Hi girls, Next Thursday I have my first session for laser hair removal I'm so excited to be starting this process, does anyone have any suggestions or tips that would make it as successful as possible.
How bad is the pain or does it depend on the skin type.
Anything would help
Thanks
Emily.T xx
Numbing cream is a very good idea. Do not pluck. Shave the day of the procedure, but not too close. Numbing cream!
YMMV but I didn't need any numbing cream. I have a high pain tolerance though. It's been getting easier each time too. I only use some cold-air thingy, and by the third session I only used it half the time. By the fourth, didn't even use it.
Brace yourself when they get to the chin, and around the mouth (assuming you're doing your face). They're the worst. >_<
And after a week or so, I start manually removing hairs, but I do it carefully. If I start slowly pulling and feel a tug, I leave it alone. Otherwise the hair usually slides right out without resistance. Generally though, I can tell which ones are fried just by looking.
It stings just a little. But it also depends in your tolerance to pain
Thanks for your responses girls I am doing my face to start with, I might have to get some numbing cream because my pain tolerance is low which sux at the best of times.
Emily.T xx
Use the Alexandrite laser
Hi Girls,
I just started mind today on my sideburns first, it was not really that bad
it was like little pins sticking in your skin. When done it looks like little bumps
on your face, but goes away in about 3 hours.
It was a 15 minute treatment: 75 more hours to go.
janis
Hi Janis,
I didn't relies that there were so many hours involved,I'm glad it didn't hurt you so bad this time looks like I'd better get saving I think now is a good time to quit smoking I can put my money to better use, he'll 1 packet is almost a 1 hour treatment.
Emily.T xx
I ll be doing laser soon too , maybe next week...
the thing ive heard is that the number of sessions you need to have depends on how many hair you have...
Weird, my sessions are full-face/neck and they only take 15-20 mins each. I'll likely only need about 7 sessions to fully clear my face, but I hear that's average. 75 hours sounds more like electrolysis...
Gotta agree with Ashey here. My full face treatments take less than 1/2 hour, and my technician guesses six or seven treatments should do it.
I forgot to take something for the pain last session, and I found it no different, very tolerable.
I hope it is only 6-7 sessions to do my face I don't have much money only on disability.
Hi,
When I go for my next treatment I will ask for sure.
And the thing is, I never had much of a beard!
janis
For me the cheeks didn't really hurt that much, the chin was quite painful and the upper lip was a true test of my pain tolerance.
They use the Gentalase that has a burst of cold air before hitting you with the pulse. The sound reminded me of a nail gun and getting the upper lip done felt like one.
Two things that helped me are an ice pack to apply before and after treating an area and a gel "stress ball" that I could squeeze the heck out of.
Oh and don't forget to breathe.
The place I go to does both laser and electrolysis. I had been getting the lighter hairs treated by electrolysis between laser and after 7 sessions we moved on to electrolysis only.
Yea it's about time I give myself another treatment. Since starting hrt I've noticed I have less grays to worry about. I don't know why, but I'll take it, lol! ;)
Thanks for your responses so far girls it's given me a fair idea of what to expect, keep the comments coming.
Emily.T xx
I went in today to see about laser hair removal. My hair is too light for it to work. I'm going to need to get waxing on my body and do electrolysis on my face.
That's a bummer for you I'm so sorry.
I've had two laser sessions so far covering back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and face and each only took about 30 minutes. Also the second one was after starting hormones and was definitely more painful.
Take some tum's extra strength about an hour before you go. Dunno the scientific explanation behind it, but it helps alot with how red your face will be, it helps keep the skin from getting as irritated. Before I switched to at home Triva, my laser tech had me start doing that and it helped.
Quote from: KittyKat on February 12, 2014, 07:17:46 PM
I've had two laser sessions so far covering back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and face and each only took about 30 minutes. Also the second one was after starting hormones and was definitely more painful.
That could be from your skin thinning out and getting softer. One of the perks of being a woman :-\
The tech told me I should take motrin prior to my next session. Side note love your new avatar super cute.
Quote from: KittyKat on February 12, 2014, 07:17:46 PM
I've had two laser sessions so far covering back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and face and each only took about 30 minutes. Also the second one was after starting hormones and was definitely more painful.
Now this is true, since I've been on hormones my treatments on my face (I have no hair on back or chest, etc.) have definately become more painful, and my skin more sensitive. I've had to turn down my laser's intensities. On a good note though, since I've been on hormones my treatments seem to be more effective. Much less of the wretched things survive. ;) I'll try the motrin trick and see if it helps, thanks.
Quote from: KittyKat on February 12, 2014, 07:59:09 PM
The tech told me I should take motrin prior to my next session. Side note love your new avatar super cute.
Thank you. :laugh:
Quote from: Ashey on February 10, 2014, 09:53:15 PM
YMMV but I didn't need any numbing cream. I have a high pain tolerance though. It's been getting easier each time too. I only use some cold-air thingy, and by the third session I only used it half the time. By the fourth, didn't even use it.
