Three test results - 2x Nd:Yag and 1x IPL

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

Here’s my laser experience so far to add to the pool of knowledge… :smile:

I recently had test patches done at 3 different clinics. I had it done on the upper leg, where I figured the hair was thickest, and the skin quite tender.

Place #1 used a Nd:Yag CoolGlide laser. They started at 30J, 35-25msec. At this level, I felt nothing. The doctor at this clinic said that you didn’t have to feel it for it to be effective. Gradually it was increased to 47J, 25msec. At this level, I could feel it - just a faint zappy sort of pinprick feeling. Immediately afterwards the skin was reddish, and raised like goosebumps. The bumps subsided after about 30mins, and the redness after 60mins.

Place #2 also used a Nd:Yag CoolGlide laser. However here they did the entire patch at 60J, 20msec. This was VERY different! I’m not sure I could go through an entire session on this level, and I tend to have quite a high tolerance for pain. Interestingly, there was no response afterwards in terms of redness or goosebumps.

Place #3 used an IPL (I think it was MultiLux).
They did three different settings - 12.5J, 13.0J, and 13.5J (can someone explain why IPL would be so much lower than laser?)
Pain was somewhere between #1 and #2 - I could feel it, but it was easily withstandable. Again, no immediate side effects.

Pictures after 3 weeks can be found here:
http://www.geocities.com/aitaronz/hair/index.html

Basically, #2 seems to be by far the most effective - at least initially. It has removed virtually all the hairs in the area.

#1 seems to have slowed the hair growth, and possibly the stubble is a bit lighter/finer than it otherwise would be, but it certainly hasn’t removed the hair.

And once again #3, the IPL, is in the middle. Strangely, the lighter setting almost seems to be more effective than the stronger zaps on this machine.

Hope this helps. Feel free to comment. I’ll update this further down the track.

#2

Hi: I was interested in your test results. You didn’t say what skin type you are, but with the settings used on the Yag machine, I would say you were on the lighter end of the spectrum. IPL has lower fluence settings because of the particular bundle of wavelengths that are contained in the flashlamp. IPL is NOT laser- it is incandescent light, with wavelengths of approx. 645-845joules, for example. This puts IPL within the range of Alex or Diode laser. It is necessary to use lower fluences with IPL because it has a much greater affinity for melanin at these low wavelengths, so a lower fluence would be necessary to spare the skin from damage. At this point IPL is great for removing hair for about 4 months, then it all seems to grow back. The setting used for NdYag was good, and using a topical anesthetic would be helpful to modify the discomfort. I would go for the Yag (but I am prejudiced), because it is so kind to the skin. I hope this helps - keep posting! :wink:

#3

WHAT!?! WITH AN IPL TREATMENT THE HAIR WILL GROW BACK AFTER FOUR MONTHS? SAY IT AIN’T SO!

#4

lol…

Just an update from me:

There are a few hairs in each treatment site that seem to have been missed. This seems to have been a particular problem with the IPL sites, where quite a few hairs have been unaffected.

The treatments also seem to have really deleayed the hair growth (except for the missed hairs). There is stubble growing back, but it’s growing incredibly slowly.

Has anyone had similar experiences? I had been expecting all the treated hair to fall out, then some of it - the hairs that weren’t in the active growing phase - to gradually grow back in, so there wouldn’t have been stubble.

Instead, I saw the hairs shed, leaving a completely smooth surface as expected, but then the regrowth was slow-growing stubble.

Can anyone offer an explanation?

#5

The hair that is growing back as stubble could be some singed hairs that were below the skin surface at the time of treatment and are just working their way out.

RJC2001

#6

Glad to hear about your progress, Aitaronz. I had my first Estelux (IPL) treatment (bikini area and stomach) 10 days ago and have notice a much slower growth and finer hair since then. Will have another one 10 days from now. Please keep updating us on your progress! I am interested to hear how it goes for you.

#7

OK - three months on since my test patches were done, and things are getting interesting.

Up until a few weeks ago, place #2 (high fluence, short pulse time) was leading the pack, with the least hair regrowth by far.

However, recently the hair there seems to have done quite a spurt, and now seems to have nearly twice as much hair as place #1 (longer pulse times on lower fluence)

This is quite contrary to what I had always thought was the case - that the higher the power the better… I asked place #2 why they thought this might be, but they were at a loss to explain it.

Anyone else got any theories? Remember, both machines were identical.

[ April 16, 2004, 04:04 PM: Message edited by: Aitaronz ]