I’m going for a LightSheer underarm treatment today. I’m a skin II type.
From what I gather here, I want to find out:
9mm or 12mm
joules (ideally 25+)
compression
up & down method.
8 weeks minimum apart
I think I’m going to use EMLA just to spare myself the ouches.
Any other tips/questions I am missing? I will report back. I’ve got 6 sessions purchased.
Thanks!
You’ve got it down. Good research skills 
I would ask them about shedding, touchups if a lot of spots are missed, and overlapping properly.
You probably don’t need Emla it’s just an added expense and hassle to your treatment. Underarms literally take less than 30 seconds each and are done. The 3 or 4 pulses in the dead centre of your underarms you might feel the most but it’s not that bad. Emla isn’t cheap and you have to sit and wait with it on to take effect…
I agree. For this small area, EMLA is really not necessary for most. It’s over in 2 minutes.
Thank you both for all the great insights! The session went ok, but I got a little nervous asking questions, which I feel sort of dumb about… I think it’s good to be a smart consumer and you shouldn’t feel embarrassed about showing you’ve done your research. I really got the impression they were not used to anyone asking very much in terms of technical questions, but she was accommodating and seemed to appreciate that I cared.
Apparently I’m a type 1 skin type… I’m in denial about my ghosty paleness. LOL.
We started off with 20 joules, and I wimped out on asking for more, in part because I was nervous about pain. Next time I will definitely say 25+ please, especially since it’s only a 9mm LightSheer and I do want this to be effective. Also I didn’t see much of a reaction by my skin, and I’ve read that there should be some reaction around the follicles when all is well. Time to crank those joules up!
Will keep you updated. I am going again in 6 weeks, though I’m tempted to switch it to 8 due to what I’ve read here and my schedule. Will probably keep up the EMLA since I already bought the tube and I am really wimpy about pain.
If your hair grows crazy fast (not just shedding), should you go in earlier?
You should see how shedding goes in 3 weeks. If everything sheds, you shouldn’t have much to treat at 6 weeks, so I wouldn’t make those plans now.
If the hair doesn’t shed after 3 weeks, you should be asking for a free touchup right then.
Just a quick update. I am now at the three week mark and seem to have been through the shedding phase. It’s super fun to look at my armpits now… haha! I am not missing the daily ingrown hair rashes!
Although my technician originally wanted me to come in as early as 4 weeks (whhhaat?), I am just going to go in around the 8-10 week mark.
I started the bikini area in early February. It too is starting to shed.
I could almost cry; I spent so much money on an unskilled electrologist a few years back and all i ever had was little scabs and then regrowth (oh and debt)… never one phase where I felt great… and here I am actually having clear hair-free skin (even if it lasts just a few weeks!).
You’ll be very happy once you’re done with 6-8 treatments. Join our happy club It’s been 5 years for me now. Still clear
Can you PM James with that question. He may see it sooner.
Thanks for that advice ihbh! I had no idea. My technician is playing it beyond safe then at 20. I did have shedding - I guess it most certainly wasn’t “kill shedding” at 20j.
Update #2: working on bikini and underarm in lightsheer. Probably waited too long between treatments… waited almost 12 weeks for underarms and 9 weeks for bikini… life interfered!
So treatment #2 is done. Setting is currently 25j. Still no reaction on my type1/2 skin whatsoever, and she said we will up it each time. After 1 week I am seeing good sheddding. I feel like most hair came back last time, but the settings were too low, so I have higher hopes now.
thanks for the insight ihbh. i will ask her to up it more significantly, and if she is really resistant i won’t be returning once the group deal is over. she did say at the first session that she can use up to 60 on type 1 skin, so she is clearly aware of that stat. i am a little disappointed that the settings have been so minimal. luckily this has not been much more money than a waxing session. i gotta be a bit more assertive with them; i am a bit shy.