LAst LHR session I got a burn up my leg . It lasted about a month and a half and the skin around the area is still kind of dry and scratchy. A few small moles were also burnt , like coffee grounds.
[font:Arial Black]If you had a burn are you more prone for it happening again? PLEASE HELP!![/font]
This is a great forum for electrolysis but to be honest it SUCKS for laser! There are a couple goodhearted volunteers and once in a while a kind laser practitioner but mostly it just isnt happening here on the laser side of things . Sorry, just being honest!
Nothing is keeping the laser folks away from this board: it’s totally OPEN and should be given the highest “kudos” for that. Maybe get one of your “laser techs” to start posting here?
Ditto what Michael said.
You need to discuss this issue with your laser tech. It is important to determine why you received a burn to prevent it from happening in the future. What factors were involved in this issue? Was the fluence too high? Pulse width too long? Was the treatment over a bony area? Sometimes tissue over a bony area can become hotter than surrounding tissue and a burn will result.
Michael i have total respect for you as a professional and i enjoy reading your wise, (and often humorous :)) contributions. And YES big kudos for having this open forum. I love it! . But i stand by my comment that it sucks for laser advice! Sometimes Ive had Dee delete my questions after they stand unanswered for so long. Its too bad that there are not more laser professionals interested in learning and sharing here. Bigger kuddos go to the electrolysists who do give of their experience here! This forum has brought me a much greater awareness and appreciation of electrolysis and if there was a good practioner in my town i would be there! Im thinking alot about learning electrolysis due to all i read here.
I dont really know what to call them so i call them laser techs, as in technicians ! Would zapper and zappee be better? I cant even get my laser tec to use the yag head instead of the ipl cause “it takes too long” .dont think he would spare any extra time here! Too busy counting the cash ??!!! Kidding ;p
Hairadicator thank for the reply. Of course i discuss every question i have posted here with the salon. I come here looking for second opinions and hopefully to learn. I have NEVER been to a laser consult where they cant answer basic questions, and none have told me that fine hair will not work, or that facial hair may actually get worse ! MANY are simply ,basically people who paint nails who bought a laser machine! Many are there to make money! That is why open sharing on forums such as these is a place for the truth and experince to prevail ! The only other professional laser tech who ive encountered occasionally on this board is Chis from Romeo 's so big Kuddos to him for his help! I wish he and kind folks like him would be able to post more frequently . Surely you professionals, have more connections than i as you work in the hairy field, arent there more laser zappers out there who wish to hang out here and talk a bit with anonomous zappees ???
If my mother were still alive, I’d ask her that “perfect” Hungarian word I’m trying to remember (mother was a red-headed, brown-eyed Hungarian beauty). The word is something like a combination of pride and pig-headedness that makes the person unwilling to entertain the thought that they might be doing something wrong. Something like “Gügish.”
I rarely experience this “gügish” mind-set with ANY fellow electrologists. Instead, nearly all of us are mostly meek: very serious about our difficult task of removing hair permanently. It’s from this attitude that we constantly re-evaluate our skills and worry about each and every detail. I mean all of us here on Hairtell. (After 35 years of doing this, I still take nothing for granted and meet every treatment hour with a tiny pang of apprehension.)
Not true the “laser folks!” … From my direct experience anyway. Most laser techs have little understanding of hair/skin/healing, compared to the vast understanding of most electrologists. Most laser techs are completely dismissive about electrolysis: they scoff at the notion of “needle removal that will take ‘forever’.” They are MONEY oriented! MONEY and PRIDE!
I used to work with a cosmetic surgeon (not a plastic guy) who knows full-well that laser is basically temporary for specific cases (we took classes from Dr. Gold himself!). However, he owns a magnificent spa (yes, marble floors) with every “do-dad” in the book and is thrilled to be making tons of money on all these questionable therapies. For laser, he does “everything on everybody,” and I’m left to clean up the messes a couple years later. Making tons of money gets you “drunk” with money.
For Danika’s question, I have to answer (only from my direct experience) that the typical laser tech is motivated by the tons of money they are making (well, less tons than a few years ago). I KNOW electrologists, and we are all self-deprecating and constantly seeking to improve our skills. Most of us have a “Mother Theresa syndrome” (e.g., Jossie), and almost feel like it’s our “mission from God” to help others. We suffer through each and every case and “feel the pain” of being afflicted with unwanted hair. We take this seriously!
