Second Laser Treatment..

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

Ok, here’s an update to my earlier post, logically titled “First Laser Treatment”

As a reminder, I’m 38, getting my beard lasered.

So I had my second laser treatment today. The first one left a lot of patchiness and some small crcular spots where the laser worked surrounded by hair where it didn’t. The redness and swelling went down after 2 days last time.

So I put on my numbing cream. I had a different girl this time. She used the same setting as before. lagirl, you asked about the settings, it’s a lightshear diode and it was set to 18 joulles the whole time on my face, which is what I had last time.

It hurt really bad this time, but I think it’s because the first girl missed so much. This girl was good, it took about an hour and 15 minutes. She really did my chin a alot because I have heavy beard growth.

So this is where my questioning comes in. I freaked last time because of the redness and swelling, like “oh my God, what if I get stuck like this” and it all cleared up in like 3 days.

So the difference this time is that afterword, even now (4 hours later) my chin is really swollen. There’s like these little beads of water or moisture or something coming out of my pores in my chin. Not sure what it is. I did put ice cubes on my face when I got home and a cold washcloth. I took 2 Alleve.

Now, I don’t want to get freaked out again over nothing, but I didn’t have swelling like this before. There are some spots on the chin where the skin broke, like just little red marks where I guess the laser broke the surface of the skin. The girl told me that it might scab up a little bit, but that that will fall off and it will return to normal after the scabbing.

With the swelling, I can’t feel the tip of my chin. I put aloe on it and I was going to sleep for the night and see what it looks like tmrw. Again, last time I was so worried and it turned out to all clear up in two days so I’m thinking it will this time.

lagirl and anyone else, has this happened to anyone with the big time swelling? Should I take some before and after pics and put them on here for you guys to see?

#2

Pictures are always nice. I’m sure lagirl and all who read your post would appreciate some quality pictures.

Obviously, you had more treatment energy on the chin and the fluid you are seeing is lymphatic fluid which seeps out after overtreatment whether it be with laser or electrolysis. Most likely you will crust/scab like she said. Icing, witch hazel and cold aloe vera gel is good to move the healing process along. You can also use a dab of tea tree oil at night for extra help.

We would like to follow your progress with you,so don’t be a stranger.

Dee

#3

ok, I;ve had my chin on ice for part of last night. I wake up this am and it’s worse. I posted pictures here:

I have a call into my laser place and I’m calling a dermatologist this am. I have ice and aloe on it non stop for last hour, nothing is bringing the swelling down and I have no sensation in my chin.

This better go away today!!!

#4

Thank you for the pictures. Yes, you are swollen alright. You have properly called your laser place and hopefully, you can get in to see a dermatologist asap. You’ve done all you can do at home.

I’m sure this is not the outcome the laser tech intended. She needs to see what she has done and learn from this.

Again, your pictures are appreciated and maybe some other laser beard consumers will add their comments about their experience and offer you some reassurance.

Sorry.

Dee

#5

Thanks Dee. I went to the laser place this am. The owner took pictures, called their doctor and I’m seeing him this afternoon. They gave me hydrocortisone cream and I’ve been putting that on all day, it isn’t doing anything. The owner was thinking I might be allergic to the Lidocaine, but I don’t think so since I didn’t have a reaction the first time.

Anyway, I feel so scared, like “what if I get stuck like this!” but that’s highly unlikely. I don’t want ANYONE reading this post to get freaked out by laser and use my pics as an example of why you shouldn’t get laser. My first treatment worked well, I had no hair growth where she did. Unfortunately she just didn’t do enough.

Look, I know the risks, but I’m MTF TS, I have to get rid of the hair on my face. This isn’t like a vanity thing or something that is optional for me. To live my life as I need to, I absolutely have to rid my face of hair.

I think that’s why my attitude is so positive. If this just would have been a vanity thing like lipoing a few pounds to look better, I’d be kicking myself! Anyway, I’m not afraid of laser, just that I look like Frankenstein 24 hours after the most intense session anyone on the face of the Earth could have had :slight_smile:

Thanks Dee, I’ll let you know what the doctor said.

#6

I can understand why this is so important to you, Chino and I know you will back to normal in a given time. Most skin side effects heal. You’ve got to know that the laser clinic people involved have got to feel terrible about this and I really hope they learn something and don’t repeat this on anyone else.

Glad you are getting help. They seem to be responding to you well and I think a positive attitude on your part is most admirable. You are aware about the patchiness issues with beard removal, right? Do you plan to finish what’s left with electrolysis? There should be a plethora of skilled electrologists to choose from in Orange County.

Good luck and keep telling us your story,Chino.

Dee

#7

Ok Dee, I went back to the laser place. They were very accomodating. They had an emergency room doctor (he was listed on his business card from the laser place as “medical director”) there to meet me, really cool guy. He took one look at my face and said he thought that was allergies to the Lido or one of the other 2 ingredients.

