Question about Treatment Intervals

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

Hello, this is my first post. I had laser treatments a few years ago on my face and arms, but last week was my first Full Leg treatment with the Soprano XL.

When it came time to schedule my next appointment, the technician told me to come back in 5 weeks. I asked her why so soon, and she informed that that the Soprano “damages” the hair follicle “gradually” and so I will need multiple treatments on the same follicles to damage them until growth permanently stops. (Sort of like electrolysis?). She said other treatment centers recommend intervals of “6-8 weeks” for laser hair removal but seemingly scoffed at that notion.

To my knowledge, this isn’t how laser hair removal works, and my treatments should be more spaced out. I listened to her and scheduled my next appoint 5 weeks from now but with a different technician.

Should I move the appointment back?

Many thanks!

#2

Legs have very long hair cycles. If your treatments are going well, you shouldn’t have much to treat at 5 weeks, or even 8 weeks. Legs can wait 12 weeks or so.

If you want to get the most for your money, I’d just call and schedule the appts when you feel you’re ready to come in. Not necessary to argue with her. Many techs just repeat whatever their machine salesperson tells them. And a lot of that has to do with making more money.

This isn’t the best machine out there as mentioned. If you’re not stuck in a package, I’d also recommend looking around for a better investment.

Let us know how shedding goes. You should be seeing that 3 weeks after each treatment.

#3

Ditto to what everyone says. A friend of mine started the same area with the Soprano machine. The clinic told her to come every 6 weeks…she has not seen results after 3 treatments! She did not experience any shedding after any of the treatments and she was not aware she was supposed to until I spoke to her about it.

After I talked with her, she felt very bad that she wasn’t properly informed by the clinic of what to expect and how LHR really works.

I say run far away from this place if you can!

#4

I’d go a little further to say run far away from this place, but complain FIRST and try to get a refund.

#5

Thanks for the info! I’ve read mixed reviews about the Soprano XL on this board.

The clinic has other lasers which can be used on me, but the technician told me that she thinks the Soprano is the best one.

(There is a no refund policy at this medspa. I can only apply the money I’ve paid to other treatments. I bought a package for the full legs…)

#6

What machines do they have? Can you post the names? Also, what is your skin type?

#7

I got quotes from 3 places that use the candela gentlelase and they all said that 6 weeks is the recommended time interval for underarm laser hair removal. One of them said that even if not much hair has come back in 6 weeks it is recommended because new hair will be in the growth stage by this time.

CAn someone also please tell me why all of the treated hair is meant to fall out within 3 weeks, I thought it was just the hair in the growth stage that was meant to fall out, and not all of it would be in the growth stage at one time.

#8

Laser is attracted to dark pigment. Anagen phase of growth lasts for a few weeks. It’s in your best interest to wait a bit longer after the hair first comes out because it gets more dark and coarse. There is no benefit to treating earlier. You’re just going to miss some hair that hasn’t grown in yet.

And no, all treated hair should shed, regardless of its phase.

#9

Thank you. It’s been 2 weeks and 5 days. About 30% of the hair has shed. More so on my upper legs (60% gone) than my lower legs. I will call later this week and find out about their other machines.

#10

I have a question which is quite related to this and figured it would be better to ask here rather than start my own thread. The clinic I’m considering has a unique system, where if you buy 4 treatments, you get an entire year of treatments on that area. They told me that they do treatments spaced 6 weeks apart, so if I went in every 6 weeks for a year (8 treatments) would this be much different than waiting longer between treatments (for a total of maybe 5 or 6 treatments)? It would seem that the greater amount of treatments would make up for not quite waiting long enough in between. Although I am interested in doing brazilian bikini, so less treatments also means less sessions of baring it all and getting painfully zapped in delicate places!

#11

It really depends on the area you’re treating. 6 weeks is way too early for legs for example. Even when I do forearms it takes around 10 weeks before I’m ready for another session. So the problem with that is that you’re just wasting sessions since every other treatment is probably too soon. So really only treatments 1 3 5 etc would be doing anything.

A lot of clinics want people in every 6 weeks because it means more sessions and more money for them. The fact that this place has to give you 8 sessions with this deal when a bunch are wasted sort of shows they may not be that experienced. If it’s a really good deal it’s still good though. I mean if the price of the 4 treatments is what you would normally pay for 4 treatments anyway then even if a few are wasted it could be a good deal price wise. If they’re charging a lot though for them then it’s not really worth it. I’d maybe assume that 5 or 6 treatments would be good and that a few might not be as effective. Then divide the price of the 4 treatments into say 6 treatments and see if that’s a price you think is fair for the area you want to treat.

I wouldn’t do this package on legs though as they take 10-12 weeks for the hair to come back.

#12

This would apply to both of your questions: When we talk about treatments, we assume they are good treatments at good settings that cover the entire area being treated without missing spots. If lots of spots are missed and the clinic doesn’t do touchups, having frequent treatments is beneficial because they basically provide a “touchup” on the missed hair. But that should be done at 3 weeks. And I wouldn’t want to pay again to treat hair that was missed.

#13

Sorry meant to say that it has been 1 week and 5 days*

I wish my clinic provided touch ups, especially since they are using the Soprano XL.

#14

Thanks for the replies. Basically, I’d be paying 1000 dollars up front and then get a year of brazilian bikini treatments. They have a Lightsheer, a GentleLase, and a GentleYag. I’m pretty positive that my skin is light enough for the GentleLase but I figured it’s good to have options. I haven’t gone in for a consultation yet so I’m not sure of what settings they’d be using, but thus far it seems like a good deal (especially because I’m in the Indianapolis area, and trustworthy clinics with good lasers and fair prices seem to be extremely few and far between)

#15

If I were you I would look around more. I think that is still expensive. Where I live it is also very hard to find good prices, but I did find one place that charges $95 per treatment for brazilian with a gentlelase. However if you pay upfront for 6 treatments you get 25% off and you have two years to use them. It seems like you would definitly be wasting some treatments by having to use them within a year.

This brings me to my question - would anyone here pay upfront for 6 treatments to get 25% off with a gentlelase, and it can be used over 2 years? or would you want to try it out first before paying up front for 6 treatments, even if the place looks good with well trained staff, and has been operating for about 5 years.

#16

That’s about 5 treatments for the year, which is around $200 per treatment. That’s a pretty standard price. The lasers they have are good, so if they’re willing to use aggressive settings, no reason not to go with them. It sounds like touchups would be free.

I only needed 6 treatments on this area. If treatments are done well, you shouldn’t need much more than that either.

mad1 - I would commit if I knew the settings they used are aggressive. Without knowing the settings, I wouldn’t.