Q's after first LHR treatment...shaving, black spots, hair growth etc.

I know these might be silly questions but I have to ask…

I had my first treatment for my legs and arms on Monday. I have started getting regrowth which is not surprising since I usually get regrowth very soon after shaving. There are some areas where I don’t see much regrowth and there are some black dots where I think hair is trapped.

What does this all mean? Would the hair that’s growing back actually shed? It seems to be strongly rooted. Will the hair that’s trapped in the black dots come out? What about the areas where there isn’t much regrowth?

Lastly, is it okay to shave while all this is going on or does it mess up the shedding process. I know I have a lot of questions so I appreciate anyone’s responses

Thanks!

Some hair appears to be growing back but it is really shedding. It is possible some hairs were missed and/or undertreated and are therefore regrowing immediately.

The black dots (aka “tombstones”) will shed eventually. It could take 2-4 weeks or longer so patience will be called for.

Yes, it is OK to shave. If you are red and feel like you have sunburn, you may want to wait a day or two. If you use an electric you can generally shave the next day.

What is your skin and hair type? What laser was used on you? Did you feel any pain during treatment?

Welcome to the forums.

RJC2001

Thanks RJ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I am skin type IV (probably on the lighter end of the scale) and the LightSheer diode laser was used on me at a setting of 30 joules. I did feel pain during the treatment but nothing I couldn’t handle (I have a pretty high tolerance for pain). I didn’t feel any pain in areas where I know I don’t have much hair like the back of my thighs.

If the hair that’s growing back was going to shed would I be able to pull it out at any time? Or does it just get ‘released’ from the root after a couple of weeks? I’m asking because if I tug at the hair it seems firmly rooted. I have very ‘healthy’ hair so I’m not too surprised at the regrowth.

Also, is it safe to gently use a pumice stone on the treated areas? Would that help draw out the shedded hairs? I know everyone says to use a loofah but I don’t have one. I’ll get one as soon as possible but in the meantime …

Thanks so much!!

Sometimes the hairs can be pulled out of the follicle with little resistance. If there is resistance on a hair when you pull on it you should probably wait. The pumice stones don’t help that much. It would be more efficient to shave the hair above the skin. It takes longer for hair to shed with the Lightsheer than with the alexandrite lasers.

30 Joules is a little bit on the low side. I would expect them to turn up the fluence on your next treatment now that they have had a chance to see how your skin reacts.

RJC2001

Thanks RJ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
I’ll try to be a little more patient. I believe they were planning to increase the joules by a few the next time round.