Questions regarding settings being used/results

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

Hi all:

I have been scoping around these forums for a while and finally decided to post. Thank you to the many professionals who dedicate their time to us hopeful consumers.

I’ll preface this question with some background:

Age: 21
Gender: Female
Skin Type and Hair Color: Type II and Dark Brown/Black
Treatment areas: Back, Shoulders, Chest, Abs, and Arms
Hair Type: Not extremely thick but thick and it lays flat on my body

Questions:

I am being treated with a Cynosure Elite Laser Type 755 (Alexandrite) with a 15 mm hand piece at 15 J/cm2 and 25Ms. Are these settings to low? I have had 2 treatments so far with my 2nd one being yesterday. At first, my Tech bumped up the Laser to 20J but felt that the amount of swelling on my arm was excessive and bumped it down. The swelling went away but it’s a bit more red and feels like sunburn the day after. I saw shedding but complete shedding took about 4 weeks to be complete after my first treatment.

Do I have to wear a long sleeve/sweatshirt all day or when I go outside, even with sunscreen (SPF 50) every time I step outside? I’ve read mixed reviews and would like to hear expert thoughts on this.

Is it normal to have hairs that feel and look like stubble you’d get after shaving so soon as a day post laser treatment?

Thank you to anyone whose able to give answers to these questions!

#2

I’m sorry, I’m a MALE and not a female!

#3

Those settings are pretty weak. I’ve been red the next day after treatment, and that’s fine. What’s not fine is blistering/hyperpigmentation, but if you’re really a type II, you shouldn’t have those issues at high settings.

No you don’t need to wear long sleeves all day. Honestly, I don’t even wear sunscreen if I’m just walking from place to place. If I’m going to be outside for quite sometime (say in direct sunlight fr 30 mins+), then I will put on sunscreen, but if you’re just going on say a 10-minute walk, you should be fine without it.

#4

Brenton:

Thank you for your reply and the input! Would you suggest if no rare adverse effect occurs that my next treatment should be at 20J?

And will these last 2 treatments at “weak” settings compromise long term results even if my last four treatments are at 20J and above?

Thanks guys!

#5

It’s very difficult for me to tell you what settings should be used since I can’t see how your skin reacts. Ideally you would like to be above 20J but you also want a pulse width fairly low (ideally 1-ms or less). So in reality, the 20J by themselves isn’t enough to say the settings were strong without knowing the pulse width (assuming that’s 25ms, that’s stll kind of high for your skin type).

They won’t compromise long term results, but they will just delay the time until you get there

#6

Hmm, well I’m not sure if when she bumped the settings up if she adjusted the pulse width, I imagine she did. Basically, on my arm it is slightly red, not as red as say a sunburn would produce but obvious. It also a bit sore, it doesn’t burn, more so hypersensitive. Honestly, it looks exactly the reaction that has occurred using the lower settings, slightly red around the follicles of the hairs.

And yes, that’s 25ms! Your correct. Also, what about my question in regards to the appearance of the hair coming threw thus far? They are obviously present and feel very brittle but I imagine they are just breaking threw to eventually shed, was just curious why they were so prevelant the day after treatment.

#7

Any other input would be great from other experienced and reputable board members! I’d really love some peace of mind about all this!