question about laser

I’ll start with my past experiences.
*electrolysis off and on - it works but pigmented my skin
*for past 6 months an IPL - works somewhat, have reduction

Now I thought the IPL had pigmented me more, but the more treatment I have it seems to be evening out. Anyways, I was having it on my upper chest and it has reduced somewhat over 5 treatments and I have one remaining. I had one treatment on my shoulders where there was only a little dark hair and many fine ones just to see how it would do because the fine hairs bother me as well. Well, they came in darker. I’m not upset though, I’m almost hopeful. My question is that maybe the hairs just needed something to make them start really growing, and now that they are I could possibly get a REAL laser to take care of this work. Is this possible?

I would hate to think that the IPL just made it worse all by itself. I know they’re not the best for hair removal but it was close and not quite as expensive as other places. And I seem to have a reduction in hair on my upper chest where I was being treated primarily.

I’m supposed to be a good candidate for laser(darker hair light skin) BTW.

if you had a little dark hair on the upper back area, i would have gone for electrolysis right away. if your electrologist caused pigmentation, it was probably due to his/her skill. you can try a few others who might get you better results without side effects.

now, if you had pictures of what type of growth you now have on your back, it would be easier to tell you whether using a true laser would work there. if the hair is still sparse and somewhat fine, it might not be a good idea as you would stimulate follicles for the first several treatments before eventually killing them, which means a bunch of treatments. if you’re happy with chest results, that’s good. but if you want better reduction, trying a true laser might help. btw, prices really don’t depend on the machine used. you can probably find someone with a true laser for a similar price. it depends on how much they decide to charge.

I meant to say that I had tried several electrologists with different modalities. I tried three that just did thermolysis, one did blend. Blend was not quite as harsh, but still with enough treatment produced the same effect on my skin. Thermolysis was just unsightly the way it was leaving my skin.

Now, I’m interested in seeking out someone with a true laser. I think I’ve found somewhere roughly 1 1/2 to 2 hours away. I’ll check their site and see what lasers they use. I think one is the GentleLASE. I’ll get back to you on that. It’s still somewhat sparse but not like it was. But if I could kill them all(within reason) eventually, even if it meant more time and treatment I’d be willing to do that.

save ur money and get electrology. ipl and laser doesn’t work on man hair.

not true. that’s all i’m going to say. there are experiences posted here that speak otherwise which supernova can find. he can also find your posts and read about your experience to find out what NOT to do.

Removed by moderator. Please, no name-calling.

I have felt that intimidation as well and refrained from sharing my opinions from experience as a result. It’s important to remember that we are all individuals looking for our own individual best answers, laser or electrolysis. However, I have often felt that some posters imply that any bad result from laser is exclusively the recipient’s fault (research, tech/M.D. selection, etc.). Sometimes that is not the case and laser is simply bunk. It’s a crap shoot. Some people who take the risk are happy, some are miserable and turn to other methods. Are you willing to risk it knowing the possibilities is the question. Freedom of choice, just know every possible outcome and weigh it for yourself. . .

there is a difference between posting bitter untrue statements and constructive criticisms and facts. if you cannot separate those two, you probably shouldn’t be posting at all. this is NOT a pro-laser board by any means. this is supposed to be educational for those looking on how to get the best results possible depending on what they start with. if you bothered to actually read any of the postings by non-bitter contributors to this board with actual results, you would clearly see it stated over and over again that in many cases laser is not the best option and in almost all cases electrolysis will be required as a followup. however in many cases, laser can also significantly reduce cost and time spent on hair removal, namely for dark dense coarse and plentiful hair on certain areas. have you even read the FAQs? because it is CLEARLY stated there. this board helps people NOT get the lack of results that YOU experienced. if you found it BEFORE you got screwed (for lack of a better word), you might not have been complaining or been bitter now. You chose wrong clinic/laser/settings/tech/type of hair to treat/area to treat with laser, which could have been avoided, including an option of going straight to electrolysis on certain areas.

Dee, who is an electrologist on this board can also attest to this. unlike you, who only reads what makes you feel better and ignores everything else, she reads all.

