Hello,
I have been doing hair laser removal (alexandrite) in my upper/lower back, neck and shoulders. I’ve done over 40 sessions and almost 40% of the hair has been removed. Also, I’ve noticed that some hair on my shoulders became more aggressive. Is it normal? What is the best settings for someone with white skin and black hair? Thanks!
40 sessions? Holy sh*t,
I took on a electrolysis client of indian /pakistani descent a year ago in may. She had had massive laser hair stimulation ( whatt you describe as more agressive back hair) over her entire torso and shoulders and face . She comes once a month for 6-8 hours of treatment over 2 days on her face and torso.
As I write this she is pretty much completed. She has some fine hair remaining, which we are working on dwindling down now, but more or less, she is done.When she started she was one of the more extreme laser stimulation cases I’ve dared to take on, and we were doing it long distance ( she lives in another city and travels to see me oce a month). She has missed 2 months during the year I think so roughly something under 80 hours total treatment.It was so bad when she started, she had dropped out of university so she wouldnt be seen with the hair on her face.And she was all smiles this weekend as we did 6 hours , because, she isnt getting the regrowth and her hair, is about where she wants it.
When I hear people taking 40 expensive ( and posibly detrimental)laser treatments, it’s hard not to think f they had started electrolysis they would be done now, not 40% of the way there with new laser stimulation coming in.
Very heartbreaking. Go do electrolysis.You’ll finish more efficiently than what you are doing now.
Seana
I am not a specialist of LHR but what I know is that the laser works maximum up to 4-6 treatments, after that is only loss of money.
We constantly tell people it takes a year for all the hair bearing follicles to generate a hair and be killed. I dont see it would be different with laser.If spaced the recommended 2 1/2 months apart how long is 40 sessions? Even monthly that is over 3 years of treatments.
If laser hasnt killed 100 percent of the hair with that much treatment it ISNT WORKING and you must swith to something else to see results.
Seana
40 sessions is ridiculous! What laser settings are being used on you?
Thank you very much for all your replies. I don’t even know the settings of the laser. I have an appointment for laser tomorrow, so I’ll ask her to show me the settings, so I will let you know.
Dagretonn,
We gave you our opinion. Stop doing laser and start electrolysis.
Good luck with your 41st laser treatment-your skin,your hair, your money.
You should make your homework before starting any kind of hair removal treatment.
Thank you for your opinion. Maybe the settings are not appropriate.
Electrolysis? How long will an appointment last for the whole back, neck and shoulders?
You ask questions without giving any information.
It is the same if I ask this question:
I want to buy a car. What car I should buy?
Find skilled electrologist in your area, make consultation and ask all the questions you have.
There are many factors to consider an electrologist before answer your question:
-Area to be treated
-skin condition
-skin reaction and side effects
-Hair type
-Hair density
-Your pain tolerance
-Electrolysis modality used
-Skills and working speed of the electrologist etc.
In some circles the very definition of idiocy is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
Electrolysis is a process which involves all the same things dimi speaks of.
You’ve done 40 sessions of something that does NOT work for you, 41, well it will be just more money spent.
HAving done all that laser, you will have done some very strange things to the hair growth cycles. No one here can predict your results of needs accurately because of this change to the way your hair grows. What we can tell you is you will see immediate effect from electrolysis ( the hair will be gone ) as well as the one thing you are lacking with laser ( Long term permanent effect), that is, slowly diminishing hair.
While a fresh electrolysis client can complete in 12 months having done no laser, there is a significant probability your skin will sprout hair for several years or more. due to what I affectionately call the Laser Effect. These wont be new hairs or hairs that didnt die from electrolysis, they will be follicles that have delayed growing a hair until some years after laser completed.Most within 3 years, but I’ve seen hair return as far off as 5-7 years.
Seana
Laser on body max 12 treatments, but usually after 8 treatments every 6-8 weeks is pointless as results diminish significantly.
Even on the face, 40 treatments of laser is complete waste of time and money. STOP and find an electrologist, unless you’re fine going in to slow down hair growth with laser every few months for decades.
I make special consultation with those client which had Laser or IPL treatments to explain all this things. They must understand clearly the outcome and not to blame the electrologist for the hair which laser did not kill.
Did my 41st laser session yesterday and I asked the dermatologist (basically her assistant) to show me the settings of the machine. The machine is an old alexandrite (candela). The settings she used on me are 10J and 20mm. The max Joule settings go up to 14J. I guess these settings are way to low, right?
I think yes. I was treated with 18mm spot size at 16-18J.
There is your answer. You were robbed of your money by a poorly trained, clueless technician. You were being under-treated 41 times at full price with no guarantee. She goes home with a salary and you’re stuck dealing with unwanted hair 3 years down the line.
My first session was 16j on 18mm spot and rest were going up to 20j. She obviously doesn’t know anything about laser hair removal if she is sitting there doing 41 treatments with no results and doesn’t think anything is wrong.
Dagretonn,
There is a high probability that you will get LASER INDUCED HAIR GROWTH.
It is possible that when you stop doing laser you will end up with more hair than the time before you started laser treatments.
I really hope that this will not happen.
Dimi
Dimi,
Is there a way to reverse it?
No, you can not reverse it.
The only solution is electrolysis, sorry.
The chances of laser-induced hair growth is actually very low. If you are considering laser hair removal, talk to a dermatologist and make sure you are going to someone who knows what they are doing. They should be able to give you references and show you some before and after images.
Also, talk to them about the changes of increased or induced hair growth. If they don’t calm your fears, then don’t do it, but the best decisions are made when you have the best information from reliable sources. Hope it works out for you.
Check out this study http://www.dermatologytimes.com/dermatology/light-laser-therapy-may-stimulate-hair-growth
Interesting article. I wonder, however, on the “numbers.”
So far, I’ve not seen a carefully controlled study on, say, young men … who are the likely sufferers of laser-induced hair growth.
I’ve had 10 male clients who had this negative effect and not one of them reported back to the laser clinic or made any report whatsoever.
My interpretation is that there is probably a significant group of people who experienced laser-induced hair growth; and those studying this effect (if they are) are lacking the real numbers.
Male clients don’t generally complain … about anything.