Success! 5TX with GentleLase One Year Later (pics)

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

I’ve been a lurker for two years here and I studied this forum and read all I could before choosing this clinic and this particular laser in mid-2005. I emailed every clinic in Sydney and Melbourne with about 30 questions. This particular clinic I chose was run by a medical practitioner which also convinced me. I also felt that I was the perfect candidate for Laser given my age, skin type, hair colour, etc. So I had high hopes it would work, and work efficaciously!

Me: 38 year-old Mediterrenean male
Skin Type: 3
Clinic: LaserCare Sydney
Laser: Candela GentleLase+
Spot: 18mm
Fluence: 20J/cm^2
No. of TX: 5
Interval: TX 1-4 = 8-10 weeks; TX 4-5 = 6 months
Area: Full chest and stomach coverage
Cost: A$660 per TX (about US$550)

Here are my diary notes on each treatment:

[color:#6600CC]Wednesday 31 May 2005 @ 18mm spot and 20J/cm2 fluence[/color]

  • Test spot above right nipple (as seen in pic).
  • Three very fine hairs appeared (3mm) after 4 weeks in this test spot.

[color:#6600CC]LHR1: Tuesday 5 July 2005 @ 18mm spot and 20J/cm2 fluence[/color]

  • No EMLA – wrong choice!
  • Very painful on lower abdomen (above pubes), especially around areolia/nipple area and sternum. YES, IT EFFING HURT!!!
  • Sides no problem and slight pain mid abdomen.
  • After treatment, redness receded after 3 hours.
  • No pain whatsoever after treatment.
  • Nipple sensitivity for first 3 days.
  • Shedding began after 3 days.
  • Noticed few grey hairs wouldn’t shed, which grew to 0.5cm within 2½ weeks.
  • After 4 weeks, regrowth of new hairs appeared (3-7mm), and lots of 0.5-1.0cm grey hairs at top half of chest
  • After 8 weeks, hair length 1cm-2cm. Hair density on chest appears about 25% less and not much on abdomen.

Next 4 treatments used EMLA – yes, on entire chest and stomach before zapping and wrapped in Glad Wrap. No ill effects prior to the Laser treatment. Administered by doctor so I knew I was in same hands.

[color:#6600CC]LHR2: Thursday 15 September 2005 @ 18mm spot and 20J/cm2 fluence[/color]

  • As per LHR1
  • EMLA helped make it easier!
  • After 8 weeks, hair length 1cm-2cm. Hair density on chest appears about 25% less and not much on abdomen.

PLEASE NOTE: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE PHOTOS© TO BE COPIED, REPRODUCED, EDITED OR USED IN ANY WAY WITHOUT MY EXPLICIT PERMISSION. ALL IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHTED. ©

[color:#6600CC]LHR3: Thursday 24 November 2005 @ 18mm spot and 20J/cm2 fluence[/color]

  • As per LHR1
  • EMLA on for 90 minutes, no problems
  • Slight 5cm x 4cm patch not lasered on left of belly button.
  • After 4 weeks, only slightest hints of very sporadic hair regrowth
  • Week 9 – hairs 1cm long, predominantly spread out on chest; barely any on abdomen. Hairs length: bottom 50% normal, and top 50% of length is very fine! So much lighter and finer.

[color:#6600CC]LHR4: Tuesday 7 February 2006 @ 18mm spot and 20J/cm2 fluence[/color]

  • As per LHR1
  • EMLA on for 60 minutes.
  • Shedding began 1.5 weeks later.
  • After 4 weeks, still no sign of regrowth!
  • After 15 weeks – 10% hair growth, esp. around nipples, sternum, bellybutton and chest area under areola.

PLEASE NOTE: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE PHOTOS© TO BE COPIED, REPRODUCED, EDITED OR USED IN ANY WAY WITHOUT MY EXPLICIT PERMISSION. ALL IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHTED. ©

[color:#6600CC]LHR5: Saturday 29 July 2006 @ 18mm spot and 20J/cm2 fluence[/color]

  • As per LHR1
  • EMLA for 60 minutes
  • After 6 weeks, sporadic hair regrowth 0.5mm-1cm, especially on pectorals.
  • After 22 weeks (5 months), mostly chest hairs of one inch.
  • After 7 months, mostly one inch chest hairs (original length) weighted around nipple area.
    *After one year, maybe 5-10% regrowth, perhaps even less. Pics tell the whole story.

