What Laser - Same Question Again

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

I am doing homework for about 2 month now on laser hair removal for my chin (and maybe upper lip if that works well on my chin). I could have had already at least 2 treatments during this time, but as much as I research I feel more confused.

Here is my experience so far: It seems that I am type II or maybe III, East European - ligh skin, dark and thick hair on my chin. I will refer to this area beacause this is what is bothering the most and I would like to treat first.

Out of all the research that I have done on this forum and on the internet I arrived to the conclusion that Alexandrite or Diode would be the best laser for me. I researched the websites and the adds for more than 10 laser clinics and I selected 2 to call which seemed more serious than the others. I live in Canada (Toronto Area) by the way.

First place (www.lci-laser.com) they seem to know what they are doing. I had a one hour consultation/evaluation/explaining the process, including a patch test with Diode LightSheer. The technician tried 3 levels of intensity and she said that she got a very good response from my hair. I didn’t find the pain unbearable but the next day after the treatment the area became red with swelling and some white bumps. Strange is that a larger (not only the treated area) was red. It is the forth day after the test and it is getting better especially after applying the hydrocortisone cream that she gave me yesterday when I asked her to check and evaluate my patch test because I was concerned. Yesterday she did another patch test with GentleYAG Candela on the other side of my chin and the area treated with this one looks good - no irritation or redness, but is this one efficient for my skin/hair type?

Right after I tried this first place I went to a consultation at www.trilliumlaser.com. This is a smaller private place with only one location. She explain me in 10 minutes what is she going to do after I already told her that I had a patch test with LightSheer at LCI and she saw my redness. She said that none of her patients ever experienced redness for more thatn 24 hours. This is a very strong statment to me which made me not trusting her to much. She did a patch test with EpiTouch 5100. This test was much shorter and on a very small area comapred with the other one. I did not feel almost any pain, but I don’t know what setting she used and if they were strong enough to do anything. Surprisingly the area was red the next day as well, although I felt no pain and it is still red and bumpy also surrounding the area on the third day after the test. This one was pushy, she tried to convince me to do tha whole area not only a test and I did not like this especially when she saw that I had a patch test 3 days ago which was still red.

It looks like the GentleYAG was the most gentle for my skin, but again is this going to be efficient?

Another question I have is that altough I don’t know about any alergies on my side, both LightSheer and EpiTouch used a gel on my face and a Aloe cream after while with the Gentle YAG she used ICE before and after and no gel or cream at all. Is it possible that is a reaction to the gel or cream? Is it possible to use LightSheer or Alexandrite with no gel?

Price is not my first concern, but at trillium she increased the price from 100$ to 150$ when she noticed that I have hair also under my chin on my neck while at LCI they said that that area is included in the chin area ar 97$.
Trillium offers no guarantees of any kind, they have 20% reduction on a package of 7 treatments paid upfront.

LCI offers a nice package (they call it guarantee for 30 month) of up to 13 treatments withinh 30 month at 670+tax. You pay 7 treatments and if you need you may come up to 13 times. Also you have big discounts if you need touch-ups after the 30 months.

My feeling is to trust LCI more. They say though that they just got rid of their alexandrite and replaced it with LightSheer which is more efective. At my location they have LightSheer and GentleYag Candela. Light Sheer which should be more appropriat for my skin type which iritated me and YAG wich left no signs, but is it effective?

Please help me decide.

Thanks,
Simona

#2

Wow, I hate to say this b/c I’m such a laser fan, but have you thought about electrolosis? Maybe it is a better option for you.

If you want laser I suggest you try another clinic. Another opion cannot hurt. I think I may have similiar skin to you. Light skin dark brown/black hair. I’m using the GentleLase. There is not cream/gel and no ice. The machine has it’s own cooling system (a quick spray following the zap).

#3

  1. the best laser for you is the GentleLASE alex, which you didn’t try. LightSheer is a diode and takes skill to be operated successfully to get you results (which many lack) and GentleYag is a Yag, which is not good for your skin type, it’s too gentle and might not get you results you won’t because it’s best only on the very coarse hair. It’s meant for darker skin types.

  2. As Jessica pointed out, how much hair do you really have and how much of it is coarse? If it’s just a patch on the chin and some on the upper lip, electrolysis will be fast and efficient and will target only the noticeable hairs if you want, not an unnecessary area with no or little fine hair that can potentionally stimilate more hair to grow. check out the electrolysis portion of the forum.

