Hi all, I am fairly new here as I am having problems with my daughter who seems to have her dads genes, which results in excess hair growth on her face and now on her lower back!! We decided to purchase the Boots IPL so smooth machine (i realise that you guys are mainly in the US and i am from the UK but boots is a major store here) Anyway i have used it 3 times on my daughters face on the lowest setting and if anything the hair seems to be growing more!!! the problem is she is blonde, I would say its dark blonde. Just wondering how long it will take to know if its working or not, really dont know what to do with her, she is at an age where she is so self concious and I feel so sorry for her.
Should I continue with this treatment or try something else??? I also noticed Meladine mentioned, is this any good???
sorry so many questions - desperate mum!!!
Stop, Stop, Stop!
I have used a similar machine, the Rio, on my face and it has turned hundreds of fine, fair hairs permanently coarse and dark. It didn’t remove a single hair, although it singed some of them they grew back stronger.
Please consider taking your daughter to a competent electrologist for permanent hair removal. You could sell the Boots machine in the local paper (I sold mine in Trade It).
Hey there.
Few things! To start, these home devices do not work! I repeat they do not work. They don’t have nearly enough energy to kill the hairs like a professional machine does. The amount of energy required would never be allowed in a home based machine.
That however is not your problem. If you check out the laser FAQ on here, you’ll see that laser can never be used on blonde hair (or white or red for that matter) as it just can’t see it. Laser/IPL works by emitting light energy into the hair which is absorbed by the melanin in the hair. Blonde, White etc hairs do not have this. The laser cannot physically even see the hair. You might as well be shining a flash light onto the hair. No laser or IPL whether home or professional will ever work for your daughter, she needs electrolysis.
Lastly, IPL on the face is a bad idea, even laser can be. Unless the hair is very dark and coarse, laser and IPL can induce growth which makes more hair grow in the area which sounds like what might have happened here. If the device isn’t strong enough, then it can actually stimulate hair growth.
You need to stop using this device and go to a good electrologist. You’ll get 100% results there and it will be much safer and a better investment!
Your daughter needs an electrologist. I am in agreement with the others, please beware and be cautious.
Thanks everyone, sounds like i may be wasting my time using this on my daughters facial hair. I wont get rid of the machine straight away though as she has quite dark hair on her lower back so may be more use on there, although not sure about that after what you have told me! Electrolysis sounds like the best thing but would they consider doing this on a 13 nearly 14 year old??? cant bear the thought of her going through all her teenage years with this issue!
She would have to be motivated and want this for herself, otherwise you maybe dealing with tears. Not all electrologists are the same regarding skill to make the experience not so ouchy. So, do some shopping and comparing. Get consults and let your instincts click in.
I have worked on young women her age before with no problem, but they have got to want it. Getting some topical numbing recommendations from your doctor would be most prudent if she is especially sensitive. Kids don’t like to hurt.
Has her GP checked her for PCOS?
Do try to dissuade her from doing anything that rips the hair out from the root, e.g. plucking, as this makes the hair grow back thicker and distorted.
If she wants laser on her back, could she go to a salon for it? The machines there would be powerful enough to work. I’m not sure if it would be permanent though.
It sounds as if a consultation at a salon could be helpful.
I haven’t been to our GP about it, and the possibility of PCOS, i just imagined the hair is down to her dads genes, he has thick hair everywhere, are there any other symptoms of PCOS which i would look for??
Yes I am pretty sure she would want the electrolysis done, she is really fed up with the facial hair and the stubbly feeling. I did actually try one of those threading things once on her, that was very painful as i tried it on myself too, she did put up with it though, so hopefully electrolysis wouldn’t be quite as bad as that. I am going to contact a well respected salon near us later, the lady there has a very good reputation so will see what they say.
Thanks so much for all your replies its really useful to have some advice on something which is very new to me, pointing me in the right direction.
