Beard Shadow

[Rachel_Christina]

Hey all
I have had 7 laser sessions now, and alot of my hair is gone.
My problem is that the shadow still remains.
The second last session I had after a week every hair came out and AI had basicly shadow, I had very little hair for my last session, and again after a week of waiting all the hair that grew came out. But between those two sessions a Shadow slowly re formed.
And now on my way to what will be my latest session, the 18th of August,the shadow has become quite noticeable. There has been pretty much no hair bar the very odd strangler since my second last session.
Why is it I have a shadow that seems to be getting worse and worse?, Will hair eventually start popping up from there again? Or will this eventually disappear? I am trying to think of reasons other than hair regrowing and getting ready to come back. All I can think of is that the body is breaking down the remnants of the follicles, and slowly tightening pores, but the process is causing the shadow to flare up.
This shadow is only on my upper lip.
Please any info would be greatly appreciated!
Like should I be exfoliating more or something?
Thanks, Rachel

[FinallyMichelle]

Did you ask where you get your laser done? If not I would start there.
I don't know about your technician but mine has been so helpful and friendly AND she has seen it all.

Michelle

[Rachel_Christina]

Thanks the reply, but I did ask, the response was vague.
I will ask again come the next session.

[tgirlamg]

HI Rachel!

Is what you are observing actual shadow meaning the ends of the hair in the follicle or more of a difference in texture between the follicle bearing skin area and the surrounding skin?... If it is a texture difference, micro needling or RF needling might help... Dermal abrasion and CO2 fractal laser also improve texture... I did all of those except the RF needling

Hugs!!!!

Ashley 😀❤️🌻

[Sarah.VanDistel]

Hey all
I have had 7 laser sessions now, and alot of my hair is gone.
My problem is that the shadow still remains.
The second last session I had after a week every hair came out and AI had basicly shadow, I had very little hair for my last session, and again after a week of waiting all the hair that grew came out. But between those two sessions a Shadow slowly re formed.
And now on my way to what will be my latest session, the 18th of August,the shadow has become quite noticeable. There has been pretty much no hair bar the very odd strangler since my second last session.
Why is it I have a shadow that seems to be getting worse and worse?, Will hair eventually start popping up from there again? Or will this eventually disappear? I am trying to think of reasons other than hair regrowing and getting ready to come back. All I can think of is that the body is breaking down the remnants of the follicles, and slowly tightening pores, but the process is causing the shadow to flare up.
This shadow is only on my upper lip.
Please any info would be greatly appreciated!
Like should I be exfoliating more or something?
Thanks, Rachel

Hi Rachel,

Still a novice here... Only did 2 laser sessions so far, with 4 more already planned. But my beard caused me so much dysphoria that I decided to do elecfrolysis on myself. Steep learning curve... and ungodly painful on the moustache area, but I don't regret it. Still, there's a shadow... and it bothers me. I know how to conceal it with make-up (that nice trick with minute amounts of red lipstick used as color corrector), but it's a pain... and still somewhat unnatural. Anyways, I will wait until I'm done with all the laser sessions before thinking about something else.

In your case, do actual hairs grow in your gray area - in other words, does shaving temporarily improves it? In that case, hair follicles are still present and need to be zapped. If not, if it's just a skin discoloration, then techniques such as peeling or microdermabrasion may work... I would probably try to consult with a cosmetic dermatologist.

Sarah

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Edit: I also found many allusions to Retin-A and to products with hydroquinone. Might want to discuss that with a dermato, though. Also, there's an older thread about this here on Susan's: https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php?topic=189243.0

[Dena]

You need to ask your operator but I have often wondered if zapping the air would cause damage to the surrounding tissue. I would think the tissue could be burned or scab formed as the result of the heat from the hair being destroyed. I can see where the hair might come out long before the tissue returns to it's normal color.

[Rachel_Christina]

Thanks all for the responses.
Ashley there is no real difference in the skin texture as far as I can tell.
This colour was baisicly gone a week after my second last session. I put on the mask pulled out all the hair, and ther was pretty much no more shadow. It has slowly built up again to my next session, then I had that session, a week latter all the hair that was there came out but this time shadow remains.
I don't think it's skin discoloration. It looks fine up close.
When I shave what little hair there is a few dark mostly blonde, it changes nothing :/
What you saying Dena sounds plausible. It has slowly gotten worse though.
But maybe that is the body slowly moving burnt remnants of hair roots or shafts and maybe burnt skin cells up and out of the pores?
Eventually it should reach a point that it is lost by the body and I will return to normal skin?
There hair could be rebuild ING though, I can't understand they where the thickest darkest hairs and should have died.

It's horrible as I never wear much make up, especially on the skin, I hate concealing, it always looks cakey.
Please make it go away?? D:

[josie76]

Well so far where the laser hit I don't have that but a few strangler hairs. But it's only been a couple weeks from my first laser. I have clearly defined patches where she did not get the laser on. Is this normal or should I be looking elsewhere for laser?

I bought a home Electrolosis device and used it on my upper lip, lower lip to chin, and the corners of my mouth. It worked but now a month or so later I have a whole new growth coming in on my upper lip. It seems like even Electrolosis will take multiple times to get all the hairs in their growth stage. Seemed like the laser brought a lot of new growth out of dormancy. Anyone seen that?

I have noticed that the shadow come back on light colored hairs because the root point is dark even on blondish colored hairs. Only my greys have actual grey/light roots.

[LizK]

I have had about 11 laser session and 7 IPL sessions on face and my lip. Laser will not kill every hair first time round, it may take a couple of rounds depending on a number of factors. I have also had 5 hours on my top lip with electrolysis. I have about an hour to clear the top lip left. I don't need laser anymore, there is not enough black hairs left. Just Patchy greys mainly with the odd black hair.