  3. Redness around the follicles for up to 3 days is a good thing as it’s one of the indications that it worked at killing the hair. No reaction or almost no reaction often means the settings were too low to kill the hair.

  4. There are several people on here and on the cosmetic enhancements forum from Toronto using various clinics and discussing them. Run a search to find one with the GentleLASE machine is you do choose to do laser, which I wouldn’t prefer for your situation over electrolysis unless you have a fulll coarse beard. You can read the FAQs and access that other forum here: www.hairremovalforum.com/faq.cfm

Hope this helps.

#4

Hi,

thank you so much for your quick response. It is now the 5th day after my test with Light Sheer, 3rd day after EpiTouch(Alexandrite) and 2nd after gentleyag Candela.

The iritation in the LightSheer tested area is almost gone and the iritation after EpiTouch is getting better, and there was no iritation at all after Candela, but as you said I suspect there will be no results either.

As about my beard it is full of coarse black hair. There are many years now that I was plucking. Lately every day about 30 minutes per day in the morning before I leave the house, and you could already see new hair in the evening coming out. I decided about half a year ago that I want to do something more permanent about it, and I started to research. I tried waxing as well but the hair is so strong that is not coming out with the wax. Waxing works on my upper lip yet. From my research I thought laser would be my best choice. I have a friend who looks the same skin type with me and she had great results - she did her upper lip and had fine hair only which almost disappear after the third treatment.

So, I read that I should shave at least 4 weeks before starting a laser treatment. I started shaving my beard about 8 weeks ago and I was using a sun block cream, although I don’t expose myself to sun and I am not too much outdoors. I just wanted to make sure that I do things properly. I have to shave every day, and even twice a day if I am going out in the evening. Even right after shaving I can see the black heads of the hair and feel the hair when I put my hand on the area. It is hard not to pluck.

Now that I am thinking better, maybe I actualy got more red the next day because I shaved, and that area was to sensible to shave? Is that possible? The redness and bumps were clearly sorounding the hair, almost like some ingrowns, but it seemed like a larger area then the tested one that was irritated that is why I thought that the gel might be the cause.

I don’t care too much about the fine hair, my main focus is to get rid of this black coarse hair, as everybody ( my husband and my close friends) is telling me lately that I have to do something about it. If the fine hair will be bothering me later I will try electrolysis after I get rid of most of this coarse hair.

I think that I could live with a week of red, iritated skin provided that this is going to completely disapear afterwards, and I could see results. I will continue my research and see if I can find a GentleLase.

Thanks for again for your response and I will keep you updated.

Simona

#5

Wow that price is a lil up there <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> Maybe I’m spoiled but I’m only paying $130/session (6th is free tho so it avgs $108/session) and they are doing my entire face and neck. It only took the tech 30 minutes to do all of it. (This was on a GentleLASE though)

I’d say listen to lagirl. She definitely knows her stuff when it comes to LHR. And I agree wholeheartedly with her on all counts.

I’ve not had the redness last more than 48 hours on my test patch or my first treatment but everyone’s different. Did you put ice on the spot afterwards and also did you put aloe on it?

And I don’t know about anyone else but the pain is a good thing when it’s being done. It tells me the laser is working. The satisfaction from seeing the smoke and smelling burnt hair is enough to justify the pain. No pain no gain! (Well loss in this particular situation <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />)

/Edit/ Ooops I started typing this before your reply haha so uhm take that into consideration when reading <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

PS - To answer a question in your post. I shaved about 15 minutes before my session and my irritation only lasted about 48 hours. You can see pics in my LHR journal - http://lanilhr.divergently.com

#6

I would recommend that you see an endocrinologist and get tests for PCOS. With that much hair on your face, you might have it and there are some treatments that the doctor may recommend. Plus, there a variety of other issues that it can cause that can be prevented this way.

Yes, your best bet is the GentleLASE and you do have correct expectations of killing the coarse hair first. Doing electrolysis after is a good idea, as you will need it to clear up the area of sparse fine hair. Plus, the finer hairs begin to stand out once the coarse hair is gone and we all get obsessessive about them after getting used to no hair <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Shaving 1-2 days before treatment is fine or even right before. People do it a few days in advance so that the tech can see where to treat better. But from what you describe, shaving that morning should be ok. But yes, use a good 3 or 4 blade razor after lathering in good shaving gel (not cream) for a few minutes to avoid irritation. Laser actually helps with the irritation and any redness around the follicles afterwards shouldn’t last longer than a few days.

