Should I re-try laser on face?

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

Hi there,

Hope you can help!

A few years ago I was getting IPL on my upper lip but this eventually triggered fairly coarse,long hairs on my lower cheeks, chin and neck.

I then started going to electrolysis 45mins per week which i have kept up for around 3 years. Loads of dark hairs still come back though which is disappointing after being so patient!

Do you think it’s worth re-trying laser with a different machine? I.e real laser not IPL? I’m sick of having to clear my face every week with electrolysis and feeling paranoid in the sunshine!

I have light brown skin, am aged 27

#2

My advice is to find a good electrologist.

#3

Can you recommend anyone in London? The person i go to I found on the British Institute & Association of Electrolysis website…so weary of where to find reputable practitioners!

#4

I have personally seen this happen with some of my clients.

This is absolutely ridiculous. Forty-five minutes per week, on an upper lip, for three years!? There has got to be more to the story.

Did you get cleared of bothersome hair each time?

Did you do any threading, waxing, tweezing or sugaring while you were having electrolysis? A brilliant electrologist once said to only tweeze the hairs you want to keep. If there is any pulling whatsoever, then you will never finish.

Have you had medical exam, with blood work to check out the hormones? Do you ever feel tweezing when getting electrolysis? Perhaps the IPL has messed up your hair growth cycles, thus making it hard to predict a happy ending to electrolysis.

I don’t feel laser or any light-based treatment is necessary for facial hair. A professional electrologist, along with a compliant client, can achieve upper lip hair freedom within a year, clearing the area each time for a total of 8-15 clearings over that period of about a year. Remember, laser CANNOT SEE smaller hairs no matter what the color. The upper lip presents with all hair kinds of hair structures, all colors of hair and colorless hairs. Electrolysis CAN SEE any hair structure, any color of hair on any color of skin. Laser CANNOT. Does that answer your question about whether you should try laser?

Spend your effort and money looking for a competent electrologist. Can anyone offer sunshine a recommendation?

#5

Thank you so much for the detailed reply dfahey!

To clarify, the electrolysis i’ve been having post-ipl has been on my lower cheeks, chin, jawline, neck, just sides of upper lip (mainly just bleach upper lip), nipple area.

I have never done any tweezing etc to the hairs, only shave, trim and bleach.

After each session there are still some hairs left and within a few days though lots seem to pop up (hairs are still dark, particularly on the chin and nipple area) frustratingly. Noticing them loads now the sun’s coming out.

In terms of feeling tweezing i’m not sure, i feel the zap and then the hair pulled out but doesn’t feel like a tough pull!

Re hormone tests - went to the dr last week who suspected i could have pcos (have acne too) or a hormone imbalance but didn’t think i needed tests. i’m about to take the pill diannette for 6 months which helped slow hair growth/clear acne when i used it before so that could help temporarily.

I understand your point about laser only being able to kill off certain types of hair. What are you thoughts on having a few initial diode laser sessions to maybe kill off some of the coarser hairs, and then a good electrolysis place to get the remaining ones?