Patchy beard shadow - laser hair removal

[Rena]

When will the patchy, checkerboard like beard shadow go away? I'm on my second treatment.

I had very thick dark facial hair and extremely light skin. I'm currently about 80% hair free on my face. The beard shadow that's left is quite noticeable so I put some concealer on to hide it but even then I fear it's still noticeable.

Can someone who has gone through the same thing give me feedback?

[Jill F]

You're doing great after only 2 zaps.   I was pretty much free of the dark stuff after 5 sessions, but some will come back, requiring maintenance.

I've heard around 12 rounds will get you most of the way there.  I'm in a different boat because I have a lot of dirty blond, red and gray which requires electroylsis.

[Missy~rmdlm]

My cool pattern disappeared after laser treatment three.

[SamiT]

I'm on #14 and still get the occasional clump sprout. I keep thinking the next one will be the last one.. Hoping the one next week is the last one.. I am also on about a 20 week cycle at this point.

Grays are another story.. stubborn and keep coming back despite the electrolysis..

[Rena]

I'm on #14 and still get the occasional clump sprout. I keep thinking the next one will be the last one.. Hoping the one next week is the last one.. I am also on about a 20 week cycle at this point.

Grays are another story.. stubborn and keep coming back despite the electrolysis..

What is the colour and coarseness of your facial hair? What is your skin type on the fitzpatrick scale? Do you pluck your facial hair that's left or do you let it be until the next treatment?

[Rena]

My cool pattern disappeared after laser treatment three.

How many treatments have you had in total? Is there still some odd hairs that grow out?

[SamiT]

What is the colour and coarseness of your facial hair? What is your skin type on the fitzpatrick scale? Do you pluck your facial hair that's left or do you let it be until the next treatment?

Not sure what it is on the scale. I did grow a beard and goatee for the better part of 15 years.. I don't pluck.. I run a dry razor over it and its gone for a week.. I would say 50% reduction after #5.. I have fair skin, had middle of the road not coarse not thin hair. HRT has thinned it significantly. I have had minor luck with the laser on the grays as its said some have a dark root..

[Sydney_NYC]

The patchiness disappeared after the 3rd session for me. The only dark hair left now is a little on the upper lip and very little down the sides of the mouth to chin. (You can't see them after I shave for a day or so.) I just had my 4th session and I'll know within a week how those areas will come out. The lighter hairs are another story (about 40% of the hairs on my face). Electrolysis will take a while longer, but at least no more 5 o'clock shadow now

[Missy~rmdlm]

How many treatments have you had in total? Is there still some odd hairs that grow out?

I stopped laser treatment at 11 sessions. I still had thousands of light hairs that aren't treatable with laser.

[Dee]

I've only had about 6 sessions that fully covered my face, with another 4 or so covering the perioral (chin and upper lip) region.  Besides the perioral areas, which take more time to begin with, I have just one patch on my right jawline.  This is also discounting the couple reddish patches, but you can't really see these.

Also, I can't really see where there's shadow until I get to ~6 weeks after a session.  Also worth noting, I get very pale when I stay out of the sun, and my facial hair is very dark, besides the couple red patches.

[Rena]

I've only had about 6 sessions that fully covered my face, with another 4 or so covering the perioral (chin and upper lip) region.  Besides the perioral areas, which take more time to begin with, I have just one patch on my right jawline.  This is also discounting the couple reddish patches, but you can't really see these.

Also, I can't really see where there's shadow until I get to ~6 weeks after a session.  Also worth noting, I get very pale when I stay out of the sun, and my facial hair is very dark, besides the couple red patches.

Do you know why the chin takes more time to treat? The hairs on my chin and right below my lower lip seem to be very resistant so far.

[Emmaline]

Gone after three- chin and lip still rough a few days after shaving- astounded how fast it cleared.

[Ltl89]

I have the same type of skin complexion and hair type.  To be honest, it's been reducing the growth and creating patches, but a slight beard shadow is still there when not shaved properly.  And sadly sometimes the hairs are harder to shave when they are stiff and dead.  All in all it's reduced it for me, but it's no where near perfect and looks like it will take more time for me than others.  As of now, I've had three treatments.  Hang in there, it should improve in time.

[Dee]

Do you know why the chin takes more time to treat? The hairs on my chin and right below my lower lip seem to be very resistant so far.

Hair in these spots tend to grow more densely, so I imagine more hair = more sessions required. Also the hair in these spots are rooted in muscle tissue, unlike the other spots on the face. It's also why these areas hurt so much after treatment :/

[Laurelin]

I have had 5 treatments so far and there is still a patch of hair on my chin that refuses to go away, I guess this is a pretty common problem

[Allyda]

I have scar tissue on my face from my accident in 91, and these are the hardest areas for me to treat even though the hair there isn't very dense. I've always had sensitive skin when it comes to shaving, and even after just a little oner 2 months hrt My skin has become even more sensitive. Shaving actually hurts, much more than my lasers do. So I have recently purchased a No No to use in between laser treatments. I've been self treating my face for nearly a year and no longer have any dark hairs left, only grays due to my older age. I've been using the carbon dye on my grays to make each treatment more effective. While this works it's a slow process requiring many treatments.

Everybody's facial hair is different. Some have more than others, some have very dense facial hair while some have light. Therefore some may need more treatments than others. Couple that with the fact that only 30% of facial hair is is the growth phase at any given time (the growth phase is the only time lasers and IPL devices are effective) meaning during each treatment your only able to treat 30% of the hair on your face, it becomes easier to understand why multiple treatments are necessary.

[Rena]

I have the same type of skin complexion and hair type.  To be honest, it's been reducing the growth and creating patches, but a slight beard shadow is still there when not shaved properly.  And sadly sometimes the hairs are harder to shave when they are stiff and dead.  All in all it's reduced it for me, but it's no where near perfect and looks like it will take more time for me than others.  As of now, I've had three treatments.  Hang in there, it should improve in time.

Try letting your facial hair grow out for 2 days. Then with a good pair of tweezers very carefully tug the hairs that look thick and dead with the lightest amount of force possible. They will slide right out. Do not pull out any hairs that offer any amount resistance to the pulling.

I did this for 3 hours yesterday and there was 100 tiny dead zapped hairs in my sink at the end of it.

Also if after you shave and some hairs do not cut easily those are most likely carbonized hairs that can be pulled out.

Hoped this helped.

[Rena]

Hair in these spots tend to grow more densely, so I imagine more hair = more sessions required. Also the hair in these spots are rooted in muscle tissue, unlike the other spots on the face. It's also why these areas hurt so much after treatment :/

Every single hair follicle has a muscle called the arrector pili. Also on my face everywhere was just as dense as my chin. I think maybe it's because the chin is an irregular rounded surface and it's harder to target the hairs because of it.

[Allyda]

Every single hair follicle has a muscle called the arrector pili. Also on my face everywhere was just as dense as my chin. I think maybe it's because the chin is an irregular rounded surface and it's harder to target the hairs because of it.

This is very worth mentioning. If you have a small round chin hairs in that area are hard to target. One of my biggest problems is onmy chin due to both the safety electrodes on my professional laser being unable to make skin contact simultaniously so the laser will fire. Sometimes I have to stick my pinky finger under one side, or, use my single hair constant beam laser for chin hairs and my jawline areas.