WHAT TO DO??

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

I am currently at a crossroads. From the helpful people here on this forum, i have learned that a gentlase laser is the best model suited for me. However, to my understanding laser hair removal is permanent. It can only garuntee permanent reduction. So with that said, After doing my research i found a place that would treat my chest and abs 6 times for 1600. The problem is, the laser type they have is a coolglide. I know this laser isnt the best type for a skin type III, but should it really make a difference knowing that LHR isnt truely 100% permanent.

So what im getting at here is should i go ahead with this treatment and most likley recieve a good amout of reduction at a pretty reasonible price? AKA go with the coolglide laser. Or should i bite the bullet and go with the more suitable laser for my skin type, but will most likey end up costing me at least double the amount…Will the different laser types im comparing for my skin type really make that much difference in the end?

INPUT/ADIVSE needed.

thanks.

#2

Did you try to look for places with the Soprano XL? Less pain and time and will give you great results.

#3

Okay so i found the specs on the cooglide. This machine is a cultera coolglide. Its wave lenght is 1064 nm and the tech said i would be starting at 50 joules at 20mm. Are this settings good? I am a skin type III with black hair. The tech offered me 6 treatments of chest and abs for 1600. For the area thats being covered, number of treatment, machine, and my skin type, is this a pretty good bang for my buck? i also do not have to pay upfront as well…

FEED BACK ASAP would appriacated greatly

thanks

#4

I’m not an expert like most on here so someone else can answer better, but is there an option to do say a smaller area to “test?” I know that the real test if it’s working is if you don’t shave the area for 6 months, if the hair doesn’t come back (this is after several treatments) it should be good. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong, but if you do one session, after a week- week and a half the hair all falls out and you remain hairless for another few weeks before new growth, then it seems like it’s doing the trick. If it doesn’t fall out, or it does but grows back immediately, then it might not work. For me that’s why I chose to start with just underarms when changing lasers and clinics. I was able to get under arms for just $60 which to me is super cheap to just test an area to see the results I get. Is it possible to do something like that? I would imagine if the hair all sheds and you stay hairless for a few weeks, then it would be safe to say that it’s working. Again someone with more knowledge can correct me, but I believe the only real difference with the types of lasers is how effective they are on your particular hair type. They all will remove the hair and remove it for good generally, but it’s more how many sessions it will take and what not.

#5

Where are you located? I’m in Australia (which I’ve found to be more expensive than my experiences in Canada) and I still have no problems finding a GentleLase clinic that will do Chest + Abs for about the same price you’re quoting.

I used the Altus CoolGlide (I guess the company name has since been changed) to get my front neck treated. I’m also a skin type III male.

Couple of things - it will hurt more than a GentleLase (at least I thought so). You’re pumping more energy into your skin. I also experienced more redness with the Coolglide. Also - I required 9 or 11 treatments (can’t remember - you can search for my old postings)

I have no first hand long term feedback from GentleLase yet, but I’ll tell you that after 2 years following treatment on CoolGlide, I had regrowth. Now a few years later, I’m going to have the area retreated with a GentleLase.

I did have good results for a while (and there is still a definite reduction) but the Coolglide just really isn’t suited for white skin with dark hair. I’d recommend shopping around a bit more for an Alexandrite or Diode laser (like the Lightsheer).

#6

Coolglide is a Yag laser. It will still work great on COARSE HAIR. An alexandrite like laser GentleLASE will be more efficient on coarse hair and some slightly finer hair than that, but a Yag will still get you a very good reduction if you’re looking to remove coarse hair. Basically, either laser type will remove the very coarse hair, so if that’s what you have and that’s what you want to remove primarily and this machine is 50% cheaper than using an alex, then go for it.

50J at 20mm is a good high setting on a Yag laser. The lower the pulse and the higher the joules, the more powerful the setting. So if they can go down to 10mm after a while, even better. You should still get great results on coarse hair at these high settings.

It really all depends on what your expectations are. If you’re looking to remove 80-90% of COARSE hair, a Yag can do that as well.

#7

SO this laser should suit my coarse hair fairly well then?

Monkeyman…was your hair treated on your front neck area COARSE or was it just dense. From what can tell, the hair on my chest and stomach is pretty coarse.

LAgirl Im gonna try and post a pictue here of the hair i want removed and do you think you could determine whether it falls into the coarse category?

Lee thanks for your imput. however i just to dont have the money to be expirementing…otherwise i deffintly would

#8

We love pictures. Upload to Photobucket.com and post the HTML tag here.

#9

Sorry that i keep on bugging you…but i took some pictutes of the area that i want to be treat. Perhaps you could look at them and judge whether my hair is coarse enought for the coolglide package treatment i posted a few posts above.

But how do i post pictures on here?

#10

did this work?

