Changes after starting laser

[Promethea]

I've been having a really hard time dealing with facial hair, and with having to cover it with about two pounds of makeup everyday for work, so I finally went to my first laser session.

The practitioner told me hair would appear to grow normally after the first session, but after 10 to 15 days I would be able to pull the hairs she zapped out with my fingers. I'm at day 9 now, and I tugged on some hairs gently with tweezers, but they are still too firmly attached.

At first I didn't notice any changes, but some people have told me they see them. Now I think I am seeing some changes, but I'm not sure if I'm just being influenced.

I feel as if it is growing slower, and probably thinner too, specially on the sides of my face. I shaved this morning, about  18 hours ago, and even my upper lip doesn't feel as rough as as it normally would at this time of the day. Right after shaving my cheeks feel really smooth, which is something I never achieved before, no matter the type of blade of technique used. You can still see the hair, though.

I just hope I'm not making it more difficult for the dead hair to fall out by shaving really close...

How long did it take you to see the first changes?

[Ms Grace]

I didn't get any result from laser as my hair is too light. After the second treatment I just had to admit it and move onto electro. Your hair looks good for laser though. Even so, I f it's your first treatment I don't think you'd expect to see too great a change. Maybe after the second or third times (don't most people require up to six treatments?)

[Promethea]

I bought six sessions. I'm getting electro once I move to Sweden, but I have to do something in the meantime to reduce it.

Fortunately (or not) my hair is really dark and my skin quite fair. My hair also grows really fast, so I won't have to wait that long between sessions. I'm going back after 30 days instead of the usual 45.

I thought it was supposed to take longer for it to be noticeable, but I'm not necessarily asking about dramatic changes. Just trying to gauge if I'm delusional, since the small changes I'm noticing are different from what the technician described.

It's strange, though. Just a few days ago I saw an ad from another clinic (the best cosmetic clinic in the city), where they were advertising laser hair removal, and the doctor that runs it said you are supposed to see changes after the first treatment, and if you don't you're being ripped off.

[MarcellaJH]

I had my first laser treatment on 11/4.  Ironically, my beard seemed coarser for the first week and 1/2.  Now I am experiencing similar changes that you have described.  My facial hair seems lighter for a longer period after I shave.  My nurse said that it is perfectly ok to shave.  I plan to do all of my laser treatments and to "clean up" with electrolysis.


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[Megan.]

I have mid-brown hair and typical Caucasian skin tone. I booked an 8  treatment package at 1 month intervals with skn clinics in Milton Keynes UK. So far I've had two sessions. The first one was quite painful, but certainly had a very noticeable effect leaving some areas quite patchy and slowing overall growth for a couple of weeks, after a couple of days I was easily able to tweeze some of the hairs, but some still held firm. My second session was far less painful, but has just thinned areas further. Got my next session tomorrow, but very happy camper so far. Beforehand make sure you have a super-close shave, take some ibuprofen and hydrate well. Get some aloe Vera cream to apply after if they don't give you any, as the vitamin A helps the skin recover and sooths any irritation.

[Ashey]

My hair was 75%+ gone after the first time. 90%+ after about 6 sessions. It depends on a lot of factors. I still have a few lingering hairs that I usually pluck, though I'm going for one more session soon. But most of the hairs grow a lot slower and are thinner. Also depends on how much you start with. My facial hair was very patchy and sparse at first, so that could be why I saw results quickly. And as for the shaving and all that, that's fine. Just be careful if you pull the hairs out. Sometimes you'll feel a tug but it could be the skin around the hair rather than it still being attached. So just go slow and gentle and you should be able to feel if it really is attached or if there's just resistance. Shaving will actually aid in pulling the dead hairs out too.

[Promethea]

Thank you for the tip, Megan. Good luck with your appointment today.

For the first session I had shaved in the morning (the appointment was in the evening), but the technician advised that for the next time I should shave the night before instead, so that I could then shave again just before the session.

This is getting real. I haven't been able to pull any hairs out, but when I went to shave this morning I noticed a clear spot in my soul patch area, about 4 sq mm. The hair must have fallen out during the night. It probably has also happened in other areas that aren't as evident. I see some bumps in the skin, so it won't be long before the hair that was dormant shows up, but wow!

[RachelsMantra]

I definitely noticed a difference after my first laser session, especially on my cheeks and neck but I didn't *really* notice a big difference until the 2nd and 3rd session, especially the 3rd. Ive had four sessions now and my shadow is still noticeable but it's drastically reduced and I can walk out the house without any makeup without feeling like a dude in drag.

[LivingTheDream]

I was hairy as an ape when I started. For me, it definitely took a few sessions before I noticed much difference. She started me off on a pretty low power just cuz I had so much hair, it hurt like hell and she didn't wanna burn me. At first I would just notice small little patches on my face where there wasn't any shadow (black hair, always had shadow, even after shaving close) but after awhile it def became noticeable to me and others...around my 6th-10th sessions, I was pretty uncomfortable with it. By then I just had small patches of hair and shadow; looked like I shaved in the dark or something, half-assed shaving. I still have some left that I am working on, after like my 13th or 14th, mostly just below and above my lips, but the rest is pretty much gone.