I hope you are not referring to me as someone who “only reads what makes me feel better and ignores everything else.” I read every post on here and respond to many. I am not a “laser-basher.” You will not see posts from me about how awful it is and never to do it. I am happy for those who have good results with laser and wish I had been one of them. I agree with you, I do wish I had found this board before I got screwed. However, this current post by you only furthers my point that any non-positive post about a laser experience evokes a hostile response from you toward the poster. Sometimes laser just doesn’t work. It’s OK. That doesn’t mean you personally have to find an explanation or you don’t know what you are talking about. It just means that people are different and have different responses. I am surprised that you are so defensive with me. Unlike many other posters, I have always appreciated your posts and time devoted to this site. I have never personally attacked you, which is why I can’t help but take your comments such as “Have you even read the FAQ’s” and “If you can’t separate those 2 you shouldn’t be posting at all” as hostile and passive-aggressive. My only point is that people should not be afraid to post their experiences or hear the other side of the coin.

this wasn’t directed at you. i was responding to jimmyjames’s comment. actually commentS on both forums where i help people out, while he just posted about 20 of these useless bitter posts. i hope you really don’t feel intimidated posting here. it helps newbies to hear bad experiences too so they know what they’re getting into and what to avoid. i say many times over and over again that “laser is not a quick fix miracle it’s advertised to be” and anyone going into it with those expectations will be disappointed. i’m not defensive. i got good results. i have nothing to worry about. i’m annoyed at retyping the same thing over and over again on every thread on 2 forums, when i can use my time to help out actual new consumers looking for info and help them avoid making the mistake jimmy made. sorry if it wasn’t clear.

Hi jimmyjames.

I think your point is well understood by now. I have seen your posts on the other forums, too, and it is very clear where you stand on laser. These boards are just like therapy for many because they can put on whatever hat they need to and fire away, voicing their happiness or frustration. Your experience and perspective is meaningful. It is really a drag, though, when these threads turn into a playground fight. We hear you! Point is well taken.

Laserhater didn’t have a positive outcome with laser. In fact she was sick and sad by the INCREASED growth ON HER FACE of all places! Any new consumer can read her posts and decide if they will gamble with laser or not. She is not a proponet of laser, but is aware that others have had great results even though she did not.

lagirl, has helped many people, too by her posts and has spent a tremendous amount of unpaid time here to serve others. She is constantly taking darts and jabs when she tries to explain why laser may not have worked for some consumers. This laser stuff is not settled, and true, it doesn’t bring the desired outcome for some people. That’s why I have spouted off here about the hype of laser being greater than the science. I would only desire that laser clinics and private offices would just be honest with people and then there would be no need for someone like yourself to come here and constantly deride someone who is only sharing what she knows about laser. I think lagirl is unbiased and I certainly can say she is unselfish.

I don’t perform laser. I am a probe electrologist. Being that I am in the hair removal business, I have seen good results from lased areas and true, I have seen no results as well as increased hair growth. What I haven’t seen is realistic language used about laser outcome in glossy magazines, local newspapers and community papers, local t.v. segments and in medical journals. It’s all crap. I recently got nowhere with a reporter (Jeanne Huff) who wrote an article in Boise, Idaho about laser verses electrolysis. Electrolysis ended up on the very low side, as usual, while laser was promoted as easy and the advanced way to remove hair. When I wrote to her about her laser hyping and suggested that she could undo the misinformation by writing an article about what modern electrolysis means to the consumer today, I was basically patted on the head and told that she would keep that idea in her files if she ever needed to do that.

So, may I suggest, that instead of stalking lagirl around on these forums, that with your energy, you could better help by contacting the media, as a disgruntled laser consumer and tell them about your poor experience. Write a grievance letter to the FDA. Just expand on your unhappiness where more people can be alerted because we clearly understand your anger here.

Thanks, jj

Dee

Removing specualtion about another member. I am locking this thread.

Removing specualtion about another member. I am locking this thread.

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Removing comments about another member. I am locking this thread.

Removing comments about another member. I am locking this thread.

Removing comments about another member. I am locking this thread.