..... I put on the mask pulled out all the hair, and ther was pretty much no more shadow. .....

You use something to pull the hairs out? Is this what your laser tech suggested?

I was lectured constantly not to pull or assist the lasered hairs out in any way at all but at most, only exfoliate and let them fall out over a 10-14 day period...I can go into the reason I was given as to why but its quite long winded. It did prove to be true for me.

I am also not across every laser method in the world so this may be some brand new technique(to me) that I have never heard of, the techs vague answer to your question would concern me, but I do know with standard laser treatment I received the hairs die off at different rates. If they are not dead and are assisted out they will come back. There is a bit more too it than that and I am happy to go into it further if you would like  but it may well be something you already know.

More than happy to share my experiences with Laser and Electrolysis.

[Rachel_Christina]

Haha thanks Elizabeth
But yep I use a Gelatin and milk mask too remove the dead hairs.
It's too week to remove the living hairs, but if it's dead it's dead like
So after a week of waiting I get rid of em

[LizK]

Haha thanks Elizabeth
But yep I use a Gelatin and milk mask too remove the dead hairs.
It's too week to remove the living hairs, but if it's dead it's dead like
So after a week of waiting I get rid of em

What you are doing seems to be the equivalent of plucking,  so you could easily be breaking the bottom of the weakened hair follicle and leaving the most important part behind the one with stuff to make the hair regrow

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=plucking+hairs+after+laser&ie=&oe=

What you are experiencing is exactly what happens when you pluck, or wax

They are not all going to be ready for plucking at the same time

[josie76]

IMG_20170726_073009572 by Josie H, on Flickr

Ok so is it common to have these missed areas? I just want to know that they are not being careless to extend my treatments. And their income.

[Rachel_Christina]

Plucking hurts though, this doesn't hurt, they just fall out basicly.
The mask isn't strong enough to pull em out

[LizK]

IMG_20170726_073009572 by Josie H, on Flickr

Ok so is it common to have these missed areas? I just want to know that they are not being careless to extend my treatments. And their income.

I did have a dark line which is where the hairs seemed to grow thickest and also there is certain spots that no matter how many times the laser went over it they kept coming back and the electrologist took them twice as well. If you drew it on my face it would look like a droopy moustache that extended across my lips down each side of my chin and  onto the neck.  It just seemed that in some places the laser didn't get them all.

Each round of laser will take a percentage of them but you will always get some coming back. Dependant on which part of the growth cycle the hair is in when hit by the laser will depend on which hairs are permanently killed.

[LizK]

Plucking hurts though, this doesn't hurt, they just fall out basicly.
The mask isn't strong enough to pull em out

No plucking doesn't hurt, they either fall out or they don't...all along the bottom of the hair follicle are the cells that you need to die, they are the ones that rejuvenate the hair. Very similar to stem cells according to my transplant guy who says you only need one cell to survive to regrow a hair. It could also be that you have heaps of follicles to kill.

I cannot say for certain wether its down to your face mask removal technique or not that you have this issue but the only time I have had significant growth issues from Laser treatment was after spending a few sessions "assisting" the hairs out with various methods some more direct than others. I was on occasion left with a general mild sensation on the face. 

I hope you get tot he bottom of it because it can be so frustrating...In the end I got my Electrologist to finish off the last of it for me.

Good luck I hope you get to the bottom of it

[Rachel_Christina]

Hmmm I dunno what to think then maybe I should stop doing it... But I can deal with the hairs

They are dead when the fall out though, the hurt like hell to pluck, I know I tested ones
When they are dead a dusting with a cloth knocks em out, the mask is just a quick way to get rid of em all, and the of straglers that aren't dead ai shave, this process I do a week and day after lasser

[Harley Quinn]

I would skip the mask. The high end time is 2 weeks for it to push out. I'd wait the 2 weeks before "encouraging" the shedding. I haven't had an issue with shadows after laser where it took when waiting the 14 days.

Also, just a thought, that it may just be irritation similar to razor burn, where removing multiple layers of skin when we shave. Laser damages the bulb under the skin to stop it from producing hair. It may be simply irritated, the surrounding skin slightly sun burnt like hyper pigmentation, or part of the shaft is still under the skin.

Best guesses...

[Rachel_Christina]

I would skip the mask. The high end time is 2 weeks for it to push out. I'd wait the 2 weeks before "encouraging" the shedding. I haven't had an issue with shadows after laser where it took when waiting the 14 days.

Also, just a thought, that it may just be irritation similar to razor burn, where removing multiple layers of skin when we shave. Laser damages the bulb under the skin to stop it from producing hair. It may be simply irritated, the surrounding skin slightly sun burnt like hyper pigmentation, or part of the shaft is still under the skin.

Best guesses...

I get what your saying girl. I will try to resist for two weeks, I just took it that if they pretty much fall out then it's good to go.

But if the lower layers of shin are irritated and slightly discoloured then it must obviously be moving up through the skin layers to eventually be shed like skin does naturally, this would explain it darkening as the layer of skin above become less and less
What do you think?

[josie76]

I did have a dark line which is where the hairs seemed to grow thickest and also there is certain spots that no matter how many times the laser went over it they kept coming back and the electrologist took them twice as well. If you drew it on my face it would look like a droopy moustache that extended across my lips down each side of my chin and  onto the neck.  It just seemed that in some places the laser didn't get them all.

Each round of laser will take a percentage of them but you will always get some coming back. Dependant on which part of the growth cycle the hair is in when hit by the laser will depend on which hairs are permanently killed.

Yeh I expected that but it's more faded now in the picture. Before you could see the circles where she hit with the laser and those dark regions that did not get hit at all. Just leaves me wondering if I should go elsewhere.

[ezjuliani]

Laser session? IPL?

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