#11

#12

bmm - the hair I had treated on my neck was as course as the hair in your pics, and much denser.

LAGirl - I can’t say that my experiences match your recommendations. And I wasn’t using a 20mm spot size - I don’t think that’s an option with the CoolGlide (I think it tops out at 10mm).

bmm - don’t stress too much about it. This site can cause people to get a little paranoid about getting the wrong treatment. You will definitely get a reduction from the Coolglide. But there are a few things to consider which would make the GentleLase a better choice. The wavelength of the machine, the amount of light energy being pumped into your skin, the amount of pain involved, the spot size used (ie. how many times you’re gonna get zapped).

My recommendation would be to take another look around for clinics with an alexandrite or diode machine to try to find more price lists. Where are you located - because the price you are quoting is really not that great.

#13

Monkey man- i bet you can tell that im getting a bit paraniod haha…its just such a big decision…i cant seem to make up my mind with getting a large area treated (Chest and abs) for 6 treatments at 1500 with a decent laser…or save up more and go with the gentlase. Its just that ive been waiting so long for this and at the moment, it seems like its the best value oppertunity im going to get.

Perhaps i should just wait longer and do it the right way, meaning with the exact laser i need for my skin and hair type, but the package offered is soooo tempting ughhhhh!!!

I appreciate you showing your concern and writing back…as well as to all the others who are helping me make my decision.

To answer your question, i live in the hartford region of CT…about 20 minutes from hartford. I feel like ive looked everywhere but places that have the gentlase laser are just so expensive (500-700 per treatment) and (2500-3000 for packages).

#14

I wouldn’t go with a YAG for skin type 3.

#15

Odi, i feel like im leaning towards not going with the YAG. I’ve waited this long, so i might as well keep waiting till i find the right clinic with reasonable prices. I saw your clinic link with the prices you have. I wish i was living in canada becuase i would for sure be at the front desk making appointments right now. Those prices are awsome! It was hard for me to believe what i saw, i even had to look twice hahaha! im sure you have many happy and satisfied patients

#16

Our goal is to make them come for the price and stay for the service.

#17

bmm, the hair you have on all areas in those pictures is coarse enough. You should get good results, even with a Yag, though you’ll get to a point where it won’t do much after maybe 4-5 treatments.

MonkeyMan, I think you’re confusing things. The setting in mm is the pulse width, not the spot size. 20J is the max on GentleLASE with an 18mm spot size (max spot size). GentleLASE has a stable 3mm pulse width that can’t be adjusted. Coolglide goes down to 10mm pulse width. The Joules settings can’t really be compared between different types of machines, i.e. alex vs Yag, in a way that makes sense. On a skin type III, a Yag can probably be safely used as high as 50J even with a 10mm (of course spot testing is highly advised).

#18

bmm - I know what you mean - I’ve gone through the same stress over it and ended up putting off treatment quite a while - I regret not getting this taken care of sooner. It’s that case of getting too much information that can be overwhelming and cause second-guessing.

My chest/abs have pretty much the same hair pattern as you, and today I had them treated on GentleLase. I’ll make a separate post about that - but I will mention that it was seriously painful.

Have you had a test patch done? I recommend you get one on your chest - over the pec or near the collarbone, I found those to be the worst. Make sure you can handle the pain from a YAG machine. You’ll get zapped 4 times as often with a 10mm spot size YAG as a 18mm spot size GentleLase.

My skin is admittedly sensitive, but remembering what 50J on a YAG felt like on my neck, I don’t know if I could have all the real estate of the chest+abs done with it. But you might not have a problem. Also - check if it has a negative effect on your skin (seems rare). Obviously right after treatment the skin is going to be in bad shape, but make sure you don’t get any kind of negative skin effect after several days (a test patch should show you this).

If you’ve done you’re shopping around and there’s really nothing in the same price range and you can deal with the pain and your skin is okay with the treatment - then go for it.

LAGirl - pulse width is a time measurement (milliseconds), which is why when you mentioned 20mm vs 10mm I thought you were talking about spot size.

#19

odi - I have to agree with bmm that those are some really good prices.

I’m paying $210 - $280 AUS ($165 - $220 USD) per treatment (chest+abs) without a package. Those prices in Hartford sound crazy … somebody’s making a killing

#20

Why do you have to pay all at once? Is it that much of a deal? That’s what I love most about laser, being able to pay per session so it’s not some huge expense all at once. My clinic is $xxx per session but if you do 6, you get a 10% discount plus free touch ups in betwen or session 7, 8, 9, 10 are 50% off. Still not worth it for me. I know you mentioned not being able to afford testing areas, but the way I look at it, if you can do a small area and pay $60-100 and see how it reacts, it’s better than paying $1600 and finding out it’s not working for you no?