Should I get laser or electrolysis? (photos)

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

I am a 22-year-old female with excess hair all over my face and under my chin. I have seen an endocrinologist and had hormone blood tests, and everything checks out normal. The hair on my face has not yet turned terminal, except for a handful of hairs on my upper lip.

My qualm about laser:
Because my hairs aren’t terminal, I’m afraid the laser treatment won’t be effective, or worse, induce more hairs to grow or cause existing ones to turn terminal. Do you think this is a possibility, and if so, how likely is it?

My qualm about electrolysis:
I roughly estimate that electrolysis could take 100 hours (considering a man’s beard takes 200-300 hours), which would cost me $8,000. (Please correct me if you think it would take more/less time. Except on my upper lip, I have never tweezed or pulled the hairs out from their roots.)

Photos
I bleached the hair a week ago - that is why there is a mixture of blond and dark hairs. Normally, all the hairs would be dark. Based just on the color of the hair, I would be a good candidate for laser.

Neck/under chin:

Close-up of hair on my cheeks:

Larger versions and more photos at http://s1314.photobucket.com/user/justpeachy2009/library/

I can’t thank you enough for your time and any advice/insight. Any feedback is appreciated. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

#2

As far as i can tell from the photos, Your hairs are too fine and too light for photoepilation, even the darker ones. This peach fuzz is to a large degree in telogen or very late anagen state if it was never touched. This means that most of follicles are pale. IMO a clear case for electrolysis. And often really efficient to treat.

BTW: my longest time on a male beard is 140 hours (my first transgendered client). I hope i am faster now.

#3

Weird, I am also 22 and have that exact facial hair pattern, and I bleach as well. It sucks. Sure hope it doesn’t get worse. Fingers crossed. Def go with electrolysis.

#4

Laser can’t see this color or structure of hair. Your only option is electrolysis.

You will need much luck finding an electrologist who can see and treat this kind of hair, so do your consultation process with care. Too many in my industry would tell you to hit the road - they don’t see the need to treat that kind of hair and you shouldn’t worry about it. I see their point, but its not their face and neck. If they can offer a service to relieve the consumer and the consumer is willing to pay for that service, then why not ?

This is not enjoyable hair to treat because it is so small and very hard to see. Much of this work is light and position dependent. I personally thrive on treating cases like yours. Love it, because it is very challenging work. I would thin out the longer hairs, with and without pigment.

I hope it doesn’t get worse down the road. There is no way of knowing. Same thing as if we sat around and worried about getting a disease in the future. No need to dwell on such things as it only makes us less secure and zaps away our energy.

#5

This is what my hair looked like at first before I did laser and tweezed like crazy. It is now thicker and black. Definitely go with electrolysis! I wish you all the best.

#6

It’s hard to tell whether the hair is coarse because the hair is bleached, but my guess is that the hair is not coarse enough for laser. Plus, you have a lot of finer hair mixed in anyway. I’d go with electrolysis.