I know our hourly fees seem high, but the IRS reports that the average electrologist earns a very paltry amount of yearly income (less than $30K per year). You can check this yourself. My own experience: (except for Larry Kunze*) all the laser techs I’ve met were semi-disgusting in their lack of understanding.
*Larry was an electrologist first and is “getting back to it at the moment!” Go Lorenzo!
Very Interesting and vey sad too. I really appreciate the caring ,serious attitude you describe. It is the only way that makes sense . The other ones may have big bucks, but have to live with the awareness of having taken so many gullible, desperate people. Money cant buy peace of mind.
I meant to say that i never encountered a laser person , during my wide consult in 3 different cities,that could ,or were willing to answer most of my well researched questions. One did not even know about spot size or if her device was ipl or laser! Most seemed very annoyed that i even had these questions and wasnt there to instantly put myself in their hands! I find it very sad that Im treated with suspicion for caring enough for my body/face to research something that has the potential to cause serious damage, or be a waste of hard earned cash.
That experience has been disheartening and frustrating which again is why i do appreciate this forum and the honest,helpful techs who do not fit that description above, which is my experience of Chris of Romeo 's who at times assists here.
The place that i am attending let it slip that they are treating me with “more conservative” settings as i seem nervous. I was only nervous the very first time id tried the laser as i had no idea of the level of pain to expect. I believe it is because they can see that i am well informed and dont want to take any chances with one like me.I ve been only kind and easygoing with them and must accept things as they are. I guess ive had to come to the attitude that this an experiment and really all that i can access anyways here so making the best of what it is.
But one question i would pose Michael, is ; there must be some effectiveness to LHR or how would we have people on this forum and elsewhere (like LAGIRL) who claims excellent results? Surely they are not all making it up?
Thank you Michael, but…Mother Teresa and I only have two things in common: our predilection for Asian “clients”, and our white uniform. 
While I cannot remember the source of the statistic (I believe it was the US Department of Labor), the average Electrolysis Practitioner averages 400 billable hours when they work part time, and 800 billable hours when they work full time. If you compare that to the 1040 and 2080 hours most part time and full time jobs in the US provide, and the many uncompensated hours practitioners devote to the business, you don’t get a picture of someone making money for nothing and rolling in cash.
MOST TRUE ARTISTS ARE NOT RICH ! YOU ARE IN GOOD COMPANY OF MANY OF THE WORLD’S GREATS!
Its an older post but thought I would add in, that you shouldn’t get burned again IF your Laser tech adjusts the settings. Sometimes over the summer people come back with a tan (even a slight one can cause a burn if the technician uses the same settings used in the late spring). The moles have probably faded by now and shouldnt burn again.
Laser is not regulated everywhere in the States and the whole of Canada is not either. I have only met/worked with one laser tech who didn’t seem to know some important info and they were previously trained on the job. Several years ago most people had to take a laser course to get a job. This may have changed?
To add in about the $…a lot of laser clinics are hurting BIG time. Why? The cost of a new laser is comparable to a house. A used one is the same as a couple year old car. The warranties on the laser is several grand a year. Insurance and staff adds up too. Not to mention the regular expenses a business deals with. I should add that one successful laser clinic who charged the more expensive services, when laser was newer, took 8 years to fully pay off their laser machine.
Also the laser competition is so strong now that the services has to get cheaper and cheaper to bring people in. One place I worked at, the laser $ was not much more than an expensive waxing spa. One area in town had over 20 lasers on a 2 block radius (they were big blocks tho)
This is good and bad for people wanting laser services since they are more affordable BUT the laser clinics sometimes are desperate to stay alive and will tell you anything to become their client even if they know your not a candidate for their laser or at all.
I was asked to do this and refused…the clinic eventually closed :-/
Not all clinics are struggling mind you and they maybe are racking in the dough!
I forgot to say that word of mouth I guess would be best to find a reputable laser clinic, yet sometimes the staff or owner changes over or (like said earlier) everyone has different results even tho the settings/skin/hair/laser is the same.
Yes Laser can work but it is a reduction and the hair may come back in several years. Complete laser clearance is most common on bikini and underarms IF you have the right skin/hair combo. Legs: expect 60(common)-90% reduction. I had wonderful reduction (95%) on my legs but i also had freakish leg hairs most woman do not and yes they are slowly coming back.