[Brooke33]

I really need to get on laser already... I've found a few groupons, but none are responding to any of the calls/emails I've made on whether or not they take or are used to dealing with men.

[Promethea]

Brooke, why don't you try being open and telling them you're a pre transition trans woman? They are probably more used to that.

In my case, I'm full time, but I still told them I'm trans when I emailed asking for prices, and I was surprised when they said they would bill me as a woman. That is, they're counting my face and neck as one area, despite that I have much more hair than any cis woman, even one with severe polycystic ovarian syndrome.

[Brooke33]

I guess it's worth a shot.  I'm nowhere near full time, still in boy mode.  I'm hoping it changes soon, I finally start HRT tomorrow (11:30am appointment ), and right now I just don't have the confidence to go full time.  Still, thanks for the advice, never hurts to try

[Valwen]

I have been through 6-7 sessions a few of them so painful I had to stop because I was sobbing and she could not keep going. All that and I don't even know if its working I am a terrible judge of things like this and the woman who dose it cant tell because I shave so harshly to get rid of everything. my face is a mass of razor burn and now she wants me to come in again in a few weeks but not shave for several days before hand...I may have to drink very very heavily to get through those days, I already took them off from work and have told people I will not be at social events...I truly hate my facial hair it is more dysphoria inducing to me than the lower bits.

I am just thinking about it for 5 minutes and I am ready to start crying again. Goddess I hate myself.

Serena

[Ashey]

I have been through 6-7 sessions a few of them so painful I had to stop because I was sobbing and she could not keep going. All that and I don't even know if its working I am a terrible judge of things like this and the woman who dose it cant tell because I shave so harshly to get rid of everything. my face is a mass of razor burn and now she wants me to come in again in a few weeks but not shave for several days before hand...I may have to drink very very heavily to get through those days, I already took them off from work and have told people I will not be at social events...I truly hate my facial hair it is more dysphoria inducing to me than the lower bits.

I am just thinking about it for 5 minutes and I am ready to start crying again. Goddess I hate myself.

Serena

Oh I understand.. As far as I am into all of this, I still have to pluck or shave a bit. :/ I'm surprised though, my laser technician always tells me to shave close before a laser session.

[Kirsty48]

My experience on facial laser is that you need to be patient and not expect everything to happen immediately.

Hair growth cycles vary hence leaving at least 4 weeks between treatments and I have been advised that shaving 12 - 24 hours beforehand means that the hairs are at the right length to absorb enough energy to destroy the bulb.  Too long and the light does not get to the bulb......

I have been having treatment for over a year now - some 9 treatments with the interval extending now to about 7 - 8 weeks in between sessions. The results for me mean that I can go for 16 - 18 hours with 'normal' amounts of makeup although evening and poorer lighting becomes my friend, if you know what I mean!!!  The lighter coloured hairs' (that's the grey ones in my case) rate of growth is reduced significantly but not as much.   

Sorry to say this although the adage that there is no gain without pain is as true here - treatment of my upper lip is eye-watering........  

[Mariah]

Before you really start to notice the difference it will take a few sessions then you should start to see a difference. Remember it can take a good 12 sessions to remove your facial hair. Hugs
Mariah

[Promethea]

Oh I understand.. As far as I am into all of this, I still have to pluck or shave a bit. :/ I'm surprised though, my laser technician always tells me to shave close before a laser session.

Me too, she even said I should shave right before the session. Supposedly any hair over the surface of your skin will also heat up and burn you. Well, Serena, maybe what she wants is for you to show up with a healthy skin, and have you shave right before.

Hair is definitely sparser on the sides now. There's still a lot, but it's a lot less. The center of the upper lip, although it was never as hairy as the sides, is noticeably clearing up too.

[Marissa_K]

Well I was pretty lucky with my treatment. It was a palomar IPL machine and on 1st treatment about 80% was gone and barely got any re-growth. After 5 treatments, I'm pretty much clear but still have some spots that the doctor missed because I have some perfect 90 degree lines in my remaining hair....

[Valwen]

In my case is that facial hair is a big trigger with me few things get my dysphoria going like stubble. So for. About 16 years I have shaved very harshly usually twice a day by face is a mass of razor burn it often looks like a allergic reaction its so bad. The women who dose my laser cant tell how things are going because its that bad. I often go over the sides of my upper lip till I break the skin and bleed. I guess this is one of the side effects of knowing I am trans for decades and doing nothing about it.

Serena

[iKate]

I've had 5 sessions and most is gone and it's very thin now. Having only dark hairs helps. Having dark skin does not but the YAG was meant for girls like me.

It takes like 14 days to shed each time.