also would it be bad to wax the remaining areas ?
do u think i should get a test patch done at this place in bellevue…then wait a few days… use some tweezers and see if that areas slides out?? if so, i guess its good to go for treatment there…and if not… have them adjust the settings??
cause she said she wanted to start out on my face with lower settings because she doesnt want to risk burning/scars … but obivously i want to get these remaining hairs out asap… so i dont want to go all the way down there and have it not work properly…
is the test patch a good way to test this? how long do i need to wait after the test to see if it worked well and how can i check this? tweezing that area?
I already provided my suggestion. I think you need a good treatment NOW that induces all remaining patches to shed NOW.
An experienced person tests your skin to see how high they can go on settings safely. There is no reason to just start low for no reason. Your skin type seems pretty light, so you should be able to handle pretty high settings. They should know from experience of treating others what the max you should be able to handle is, approximately.
I would ask for specific settings they want to use: spot size and joules on GentleLASE. “High” or “low” are vague terms.
ok but if i get them to do a test patch… how can i tell if it worked well or not??? can i tweeze the hairs in that area a few days after and if they all slide out…does that mean the settings are right?? and if not…then they need to turn up the settings??? I will post the test patch settings she chooses to use…
You can ask what they’re planning to use and we can tell you whether they’re high enough.
If they’re using GentleLASE alexandrite laser, we recommend only treating at 16J on 18mm spot size and up. If they’re not willing to treat at these minimum settings on that machine, then there is no point of treating.
ok will do… no matter what the machine, if it can support 18mm spot size, should they always be using that with me…
Settings vary by machine. We need to know which one they’re using in order to judge settings.
What I provided above is for GentleLASE specifically, which that clinic in Bellevue seems to have.
ok sounds good LAgirl… im gonna get them to do a test patch and ill let her choose the settings and see how they match up with yours… if they are low ill insist to go with your higher settings for the treatment…
do u think I should just do the dense areas or is it fine to do the whole beard again?
I would cover everything that has any hair still that hasn’t shed.
Just FYI, on GentleLASE, on 18mm spot size, 20 joules is max and on 15mm, 30 joules is max. Both maximums are about equivalent in power. You want to be as close to the max as possible. Larger spot size is generally better.
is it possible that these hairs, which dont seem to go straight down but basically all in 45* angles…could that be why they didnt get hit?
LA Girl - I have a question for you on this topic.
I am male (around skin type II)and am considering removing the beard hair on my neck. I note that you said earlier in this thread that with a proper technician using a Yag, this could be done in around four sessions.
I wanted to ask you about the Yag. I understand it would be more suitable to male facial hair removal given it goes deeper than most lasers, but I have read that the Yag is most suited to people with darker skin. Would I be okay to use a Yag? As I said, I am around type II - my skin would tan, but I am never out in the sun, so my skin is very pale. If you would recommend the Yag, what settings should I be looking out for with my technician to treat my neck?
Also, if it went well, I would be interested in removing my chest hair as well. Would I be better off using a GentleLASE on this, or would a Yag be fine? Pain doesn’t bother me, I just want to use the right equipment and settings in each session, to get the most out of it and not waste time and money.
Thanks for your help!
I will start a thread soon documenting my journey with this.
Justin: Angles are not important. The depth of the hair is and the settings required to reach it. Most hair can be reached with an alexandrite, but some hairs on the chin area may require a Yag laser because those hairs are too deep for an alex.
Jason: A Yag is best in your case since you’re only looking for a reduction. It works just as well on coarse growth on light skin. For chest, an alex like GentleLASE would be better as you mention.
Thanks LA Girl - I’ve been reading your other posts and the FAQ’s and I understand there are some minimum settings that you would be looking for with GentleLASE etc. Is this the same for a Yag?
Thanks!
You always want the highest settings your SKIN can handle safely, on any machine.
ok i had the 3rd treatment… she used the 18mm spot size but the joules was only at 12, this is what she felt was good for me…
if the remaining dont shed after 2 weeks…should i go get it touched up and insist she do it at 16j ???
or do u think maybe its because these hairs are very deep and I need to use a YAG laser to get to them>??
ill post some new pictures soon
http://img600.imageshack.us/i/coquitlam2011032000012.jpg/
http://img163.imageshack.us/i/coquitlam2011032000013.jpg/
its certainly less bad then after the 1st treatment…2nd treatment probably got around 15-20% of the remaining hair…and i just had the 3rd treatment yesterday on the GentleLase (18mm at 12j)
the lady, who is very experienced on guys beards, says she thinks im gonna get a good result after this 3rd treatment but who the hell knows… i tried pulling a few out using tweezers and it feels like there still in there, they dont just slide right out…
what do u guys suggest i do at this point LAgirl…
12J on 18mm is low still. We don’t recommend anything below 14J on 18mm if possible, 16J would be better. I don’t know if you’ll see full shedding at those settings, but let us know how it goes in 3 weeks.
The deepest hairs are usually on the chin area, so those may need a Yag. Generally, they can use a Yag everywhere since it’s as good on the very coarse hair. But once again, settings need to be nice and aggressive. It sounds to be like they’re a bit conservative still.
Don’t pull the hair out yet. The hairs often don’t start shedding until week 1.5 or so. Just try not to shave often and exfoliate, and wait.
is it good to use that PFB vanish… i think it helps with pushing the hairs out…
i can tell u 100% the hairs that just slide out are literally half the length of the ones that dont come out easy…on the pictures in the dense areas i pulled a couple with the tweezers and they are much longer then ones that just slide out…like double the length…