Laser hair removal on face...super painful!!!

[rachl]

Ah, you're all a bunch of girls!


LOL...another thing to do is learn to meditate, and let the sensation you're calling "pain" pass through you, leaving no trace of itself or of the stubble.

Seriously. Meditation--yoga or whatever it's called--helps me out daily, and I do use it on those days I'm sensitive to pain.

I think that my high tolerance of pain comes from being able to distance myself from the feeling. I'm pretty much naturally able to do this, but it usually takes cultivation through meditation. I highly recommend it! I've always surprised masseuses: they ask how much pain I'm feeling on a scale of 1-10, and I often say 9, but for them to keep going because it doesn't really bother me. I know that the pain is there, but you'd hardly even know it. So this week during my 2nd session, the technician couldn't believe that I didn't even twitch.

[Naturally Blonde]

weird, mine had me come in with one to two days worth of growth to do mine. Wasn't bad either except for the upper lip, that hurt.  Got good results in 8 treatments spread out at six to eight week intervals, depending on what was actually growing. Now all I really have is white and gray, so don't need a lot of makeup.

I was also told by my laser clinic to leave one to two days worth of growth as well. The laser works better on the full hair follicle that it can reach rather than if someone who is clean shaven.

[rachl]

I was also told by my laser clinic to leave one to two days worth of growth as well. The laser works better on the full hair follicle that it can reach rather than if someone who is clean shaven.

Except that this defies physics...why is it easier to reach the follicle (which is under the skin) with hair on the surface (thus getting in the laser's way)? Makes zero sense. I think that there's just a lot of people using these machines and methods without really understanding how they work.

[A]

It hurts, but, well, it's not like YOU're doing yourself this pain, like in waxing. So just lie down and wait. Pain isn't so bad to endure if you can't do anything about it.

Anyway, you can buy Emla cream to numb the area... Though it's gonna be costy. It's not generally covered by insurance (not for me, at least) and it's quite expensive. Like 60(?) dollars for a small tube, which will BARELY cover your whole face. You see, you need to apply a very thick layer; multiple millimeters. That, and afterwards, the whole area must be covered in a hermetic layer for at least one hour (?), such as a plastic wrap for food. If you find a way to effectively cover your whole face and be able to breathe, tell me... And even if you do, it will sure be weird to walk into the clinic looking like that.

Anyway, if you want my opinion, just endure it, and apply a soothing product afterwards. You can probably reduce pain a little by taking two or three ibuprofen pills an hour or two before your appointment, but don't expect miracles.

rachl: Longer hairs = larger dark surface = more heat produced = more effective. I'm no expert, but it makes sense to me.

[Naturally Blonde]

Except that this defies physics...why is it easier to reach the follicle (which is under the skin) with hair on the surface (thus getting in the laser's way)? Makes zero sense. I think that there's just a lot of people using these machines and methods without really understanding how they work.

So why do the laser clinics complain if my skin is clear from hair?

[rachl]

So why do the laser clinics complain if my skin is clear from hair?

Quite possibly because they don't know what they're talking about?

A: except that that's not how it works. Heating the hair above the follicle has no help in destroying the follicle: it makes it less effective, in fact, and just causes pain. And the laser puts out a fixed amount of energy: extra hair taking that energy means LESS energy hitting the follicle.

[StaceyC]

I'll echo what others have said.  Takes multiple sessons.  My 2 o'clock shadow was horrible before i started lasers.  I went through a series of 8 sessions at one place with very good results on the neck and cheeks. Those two spots are almost clean now.  The chin, lips and mustache for me are much tougher and more painful.  The old place i went to is out of business so i'm at a new place now.  Each time it gets better, but the lips and nose area are always painful form. 

Scheduling:
1. I have heard that it is more painful in the mornings when the skin is fresh.  So I've always schedule mine for the evenings.
2. I also usually schedule for later in the week (Thursday or Friday).  See shaving comment below for rationale.
3. Both places i've been to recommend spreading the sessions 6-8 weeks apart.