Brace yourself when they get to the chin, and around the mouth (assuming you're doing your face). They're the worst. >_<
And after a week or so, I start manually removing hairs, but I do it carefully. If I start slowly pulling and feel a tug, I leave it alone. Otherwise the hair usually slides right out without resistance. Generally though, I can tell which ones are fried just by looking.
I do my own treatments and want to ask, is there a benefit to manually removing hairs? I've just been letting my body push out the dead.
Quote from: Allyda on February 12, 2014, 08:22:34 PM
I do my own treatments and want to ask, is there a benefit to manually removing hairs? I've just been letting my body push out the dead.
Most of the literature ive come across, dont wax or pull out hairs, let them fall out on their own after you laser them. Cause any other stimulation to the issue can promote blood flow to hair follicles and activate new ones and promote the healing of old ones.
Quote from: Teela Renee on February 12, 2014, 08:29:19 PM
Most of the literature ive come across, dont wax or pull out hairs, let them fall out on their own after you laser them. Cause any other stimulation to the issue can promote blood flow to hair follicles and activate new ones and promote the healing of old ones.
This is what my research tells me too along with the instructions that came with my professional device. Let them fall out on their own. And especially don't over treat an area cause you could actually stimulate new growth.
I've had about 10 on the face, 2 on the lower chest and bikini line and 1 on the arms. I would not recommend doing laser anywhere else besides face pre hrt....hrt will thin out hair elsewhere and make it finer. I have not had any on my legs....I don't shave much in the winter and can go a month and a half and only then will some will be noticeable.....before hrt I could shave and within a week it would all reappear!!
Laser will not get everything....and it is not permanent unless the hairs are in the right cycle of growth. I am on about my 20th hour of electro on my face...I usually have to go 5 days without shaving for her to have anything to work with....and even then their not too noticeable. I could go probably months without shaving but I still feel the little buggers so I shave lightly most days! Its much easier now letting the hairs grow for electro, then it was early on. When first starting I would be so insecure about all the hairs showing...it was much more noticeable!!
Numbing cream is a god send. Very painful without it. But as time goes on and the less hair there is, the better it gets.
Quote from: Allyda on February 12, 2014, 08:22:34 PM
I do my own treatments and want to ask, is there a benefit to manually removing hairs? I've just been letting my body push out the dead.
Yeah I don't recommend it for others really. And I don't do it for all my hairs, but sometimes not all of them come out easily on their own.
Quote from: Ashey on February 12, 2014, 09:24:41 PM
Yeah I don't recommend it for others really. And I don't do it for all my hairs, but sometimes not all of them come out easily on their own.
I've been doing my own for nearly a year now and was just curious. Before you ask though, I didn't have much of a beard anyway, pre hrt but I couldn't get the best results until I learned not to do it right after shaving, best laser settings & technique had to be learned, etc., etc., etc. Now since I've been on hormones I get great results and less comes back if at all. I also wait at least two weeks between treatments to allow for fallout of all the dead ones to ensure I don't over treat. Tomorrow morning I'll give myself another treatment for it's time. I do feel that some electro will eventually be needed to remove some of the grays. I've been using the charcoal dye on them, but again since I've been on hormones I've noticed less and less grays. If I need electro I'll probably have it professionally done for I don't have the patience for the one hair at a time thing. That's why I spent so much on a professional laser that treats up to 60 hairs at once.
I had 4 sessions a few years ago. For me, it felt like a lit match on my face. Numbing cream is highly recommended! soon after that, I went back to electrolysis.
Quote from: Christine Eryn on February 13, 2014, 12:11:44 AM
I had 4 sessions a few years ago. For me, it felt like a lit match on my face. Numbing cream is highly recommended! soon after that, I went back to electrolysis.
Sounds like your specialist had the laser's intensity set way to high. It should only feel like a momentary pinprick that subsides immediately once the device is removed from the treated area.
Quote from: Allyda on February 12, 2014, 09:53:35 PM
Before you ask though, I didn't have much of a beard anyway, pre hrt but I couldn't get the best results until I learned not to do it right after shaving,
I've been shaving just before leaving to go to the salon. They told me to shave just before the treatment but i'm sure the most effective session was when i shaved the day before. How long before do you shave before treatment?
Thanks :)
Quote from: Jenny87 on February 13, 2014, 05:33:52 AM
I've been shaving just before leaving to go to the salon. They told me to shave just before the treatment but i'm sure the most effective session was when i shaved the day before. How long before do you shave before treatment?
Thanks :)
I shave the night before an afternoon treatment. I shaved last night because I intend to treat today this afternoon. One, it helps cause you can see the hairs your treating and they'll be gone afterward so you know that area's been treated, two, with the laser on medium setting you get an even burn of the hair down into the follicle where it needs to be for best results.
I am Native American so I have black hair and reddish/olive skin. Depending on your hair and skin color results may vary. Generally the darker the hair and lighter the skin produces the best results. ;)