You can find some GentleLASE practitioners near you at the manufacturer’s provider search: http://www.candelalaser.com/patients/index.cfm?task=practSearch

#7

Thank you again for all your support.

I was tested two years ago fo PCOS and menopause given my very rare period, but I was negative. I am 39 they tested me when I was 37. I am overweight probably about 50-60 pounds but I am very tall as well; what I noticed is that as soon as I loose weight my period problems go away. Unfortunatly my hair doesn’t disapear :frowning:

I am becomming more hopefull in this laser treatment as I can see that the redness and swelling slowly totaly disapear from all tests I have done.

LCI followed up today to seed how I am doing, I asked them today about the YAG - why do they think that this may have results on my skin type? They said that this is the newest model which has a setting for my skin type as well, and that they have treated patiens before of my skin type with good results, but Light Sheer is better. They said that sometimes a combination of the two lasers is the best.
They are also ready to honor my exipred cupon of 50% off any package which means that I would be able to have 8 treatments for my chin with $350, and if I need additional treatments I would have them at 50$/sesion.

I want to see if I find a place with GentleLase before I decide (the manufacturer site has a search only for US not Canada). If I am not happy with what I find, I am ready to bear the temporary redness and go with the Light Sheer at LCI. These guys really look like they know what they are doing, so they probably know to use the settings of the LightSheer. They also won the Consumer Choice award 2 years in a row and I have a friend who was treated there with good results. I know that I have a sensitive skin which is usualy healing slowly, so I expect longer healing period than usual anyway.
If you don’t mind one more question: what is the difference between EpiTouch and GentleLase because as far as I read both are alexandrite and I already had a test with EpiTouch.

I will keep you updated, thanks,
simona

#8

First, here’s a discussion of various clinics in Toronto. I believe one on Bay St has a GentleLASE. http://cosmeticenhancementsforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4274&highlight=toronto

It wouldn’t hurt to do a few more consultations. All clinics will say that they have the best laser etc to get you to commit. The problem with a Yag is not that it won’t work, it’s that there are lasers (i.e. alexandrites) that will get you BETTER results. And if you’re spending the money, wouldn’t you want that for the same price and time? Yags are made for darker skins, so they work but they are less powerful to prevent darker skins from burning. If you have light skin, you can use a more powerful laser and get better results. Yags usually work only on the pretty coarse hair.

What kind of tests did they do for PCOS? It’s a difficult-to-determine condition, so many don’t know how to do it properly unless they are specialists in the area. I would still see an endocrinologist specialist and get an ultrasound and blood tests etc. Especially with the problems with your periods and weight, it really sounds like you might have it.

EpiTouch should be a suitable laser for you, definitely over the Yag and LightSheer. It’s not that difference from GentleLASE. I believe you can adjust the pulse from 2-5m/s or so on it while GentleLASE is stable at 3m/s. Out of all those options, I would go with EpiTouch first.

#9

Thanks lagirl for all. I will continue to research other clinics, as I said.

Regarding the other issue I did a blood hormone test for PCOS and menopause requeste by my family doctor, and I also did ultrasound. He said that everything was fine. It is time to do my full yearly medical exam again anyway, so I will ask him to refer me to an endocrinologist as well.

I will make some pictures of my beard for reference of before and after… hopefully succesfull treatments. I am just very eager to start something ASAP as I can’t stand this situation anymore. I was very encouraged by the fact that I saw lots of hair coming out at the Light Sheer test right at the treatment time, which I did not see or feel at any of the other tests (EpiTouch and YAG) I read that the shedding should be only after 1-3 weeks, though.

#10

yes, give it 2-3 weeks. that’s when most of it comes out. and it also depends on settings. so it’s hard to compare just lasers like that. they might have used very low settings on you with the other 2 lasers.

#11

Hi,

Im in the GTA area. I am also on a mission to find a good laser place in our area. Ive been to Baywood Clinic www.baywoodclinic.com in Toronto, and had stomach and lower back done. They have the Gentlelase, and a Doctor and an assistant treated me. It worked well, but lots of missed spots…more the assistant I believe. I like the GentleLase so I found another Clinic with it, this place is in Sunny Brook and Womens Hospital. www.drkucypon.com/laser_hair.htm Havnt been yet for a consultation but Ive heard she is pricy, but good. So heres 2 places you can get spot tests for the GentleLase. I havnt been to LCI, but they looked too much like a chain, and I dont trust those chain type laser places. Good luck and keep in touch on the laser places you try.

Tina