consider that for your small area, they’re not likely to use large spot sizes.

From what you describe, it doesn’t sounds like enough hair for laser treatments. The spot size is still relatively large and will likely touch parts of your skin with little or not growth. Those are the parts that can develop MORE growth after laser.

You would also have to let the hair grow out and only shave. Then you’d have to wait 3 weeks for the hair to shed.

With electrolysis, you will go in and remove all the visible hairs in one sitting. Electrolysis easily removes 5-10 hairs per minute. You can go weekly if you don’t want to let the hair grow out too much, or you can go once every 3 weeks to clear the area and shave in between. But you’ll leave with clear skin each time.