Questions

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

Hi all,

I am 19 years old,male, mediteranean type with really black hair.i want to have laser epilation done on my nose, upper cheeks(high until the bone)+beetween my eyebrows.i am about to have laser epilation done and i have a few questions(especially after reading this board).

-first of all, there onlyis one centre in my region and i dont know wat laser they have (didnot ask)but since i live in northernbelguimI suspect it is an alexandrite.do you think i could have side effects since my skin type is mediterannean-skin type4-according to what i read on this board…
i am asking cause i got condused:i read alexandrite is for 1-4 and yag best dfor 3-6, which means i am right in the middle…!
i d say i look like robert deniro(in color)

-do you think the areas i am about to have lasered are likely to respond and in wat way?i read tha laser smtimes makes it worse and hair comes back thicker and more…is that true??

-the nurse i talked to was really kind,only talked about money after i had asked but i doubt she is a Certified Laser Specialist,and i dont think there are any around here…that frightenns me a little bit so if you have any references of practitionners here in belgium??

-do you think it is a good idea having this done at my age?
isnt it very likely tha t the hair will continue to grow until i am 21 a t least.
However i feel really bad about my hair,it has gone a lot into my head,i think of it every day/hour.and want smth to be done immediately ,but as i am kind of alone,making this decision,i could seriously use any help.

thanx a lot.

ps:some of the hair i want removed is not so dark(only noticeable in sunlight) the nurse said that it would also go only might take more treatments…is tha t trrue?(she even told me that even blond hair can be removed with lots o f treatments-she had done it for a friend…)

#2

Alexandrite laser could be used safely on your skin if the tech knows what they are doing. The only issue can be that she won’t be able to use very high settings, because that will burn your skin. and the settings she will decide to use might not be high enough to kill the finer hair. Since you’re in between, you can use either an alexandrite, a diode, or a Yag. Results will depend on the skill of the practitioner. And with a Yag, it’s harder to get fine hairs. But then if high settings can’t be used on you with other lasers, then you won’t be able to get those anyways.

Laser does NOT work on blond hair or even very fine dark hair. So she is not right. You can go for many treatments as she says, but that will only mean less money in your wallet and more in hers. If the hair doesn’t have the dark pigment that laser targets in order to kill the hair, or not enough pigment, it won’t do anything to that hair. It’s best not to touch very fine or light hair with laser as some people have reported that in rare cares, it can make it worse and darker. Laser basically works best on dark coarse hair. The more coarse, the better the results.

It’s fine to get it done at your age. You can go in for more treatments if you do get more growth later on.

I would recommend you find out the exact name of the laser and the exact settings she will be using before committing. If she will be using very low settings because of your skin color, you would be wasting money.

#3

Please understand as well that even the “ideal candidate” might not respond to laser. Course dark hair on light-colored skin does not always yield perfect results. Better to know this before, rather than after. Find people in your area who have been through several treatments of laser with a practitioner they are happy with and would recommend.

#4

I am 20 nudging 21. I am having laser and electro at the moment, it is early days however I am pleased so far . Start it early, don’t let the hair problem get out of hand!

#5

Thank you all for replying,

I understand all that you said about alexandrite.
but then again i dont really get the fine hair part.

see the hair i want to remove is not so coarse,and not so black either,like the edge is black but the root remains white(…seriously!)(apart from between the eyebrows…wich are coarse))
and the ones on the nose are really thin…but black !! and its there and can be seen especially in sunlight…!

the nusrse insisted that all that is black would go…and that lighter also but after more treatments.
what is frustrating is that the lighter is kind of long so if the laser wont work i really donno what to do,ther e is no electrologist in my area…).
also,wouldnt shaving(for before the treatment) make it worse?especially for the one tha t is thin and wont go…???

thanx again.

#6

Areas which are close to the eyes should NOT be treated with laser. Better do electrolysis there.

#7

shaving doesn’t alter the hair in any way. laser can cause blindness, that’s why you wear goggles during treatments. Some will do the small area between the eyebrows, but other areas around eyes should be avoided.

please read the FAQs on laser, the sticky post at the top of this forum to understand how laser works. Laser is attracted to dark pigment. Once the heat reaches the root and it’s enough heat, it will kill the hair. Fine hair doesn’t have as much pigment as coarse hair. There is no way to know if it’s too fine to treat it with laser until you try it. One thing that is known for sure is that you need to use high settings to have any chance of getting them at all.

I recommend you read posts on this site and do your own research rather than listen to what the person you’re paying says. I would be wary of anyone telling me that I will need to have a lot more treatments to get rid of some of the hair.