Before each session:
1. My skin is pale and hairs are dark / dense.  So i shave the morning of the appointment, then again a few hours before the appointment.
2. Sometimes I use the ibuprofin an hour or so ahead of time. It seems to help, but it might just be in my mind. 

After each session:
1. You could try some non-alcohol based soothing sunburn cream / spray to use for a few days after each session.  That seems to help my skin recover (and feels wonderful).
2. Putting an ice bag on the area immediately after each laser session.  This helps to minimize swelling.  But i don't leave it on my the artery on my neck for too long because i get woozy 
3. I also don't shave for a day or two afterward due to sensitivity of my skin, swelling etc. after each laser session. This is why I schedule my session for late in the week, so i don't have to good to work looking unshaven.

Lastly, Not sure if others notice this as well.  On some parts of my face/beard, it just gradually decreases the amount of hairs uniformally .  But on some spots like my neck, i noticed after one session that i had several small hairless spots.   Then in the next sesssion i saw fantastics results like all the bare spots connected and all the hairs dissappeared in between.  Smooth like a baby's bottom.     
Now I have some small bare dots on my chin... and i'm eagerly looking forward to my next session to see if it will yield fatastic results for the rest of the chin area. 
Obviously not scientific, but the patchiness seems to be a good omen for me.

[Carolina1983]

Yeah it sounds really strange to let the hair grow out =/. My laser therapist told me to shave as close as I could before coming over to her.


The heat will spread onto your skin if the hairs are too long and thus be less effective. And damn it will be alot more painful.

[Carolina1983]

Lastly, Not sure if others notice this as well.  On some parts of my face/beard, it just gradually decreases the amount of hairs uniformally .  But on some spots like my neck, i noticed after one session that i had several small hairless spots.   Then in the next sesssion i saw fantastics results like all the bare spots connected and all the hairs dissappeared in between.  Smooth like a baby's bottom.     
Now I have some small bare dots on my chin... and i'm eagerly looking forward to my next session to see if it will yield fatastic results for the rest of the chin area. 
Obviously not scientific, but the patchiness seems to be a good omen for me.

I have the same experience as you have regarding the results. On my neck there is almost no hair left and it is smooth like never before . I have small spots in my face where the hair still grows but they are not close to what it was before and I have only done 4 sessions now. The shadow is almost completely gone now and after I shave my skin is smooth for a little more than 24hrs (before I could never experience this even directly after shaving). I am happy as hell about the results

[StaceyC]

Also, if the last session was too painful, say something to the technician.  You don't want to be traumatized.  Each time i go in, the technician looks at my sheet with my history, asks how the last session went, how the results were etc.  Both the places i've been to, and multiple technicians at each do this initial discussion each time so that's a perfect opportunity.  So if it was too strong, they could drop the laser down a notch if necessary. 
Anyway good luck.  Hope it goes better the next time.

[Beth Andrea]

And just to confuse things more, the reason I was told to not shave the first time was so they could take a "before" pic. As it turned out, I was in and out so fast they didn't have time to get the camera.

After that, they tell me to shave "the morning of the appt." (I usually have mid-afternoon appointments).

The laser is not a precision instrument for hair removal...it was described to me as a "hand grenade", which affects a quarter-sized area. That's why the tech skips around the face, about an inch (25mm) apart; closer than this and some areas will get a double zap (which increases pain + redness) They tell me they can tell which areas have been treated thoroughly, so they don't re-do an area that's currently bare.

I would think if the beard hair is long (like 2-3 days "long) that would have an effect on surface burns and weakening of the laser under the skin...but very short "shadow" whiskers (just enough to detect as "needing a shave") would not affect performance/outcome.

But, whatever. Laser works for me, and it's tons cheaper than electrolysis.

[Mrs. Tina Johnson]

Ooouuch!! To me, laser feels like hot needles poking my skin! Afterwards, my face is burning and swelled up for a couple of days! I get big "duck lips" so I joke to my friends that I got Botox on them. lol Even being on hrt for eight months my facial hair is still very resistant! I will be going for my ninth session next month. Ugh! I'm so anxious to get rid of them!