HI, I also have a lot of blonde hair (am 34 though)… i am using the selectif pro (it ultrasound can be used on blond, white, red hair etc)… check the website www.ultrasoundhairremoval.ie … it is relatively new so not a whole pile of information about it, but it seems to have taken off in europe… it seems to work amazing on some people, on me it is working but at a slow pace (not the 39% they promise after one treatment)… anyway maybe something to consider (it is completely painless)… hope you will be able to help your daughter, i can only imagine how paranoid and down she must feel about this as a teenager, it a hard thing at any age to have to put up with… wishing you the best of luck…
Yeah, I agree with the others. Electrolysis would be the only good thing you can do for your daughter at this time. Laser won’t work effectively on her because first off, she has blonde hair like you mentioned. Even though they are course blonde hair, they are still BLONDE and laser detects the “darker” pigment, which blonde hair lacks. I think you made a mistake by purchasing that machine because the machines that you can use in the comfort of your home aren’t powerful enough to eliminate hair permanently. Also, lasers can induce more hair growth, especially if used on the face of a female. She has blond hair and on top of that, her hair are fine, which certainly does not make her a good candidate for laser what so ever. Your daughter is quite young and it seems like your a GREAT mother for caring about this insecurity of hers. You can keep the machine, like you said to use on her lower back but I don’t know if it would work effectively, since it may not be powerful enough. Be extra cautious, you don’t want to burn her or anything. If you say that the spa lady you know of has a good reputation regarding electrolysis, then you should definitely give her a try!
As for PCOS, both of you should pay a visit to an endocrinologist or a reproductive gynecologist. Your daughter should also have her hormones checked. She is fairly young, and remember that this hair problem might or might get worse during her teen years up until shes in her mid twenties (I don not mean to scare you). However, there are treatments for this out there, which she can get if diagnosed with PCOS, Hirsutism, or any other hormonal imbalance.
Mmmmm perhaps I ought to pop along to the Gp with her too, but in the meantime i will go along for a chat with the local salon and see what happens. i may as well persevere with IPL machine on her back, it seems like lots of people have had good success with it if these reviews are to be believed!
boots
The Ultrasound machine sounds interesting but cant see anywhere local to me where they are using it so probably not an option at this point,but I will keep an eye on it! thanks so much for your help!
ok best of luck! : D
The full name of the ultrasound is applisonix selectif pro (more commonly known as selectif pro)… there are about 30 salons in ireland who now have it, so i would imagine it in UK also… just did search there on the applisonix website and went under clinics tab and found the salons listed below for UK… not sure where you are in UK… Good luck…
United Kingdom
Birmingham
Sk:n Clinic
32 Harborne Road
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 3AA
Tel: 0844 669 7528
contactus@sknclinics.co.uk
DM Aesthetics
The Health Centre
58-60 Coventry Road
Coleshill
Birmingham
B46 3EE
Tel: 0843 289 9136
office@dentalmedical.co.uk
www.dentalmedical.co.uk
Awakening Beauty
Littleton
Chester
CH3 7DL
Tel: 07919005422
www.infospa-rf.co.uk
www.spa-rf.co.uk
Pure Bliss
78A Baginton Road
Styvechale
Coventry
CV3 6FQ
Tel: 02476412648
hornermichaela@aol.com
www.pureblisscoventry.co.uk
B Beautiful
Kennel Lane
Darlington
Durham
DL1 2DG
Tel: 07947 190 668
Daju Beauty
17 Ribby Road
Wrea Green
Preston
Lancshire
PR4 2NB
Tel: 01772681199
Adroit Beauty
43 Broad Street
Bromyard
Hereford
HR7 4BT
Tel: 01885488055
New Image
Vag Business Park
Vag Hill
Yeovill
Sommerset
BA21 3PR
Tel: 01935433147
Beauty Corner
247 The Broadway
Southall
UB1 1ND
Tel: O20 8571 0300
Beauty and Beyond
33 West Street
Swadlincote
South Derbys
DE11 9DN
Tel: 01283210200
Forever Young
153 Finstall Road
Bromsgrove
Worcs
B60 3DD
Tel: 01527835685
Scotland
Glasgow
Athena Beauty Salon
121 Bath Street
Glasgow, Scotland
G2 4HU
Tel: 0141 847 0055
Thanks for posting but unfortunately they are all a long long way from me, so it looks like electrolysis for us! I have got a consultation booked up so i will let you know how we get on!
