I have been shopping around a little for a clinic and have had consultations at 2 thus far. the first is pretty well described in the thread below and the second is just around the corner and have the same laser though a little seemingly a little less experience and more like a chain (they have several clinics around the city).
The first one told me that they like to start off on the first session using “high” setting (thats all they told me) on the laser to clear as much hair as possible while its still thicker and would be more affective, where as the second clinic, when explaining this scenario to them frowned quite considerably at the idea mentioning they would use a setting such as “18 12” and move up depending on my skins reaction. I have no idea what this means - I guess it would be considered a “low” setting? So thats the first part; what does that mean and who do you agree with?
Secondly, which I thought was a bit odd, the second clinic looked at my initial test patch from the first clinic which had used the “high” settings approximately 3 months earlier and commented that it was a great result (even after saying that high settings were bad). Would it be safe to say that I could get the setting information from the first clinic (since it was such a great result) and tell them they should use that? Reason being is that there is a VAST difference in price. The first being AU$1000 and the second AU$350 per session.
Also the first clinic said it would be around 8 treatments while the second said 4-6 (which I have heard is generally not the case).
As I said, I would like to go with the second simply due to the price, but am interested in hearing your thoughts on the high vs low settings and potential competency of the second based on what they have told me.
I will leave the full disclosure to the other Phantoms of the Poster board, but just to give you a quick answer, I would say that although you might get better treatment than you would otherwise by giving the second clinic the information from the work done at the first clinic, you could also end up burned, or in some other way mistreated due to the fact that they seem to be less qualified to begin with.
I know that I can’t really be expected to give another electrologist the settings I used on a particular client for them to use on that person, due to the fact that in most cases, I am using a different (larger) probe than they are (due to my magnification and lighting) and one’s insertion depth would also tend to weigh heavily on the effectiveness of a particular treatment setting. In short, someone using a two piece insulated number 2 probe trying to duplicate my treatment by copying my treatment setting would have some frustration, as my treatment setting was based on using a one piece Ballet Gold Probe.
I would say that unless they both are using the exact same machine, it is hopeless to even try to get them to recreate the other clinic’s results, via attempting to copy their treatment numbers, and secondly, they may not have the expertise to adjust the treatments as needed. (the power used on one set of hairs in one treatment area, is not the same as what is used on a different set of hairs in an adjacent treatment area.
The first clinic’s assertion that a higher fluence level would be more effective on the first treatment while the hair is thicker jibes with my understanding of the physics. The hair is acting like the probe in electrolysis. It heats up due to the laser light and delivers some of that heat to the stem cell matrix that grows the hair, hopefully damaging it. Once you start damaging the cells, the hair (probe) becomes thinner and doesn’t catch as much energy from the laser to transfer to the matrix.
Frankly, this is just a guess. In all of the scientific literature I read on laser hair removal (before ultimately deciding to do electrolysis) the exact mechanism for disabling the hair isn’t really known.
It’s better to treat at higher settings as long as your skin can handle it without burning. And that’s the tricky part. It takes someone with experience to know what settings would be high, but still safe.
It would greatly help us give you more useful advice if you can find out what specific laser is being used at each clinic, and what specific setting each clinic wants to use (spot size, joules, and pulse). Also, what area are you looking to treat? What type of hair do you have? How coarse? What is your skin type?
thanks for the replies guys. I know they both use Candela GentleLase 755, i’m skin type III with dark fairly coarse hair and the area is my back.
I’ll work on getting the settings! Like I said, the second clinic said “18 12” (does that help?), though I just rang them and they really couldn’t (maybe wouldn’t) tell me what the exact settings were without seeing me again. I’ll get more information from the first clinic when they are open tomorrow.
Talking to the guy at the second clinic just then gave me a whole lot more confidence in them (well him anyway over the lady I had the consultation with), he seemed to know his stuff and he said that if 6 treatments are required it would be half price and the 7th would be free. The lady did mention to me that he had been there the longest (3 years).
To be honest, they all seem a bit smoke and mirrors when it comes to handing out specifics… almost as if its a sales pitch and they don’t want to give too much away. reminds me of used car sales men
you may want to look at a few more places to find someone who’s less salesy.
those settings could be either 18mm, 12joules or 18 joules on 12mm. Both are a bit low for your skin type. largest spot size is usually more effective, so treating at 18mm should be better. max on 18mm is 20 joules. anything 14j and up on 18mm should be effective. on 12mm, max is 40 joules, so 18 j would be pretty low.
Yeah, I’ve actually called around a fair bit and I get the same impression from all. Maybe I’m just being overly cautious? And I do have a distaste for anyone remotely salesy
Anyway, I called the first clinic this morning and they said 18mm spot size and 20j was what they had used on my test patch. Which again, the second clinic had commented came out really well.
Does that sound like a fair setting?
Thank you for all your help guys! It’s really appreciated!
EDIT: actually they said 20 was the Fluece (spelling?) and that was joules… Is that right?
Thanks! I’ve descided to go with the 2nd clinic as talking to the manager there, they are happy to go with similar settings to what the first had used considering i had no skin issues afterwards. hope it all works out ok!