He said the laser wouldn’t make my face swell up like, if anything it would burn me making my skin blistered and red. He gave me a 6 day supply of steroids (prednisone) in high doses to make the swelling go down.

I had the first 6 tonight, 5 more tmrw, etc. until they are gone in 6 days. The swelling isn’t down yet but I took the first 4 at 7:15 pm and then another 3 at midnight.

I’m really feeling good about the care they are giving me. I’ll let you know how it looks tmrw afternoon. Thanks you so much for being there for me and answering my questions, it means a lot to me :slight_smile:

#8

You are very welcome. Have you ever had any of the “caines” for dental work or anything else? My understanding is that allergies are rare with local anesthetics. Some people are allergic to the preservatives in the local anesthetic more so than to the the actual anesthetic. It would be ashame if there was a time in your life that you need a local for some reason if this was more of an adverse reaction as oppossed to an allergy, then a doctor would not take a chance with this type of local. If you ever require dental work or find yourself in a situation where you need local anesthesia, I know you will mention this episode.

So, I’m confused about this a little bit? What would cause the seeping of fluid if you were not overtreated by the laser? What caused the skin breaks and crusting? I’m not trying to stir up anything as you seem reassured now but, if they made a mistake here with the laser, it would be better to owe up to that so if you need lidocaine in the future, then you can have it.

Dee

#9

I have had novacaine for dental work and never had any issues. The swelling has come down in the last 24 hours but it’s still swollen. My lower jaw look big. I have no feeling on the tip and sides of my chin at all. I’m attaching new pictures I took here:

Keep in mind that I have triple ointment on my chin so it looks a little shiny. There is still fluid coming out but that’s also the ointment, not all fluid.

I think my biggest concern at this point is 1) what is my face stays swollen and the fluid doesn’t go away. I look like a freak, I have to go to work in 24 hours looking like this and I have meeting on Wed - Fri with a lot of people. Look at my pictures today vs. my original head shot and the difference of te jaw shape. It’s been almost 72 hours, swellings gone down but still pretty abnormal.

  1. what if my face has some kind of permanent scarring or something? That would be difficult for me. I can’t tell yet if the scabbing will go away. I am concerned about having no feeling in the tip of my chin. What would cause that? Could laser burns the nerve endings on my chin, ould laser do permanent nerve damage? I haven’t heard of that before.

I was going to call a dermatologist tmrw if this isn’t cleared up. Maybe I should ask for my money back and just go get electrolysis or something. I didn’t set out to do this for vanity, I have to remove my beard hair. I don’t want to have any kind of permanent scarring or anything. I’ll keep you posted, I’m just really disheartened right now :frowning:

#10

Well, you are on the right track just having sought out medical help and medication. I would bet that the prednisone will help a great deal. I would bet you are not stuck with this face. The skin is a wonderful organ that repairs itself from most trauma’s. So, waiting for it all come together and look calm again is hard especially when you need to face people.

You just have to work with your dermatologist or whatever doctor you are comfortable with because we can not treat, diagnose and make positive outcome predictions for some things. Some questions cannot be answered or can only be answered by a consumer with similar circumstances like your own. If you want to SERVE someone else who is in a situation like yours in the fuure, please keep a consistent journal here about your experience. It would be invaluable to offer someone who is terribly worried like you are today the reassurance you need now for questions about nerve damage and scarring. When your outcome shows that all came back to normal within “X” amount of time, that will do more for you than any doctor can do up front.

I am trying to remember another poster with pictures with similar concerns, but it’s not coming to me now. My hope is that another poster will read this and join in to help you more than I can.

You sound like a great person that is not particulaly into confrontation, but I would not be a stranger to the place that treated you with laser. They need to follow-up with you and have sincere concern so this not repeated on someone else.

I think you will be fine with time. Not a declaration, but rather a gut feeling.

#11

Thank you so much Dee, I appreciate your comments, thoughts and concerns. I’m sure it will clear up. I have a tendency to overreact sometimes, especially if my appearance changes pretty drastically like this. I’m a positive person, I’m sure it will work out.

I’m just using triple ointment, aloe and a little ice (through a towel so as not to burn). I will keep you posted on my progress. Thanks again!

#12

thanks for the pictures and sharing your experience. it was the right move to see your clinic and the doctor. that much swelling on your chin is not normal and though it’s not permanent, you’re not overreacting in this case. it needed doctor’s attention. it sounds like a combination of overtreatment (this area is already prone to a lot of irritation since the hair is so coarse and dense and going over the same area several times in one treatment probably didn’t help) and reaction to the cream. let us know how it resolves. these types of things usually resolve themselves.