I would stick to the electrolysis plan. Look at the salon directory site of Dectro and see if there is possibly someone near your with an Apilus Platinum or Pure. www.dectro.com
Ultrasound is too new and they require you to wax, something I consider a red flag. We are waiting for others to tell us about their results ONE FULL YEAR after they have doe nothing to remove the hair. Until then, I remain skeptical. ELectrolysis is the sure thing. It has been proven to be permanent on any hair color, on any skin color for any hair structure.
waxing is not compulsory with the selectif pro ultrasound… I have not used waxing only a few times on my upper lip and not on my face at all… The other users of selectif on this forum have not used waxing either… However I contacted the distributor in melbourne when it came out first and he said that waxing can make the treatments more effective (not compulsory though) by getting the hairs in to the anagen phase etc… He believes you will have to have less treatments if you wax as the hairs will come in to anagen phase sooner (hope Im explain this correctly)… however as this is new technology, i only waxed my upper lip… So just to recap, waxing is not required, it is optional…
The waxing idea they are referring to would only be applicable before the first treatment, not before every treatment.
Not so from what I read from these past posts on the Applisonix thread that was started August 7, 2009. Waxing is suggested - not required as I stated above, so I don’t mind clearing that up. I should have said “suggested”. THe idea of waxing in conjunction with this device can throw consumers off so it appears that it is working, so that is my main contention. I am not reading that this should be done just one time prior to a series of 8 treatments, as noted below.
Where is samanthajane, vell, and the lady that started using this in her salon in 2009? I would like to hear if they are still using this device and what they think about it’s efficacy.
From this thread:
These quotes:
9-14-2010
Dee oz - “They recommend that you wax first so the hairs growing back are in anagen phase,”
9-16-2010
samanthajane - “So when my underarms got treated thats why she waxed afterwards instead of plucked the hairs out. “
9-30-2010
dee oz - “… They recommend waxing after each treatment to get the remaining hairs in to anagen phase for next time etc… “
10-16-2010
“Dfahey the clinical trial results look a bit rubbishy - i only understand that now after reading about the hair cycles as the data is only recorded for 60 days after treatment, so im a bit sceptical about that now… i contacted the australian distributor for more data (he based in sydney - Joel Marshall) but havnt received anything to date… he gave me some advice/tips on how the treatments should be and said that really i should wax”
10-18-2010
“they treat the hair first and then i wax after the treatment and then i wait for the next hairs to grow and then they get treated and then i wax after again etc etc… this is the way im meant to do it. “
11-13-2010
dee oz - “At the moment, this is what i do, i have treatments with the selectif pro and then 3/4 days later i get electrolysis done… i dont want to wax my face and am using the selectif pro followed by electrolysis for best results. This forum is a great forum and people obviously do get restuls from electrolysis. “
1-12-2011
dee oz -“i am getting better results on my upper lip than anywhere else… i wax this after the treatments, the other areas i do not wax. “
dee oz - “the lady reckons im getting good outcomes for my upper lip becasue i waxed it after each treatment to get it in to new growth stage etc… “
Hi dfahey, please dont take this as me trying to be rude or anything, that is not my intention at all… i just want to ask a question… when you are doing electrolysis, do you remove the hair after using a tweezers? if so, why would you think it inappropriate for the same to be done using selectif (either by using tweezers/waxing)… As i said above, please dont think iam being rude by the way i have phrased this - im just trying to understand… you are obviously a very experienced electrolygist and everyone here seems to really respect your opinions… im just hoping to understand better what you mean… thank you for replying to all my posts… thank you
dee.oz - I’m not sure for what purpose hairs are removed after selectif i.e. Is the tweezing/wax ripping them out from the root as normally?
With properly performed electrolysis, the hair is just removed from the follicle, which is why it should slide out without any resistance. If you see some electrologist’s work - I think I believe seeing in one of depilacionelectr’s videos that she would treat 5-10 hairs rapidly then just use her finger to slide them out.
I’ve been vaguely following your posts and just like I’d never recommend Laser treatment for any woman’s facial area because of the risks, even though some have reported success. I think it’s irresponsible to keep promoting a treatment whose success at what it claims to do has not been validated.