Photocaine?

Hi all,

Today i went for a consultation for bikini laser (Lightsheer Diode). The nurse was fairly insistent that i use some gel called photocaine an hour before the treatment. She explained that i needed to shave the area and apply it 1.5 hours before the appointment, covering the area with saran wrap. The area being treated is just the sides, nothing else.

My first problem is that the whole reason i am getting bikini laser hair removal is that i cannot shave that area! Over the years i have tried different methods of shaving, and every time i try to shave there, i get bleeding and razor burns. I explained this to her, and she just said to “be very careful shaving”. Bleh.

Secondly, the whole process of using the gel and saran wrap sounds really goopy and gross to me.

Thirdly, if i shave all the hair off beforehand, i wonder how she will know where to laser (i.e. how will she know where the hairs were?).

Is this shaving and saran wrap thing common? With how scarred up and sensitive i am after my typical bikini shaving, i couldn’t imagine getting laser there.

Any hints or words of wisdom from the board? I am baffled.

fuchsia

fuchsia,

You could ask the practicioner if trimming the area with hair clippers is acceptable. If you are adamant about not shaving that area, laser may not be the solution for you. Electrolysis works on hairs of any length, as long as they are long enough to be accessible by a pair of tweezers. I assume that the practicioner will have a good enough look at the area to be able to see stubble in the areas being treated.

If you decide to shave, you could go in the direction of hair growth, and use a new (sharp) blade… Hope this helps!

The numbing cream helps with the pain. The saran wrap keeps the strength of the cream. Once you take off the saran wrap the numbness slowly goes away. Get a mach 3 razor it won’t make you bleed. And don’t worry she will find the hairs…

Thanks both for the moral support. But…i have totally chickened out on the bikini! Also, my dr. said that i should not use photocaine due to a history of arrythmia.

So, i have actually decided to go for the lower legs. This is a bigger but (to me) less daunting area, which i can in fact imagine doing without topical anesthesia. Appointment is next week. Wish me luck!

fuchsia