In conclusion, so far I am absolutely ecstatic and highly recommend Laser with GentleLase +. After 13 months after my last TX, I have ~5% of my original growth (you be the judge!). I would’ve been happy for a TX annually but to date there is no need (currently 15 months after last TX). Only after effects are very itchy nipples (occasionally still get this despite never having it before Laser TX - cortisone [Elocon] fixes it 24hrs later) and new hair growth on clavicle and triceps that was never there before Laser Treatment. But that may have been coincidental. I also have some back fluff but the hair is too fine (like my chest hair NOW) to have Lasered according to the doctor. My only point of departure from advice on this BB has been my use of EMLA – under strict medical supervision it IS ok to put on large surface area like chest and abdomen. Obviously discuss with your doctor – for me it reduced pain by about 25%-30%. Might touch up every 2 years as I would like about 10% of my original hair and do not want to be totally bereft of hair! In any case, I have never felt better. I hope it works as well for others as it definitely has for me. :smiley: Here is the evidence:

PLEASE NOTE: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE PHOTOS© TO BE COPIED, REPRODUCED, EDITED OR USED IN ANY WAY WITHOUT MY EXPLICIT PERMISSION. ALL IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHTED. ©

Thank you to all who assisted me (unknowingly) and to this very valuable forum.

#2

Thank you very much for sharing the story. We know there are many of you, and that many tend to just go about their lives after they’re done and are happy. It’s very nice to see a report from a lurker :slight_smile:

#3

I smiled all the way through your post. This is fantanstic and I love the detail you offered. I’m sure you will be glad that you provided a written diary here on on hairtell from start to finish, so if you ever forget how much hair you had, you can always come back here and view the pictures and text.

Most importantly, you have unselfishly given your time to tell your important story to all those men who have little question marks floating around their head about what maybe possible for them. This worked out well for you and much credit needs to be given to the clinic/doctor you chose and the mighty alexandrite laser they chose to use for clients like yourself.

A big hug for you for reporting your great results.

Dee

#4

I think you get the HairTell Award for best first post by a long time lurker. Thanks for helping out. Now don’t disappear again now that you have spoken up.

#5

I have been super-busy on other projects, but I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your simply outstanding post and to congratulate you on your fantastic results! It’s always great when a consumer takes the time to help others like this!

Andrea

#6

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[color:#FF0000][size:23pt]UPDATE (4-Aug):[/size] [/color]

After two years still absolutely and undeniably successful with less than 10% re-growth :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :

[color:#FF0000][size:20pt]********************************************************************************[/size] [/color]

#7

So will you now “Finish With Electrolysis” or did you only want a reduction?

#8

Everyone should look at ExSydneyGorilla’s September 24, 2007 post. Scroll down to the last link and click on that picture to see side by side comparisons. This success story was accomplished by a GentleLase laser with proper settings and time intervals on an area that responds very well to laser hair reduction. The person working the laser was obviously skilled and the skin and hair color met the criteria for a good reduction to happen.

We thank you again for coming back to share, ESG. You are the best and no doubt you give others who are in a similar situation - HOPE.

Most people would be elated to have this kind of reduction and would stop, but it wouldn’t be hard at all to totally remove the the rest of the hair for good, if you so desire, with electrolysis or maybe more laser as the hair still looks dark.

Good job sharing and I for one will NOT try to touch those pictures in any way, shape or form without your explicit permission because I sure wouldn’t want to deal with the consequences!

Dee

#9

Thank you so much for sharing your story. Glad the forum helped you get results too. That’s why I stick around!

#10

Only wanted a reduction which I am VERY happy with. Ecstatic in fact! Not into hairless look … only wish I had about 5-10% more hair. Such is its success!

#11

Congrats!! It’s encouraging to hear that using a lower fluence like 20 J/cm2 can achieve such great results.

#12

20J on 18mm on GentleLASE is not a “lower fluence”. Joules and settings in general cannot be compared between different types of machines. You can only compare diodes to diodes, alexandrites to alexandrites and Yags to Yags. This setting is actually the maximum setting on the GentleLASE.

#13

Oh yes, 20J is its highest setting at 18 mm, but that’s a huge spot size. 20J is the lowest setting at 1 cm, so I meant it’s a rather low fluence for a device which is capable of 6-100 J.

I didn’t mention any other machines though. :wink:

#14

That’s my point. It’s NOT low. The total power is impacted by three variables: joules, pulse, and spot size. So the power of the joules is much increased just by having a largest spot size. And it’s increased even more by 3ms pulse that’s standard on GentleLASE. Most other machines don’t go lower than 5-10ms, and even then, clinics rarely go that low. And alexandrites are most powerful in the first place, so this is a very high setting. For 15mm spot size btw, max is 30J, but pulse still remains stable at 3ms on this machine all the time.

#15

What was the clinic name?

cheers

#16

I recommend the clinic in Artarmon (owned and run by a medical doctor called Jill [ who is great!] and with assistants who know what they are doing).
http://www.lasercare.net.au/

#17

Unfortunately, it seems that the pictures have been deleted from Photobucket. I hope you saved them and can post them somewhere again.

#18

Updated here - now after EIGHT years: