Questions about pulse width and settings...

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

Regarding the lightsheer laser: I’ve had my face lasered at 40J and 20mm pulse width, which didn’t bother me much at all once the hair became less coarse, however the doctor I went to switched practices so I had to find another location. I had to start all over, back at 24J, but they used 30mm pulse width instead. The settings were fine but didn’t do much until I got back up into the 30-32J range. However, now, it hurts my skin more than it ever did at the last place I went to, which used a higher power(40J). Could this be due to the pulse width? Should I have them switch it to 20mm instead? And I don’t know much about pulse width, is 20mm or 30mm better for hair removal? I’m in-between skin type 2 and 3.

Also, my skin heals pretty quickly after the procedure, but I’ve noticed that the pain lingers in my lower legs for weeks and I’ve gotten spider veins as a result of the laser. I’m going to get sclerotherapy to get rid of them this week and I noticed this usually only happens on my shin, where the skin is close to the bone and veins are close to the surface. I thought I was imagining things until the last time I went to get my legs lasered. I took note of where spider veins were and then noticed that after the procedure I would see a couple tiny bruises a day after laser and they would slowly, over the course of the next three weeks form into small spider veins. The settings were 38J 30mm during my last session. Would changing the pulse width also affect this? I don’t know whether I should continue getting laser on my lower legs if this keeps happening, especially if it might cause circulation issues later in life.

Here’s my rundown of the the areas that I’ve had lasered and number of times (I don’t even want to know how much I’ve spent):

Face: 24
Legs: 6
Chest: 3
Stomach: 3

One word of advice for anyone getting laser done. NEVER exercise before having the procedure done. All I can say is oww.

#2

  • Are you male or female? Why are you having so many treatments on your face? What is your ultimate goal? What type of hair do you have there? What is the reduction at this point?

  • Lower pulse is more effective and also has more chance for burning. So higher pulse is actually safer. The difference you’re experiencing could be due to a number of factors including tan on your skin, them using a different technique with the machine when treating (up-and-down method version gliding), medication you may be on, etc

  • There is no need to start at lower settings than what you know you already could handle unless one of the above changed

  • Laser doesn’t produce spider veins. Many lasers are actually used to get rid of them. There is something else going on here. How old are you? How closely were you paying attention to those areas before any treatments? Were any of those areas covered with hair preventing you from seeing potential spider veins appearing?

  • Is all the hair you’re treating coarse, dense, and dark?

  • Have you considered using an alexandrite laser, which is best for your skin type?

  • What is your overall goal in terms of reduction on each of the areas you mentioned?

  • What do you use for pain relief? Are you avoiding caffeine the day of treatment? Drinking lots of water? Using icing and/or numbing cream?

#3
  • Are you male or female? Why are you having so many treatments on your face? What is your ultimate goal? What type of hair do you have there? What is the reduction at this point?

Im male. I’d say after 15 treatments about 70% of the hair was permanently gone on my face, now about 90%(rough estimate) is gone. I only go every 4 months or so for touchups on my face now.

  • Lower pulse is more effective and also has more chance for burning. So higher pulse is actually safer. The difference you’re experiencing could be due to a number of factors including tan on your skin, them using a different technique with the machine when treating (up-and-down method version gliding), medication you may be on, etc

I think it might be because the spot size is larger, since the last doctor I went to used the older ST model. Now it’s the XC model. (Just a guess) I also think the practitioner this time puts more pressure on the skin than where I went last time. Would that make a difference? I’m not on any medication either.

  • There is no need to start at lower settings than what you know you already could handle unless one of the above changed

I know, but they get paranoid about buring me since they have never treated me.

  • Laser doesn’t produce spider veins. Many lasers are actually used to get rid of them. There is something else going on here. How old are you? How closely were you paying attention to those areas before any treatments? Were any of those areas covered with hair preventing you from seeing potential spider veins appearing?

I’m 27. I’m almost positive I didn’t have any spider veins before treament on my legs earlier this year, now I have quite a few. I didn’t pay attention much, until the last two times I had laser performed on my legs. I only started paying attention because I had never had any spider veins on my lower legs. I’m a speedskater, so I usually shave my legs and therefore probably would have noticed them in the past.

  • Is all the hair you’re treating coarse, dense, and dark?

Yes, yes and yes.

  • Have you considered using an alexandrite laser, which is best for your skin type?

I’ve tried a few different lasers but never the alexandrite. I’ve had my best luck with the lightsheer so far. The others, I’ve tried, like the Palomar Starlux, didn’t do much at all for me. Would the same settings be used with the alexandrite as the lightsheer? If not what would the equivalent be on the alexandrite for 38J and 30 pulse width?

  • What is your overall goal in terms of reduction on each of the areas you mentioned?

Well, ideally 90%+ reduction. If any hair follicle is still active on my skin it appears thin at first and then slowely becomes coarse again over a period of about 10 weeks. It seems that the hair either dies or comes back full strength; no thinning of the follicle occurs.

  • What do you use for pain relief? Are you avoiding caffeine the day of treatment? Drinking lots of water? Using icing and/or numbing cream?

Just ibuprofen. I drink a lot of water but probably have a cup of coffee in the morning as well. I don’t use any icing or numbing.

#4

One of the best lasers on the market for your skin type is the GentleLASE alexandrite made by Candela. If you’re not stuck in a package at your clinic, I would recommend you seek out someone experienced with this machine. It has the biggest spot size, 18mm, and the lower pulse, 3ms, on the market, which is partly why it’s so effective. The max setting on it is 20J, 18mm (pulse is not adjustable, but just stable at 3ms). So as close as you can get to that without burning the better. I wouldn’t get treated if you can’t handle 16J on 18mm and up. If they’re paranoid, ask for test spots. No reason to pay for ineffective treatments.

Starlux is an IPL, not a true laser. Generally, true lasers give better results as you have seen with a diode. An alexandrite is even more powerful than a diode in good hands.

What is the goal on your face? Technically, since you’re a male, your body will continue developing new hair on this area, so you’ll likely always need touchups. It sounds like it may be ok with you.

For the other areas, you need around 8 effective treatments, spaced properly. Legs have long hair cycles, so you don’t need treatments more often than 12 weeks apart.

Does all the treated hair shed every time, 3 weeks post-treatment? That’s the best sign of how effective the treatment is.

Definitely avoid caffeine the day of treatment to reduce the pain. Also, ask for icing. It helps a lot.

90% reduction is possible on all very coarse hair. Once the hair gets fine, you reach deminishing effects.

You should see a dermatologist for the spider vein issue. One thing you may want to consider is that you’re at an age where they start to come in. But laser doesn’t have anything to do with it. A dermatologist will be able to explore other potential causes.

#5

Well, the ultimate goal is to get rid of as much hair as I can on my face. It only really grows back in thick patches around the goatee area. The rest is pretty sparse in that area, so I go every 4 months or so. I’ll ask about the gentlelase. Thanks.

All of the treated hair sheds everytime in about 2 weeks.

I’m still unsure of the spider vein issue. I had sclerotherapy done to get rid of most of them at the end of last week. The last time I went and the tech pulsed the area right over the largest spider vein it caused really bad pain and a big bruise and lump developed over the area.

#6

4 months is too long to wait for face treatments. You are missing the anagen stage of growth each time, which partly account for this many treatments. I wouldn’t expect any more reduction than you’re getting unless you got to 8 week intervals. If you don’t have enough hair to do this, then you should really switch to electrolysis unless these treatments are free.

I’m not sure that asking about GentleLASE will help. Clinics usually can’t afford to have multiple types of lasers. So you would likely have to find another clinic which has GentleLASE.

Here are potential side effects of sclerotherapy. Talk to your doctor:

Potential, though rare, risks of treatment
There are a few risks with sclerotherapy that, even though rare, should be noted.

Possible allergic reactions to the sclerosing substance can be treated with antihistamines. If a serious reaction occurs, clinics are equipped with emergency drugs and equipment.
“Matting” - very fine red veins near the injection site - can occur. Matting normally disappears gradually; however, in a few cases it can be permanent. In this case, lasers can be used to treat matting.
A small sore (ulcer) may appear at the treatment site. Sores can be treated, but may take up to 10 weeks to heal, leaving the patient with a scar at the site. You should tell the clinic if an ulcer appears.
In 1 out of 100,000 cases, blood clots in the deep veins or the lungs have been reported. New information seems to indicate that these are not due directly to sclerotherapy, but rather to an underlying disorder or disease. When your health history is taken, you will be asked questions related to clotting disorders.
Injection into an artery is a very serious complication, with 9 cases reported in Great Britain by 1985. The dangers of injection into an artery include the possibility of sloughing of tissue or ulceration; the most serious cases have resulted in amputation of the limb or part of the limb.
Phlebitis (inflammation of a vein) is a rare complication, occurring in approximately 1 of every 1,000 patients. The dangers of phlebitis include a blood clot to the lungs or deep veins.
Some patients may experience temporary pigmentation, brown lines, or spots at the treatment site. This discoloration usually fades after several months. In 2% of these cases, pigmentation will be permanent. However, in most cases it can be treated with laser.