  • 18 joules is on the low end, but without the spot size and pulse setting it’s hard to say for sure. also, it would probably be too hard to treat at much higher settings on this particular area since the hair growth is so dense.

-can you share the name of the clinic? also, can you continue responding to this thread with further updates so others can follow your experience?

#13

I couldn’t see your photos as they were no longer on the site.

The ER doctor is wrong in that one can easily get a hive-like reaction from laser treatment that causes swelling especially in the face and lower legs. The prednisone he prescribed is the correct treatment and as long as you don’t get infected, it should resolve completely in a few days. In fact, by now it should be either gone or going down tremendously.

It is also possible to have a reaction to the substrate in the topical anesthetic, though lidocaine toxicity is very unusual. But that would not be my first choice.

#14

What happened to those great pictures? I wish you could have seen them, ss because you’d understand what Chino was talking about even better. Where did the pictures go?

#15

I am sure lots of hairtell members hit the right click and save button. Maybe some will email them to you :wink:

#16

Hey guys,
I’m having problems reuploading them to photbucket again, but I’m working on it. Here’s my update. It’s been 10 days since the treatment. The leaking is finished, the skin in the areas other than my chin healed nicely and I’m pleased with the hair removal in those areas.

The right and left parts of my chin, on both sides of my cleft, appear bruised and a little discolored. I still can’t feel the very tips of my chin. There is no hair on those areas except the little bit of gray that grows there. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the chin is just bruised and that the discoloration will go away (again, it look like a bruise, kinda darker, almost like a 5 o’clock shadow or something).

I’m feeling much better and I’m thinking maybe my face is resilient and will heal. God, I hope so! Anyway, still use the prescription to Dermatologist gave me, it’s Bactaban, on the chin.

Anyone know what else I can do to make bruising go away?

#17

Ok, I just uploaded them again.

I looked at the 3 new ones I posted, man, I didn’t realize the bruising looked so bad, I’m used to just seeing it from the front. I’ve scoured the internet and on here and I haven’t seen anyone with this kind of bruising or whatever it is. It’s 10 days, I know that my body usually takes a while to heal bruises.

Again, any thoughts?

#18

The body will just have to absorb what’s left of the (blood under the skin) bruise and that takes time as you are discovering. It is always helpful to eat a nutrient rich diet. Foods high in vitamin C would be good, since vitamin C promotes wound healing. What does the dermatologist say about the discolored areas? I know you will keep us informed.

I guess you can wear makeup to disguise this area. Have you heard of Dermablend? You can google it if you desire. For all this trauma, that hair better be gone permanently!!! Right? I haven’t seen pictures like this before either. Not even the worst electrolysis treatment comes close to this outcome. You do look much better, I agree, so keep positive.

Are you keeping in touch with the laser clinic so they can see your healing progression? Lastly, out of curiousity and you need not answer this question, are people saying anything to you about what happened? That must be a challenge for you as well and I’m wondering how you choose to handle it.

Thanks and we appreciate your effort with the pictures, Chino.

Dee

#19

I wasn’t able to see your pics (maybe because I’m in China), but I just wanted to let you know that based on your descriptions, that we’re in the same boat (I’ve had the same reaction after 3 out of the four treatments I’ve received here in China). So, on that note I wouldn’t be too worried, as I’ve healed fine after each one.

Right now I’m on day 3 post-laser–I had the same breakage of skin on the chin with the dripping fluid. I applied an ice pack for most of the first evening, and cleaned the cut with alcohol. Then repeated that sporadically during day 2 and I’m just icing now for a little bit (end of day 3). I’m not sure which local they use on me since it’s in Chinese (and I can’t read these particular characters), but I’m pretty sure its not an allergic reaction, because the swelling reaction didn’t really occur the one time they didn’t do as thorough a job / cause so much pain during the laser procedure. So, I’d say it’s very probably related to the laser and not the anesthetic (I’ve also never had any allergic reactions to anesthetics before in my life).

I don’t know the exact power setting they use on me, because I haven’t asked (I just let them do their thing–which has been showing pretty good results). But I’m pretty sure its quite a bit above what they use in the states. In the U.S., laser was quite painless and easy, whereas here it leaves me with tears running down my cheeks (despite my best attempts not to cry).

Well, I wish you luck, and I hope knowing that you’re not the only one, and that so far the results have been good for me helps relieve a bit of your anxiety :slight_smile: (I didn’t even really think anything besides “here we go again–another week of hiding in my apartment waiting for the swelling to go down and the hair to shed” after my treatment this time… whereas the first time I reacted similarly to you… I sent about 3 emails and text messages to the doctor, searched this forum, etc. :))

~Layla

#20

if your experience in the US was painless, the settings were probably set too low and the treatments were ineffective. It’s not because the machine or the treatment was better. Effective treatments are painful, though no treatment should leave you with such swelling.