I was wondering, for those of you who have gotten or know someone who has gotten laser for facial hair removal only, what is the range in prices (per session and overall), what was their facial hair and skin color, how many sessions did it take?
I have very dark brown/black hair and facial hair.
$150 a pop.
Going for session #12 next month (started Jan '13) and only a small handful of dark ones remain. I get to have more electro for the rest, which are gray, red and blonde. Wheeee! Shoot me.
(waves)
Back from bannedville. ::)
Chic I just had my 1st laser session today. I'm paying about $150, getting 10 sessions. Also paying $75 for laser on my hands and knuckles. 6 sessions. And $75 for laser on a few stray hairs on my chest and the nip. 6 sessions.
So about $2,400 total plus tax.
BTW: I was on a high end laser machine, even with 10% topical lidocain spray (enough to completely numb the skin on my face) and even with a micro spurt of cyro cooling after each 'zap' - it still hurts.
YEOW
Stretch a rubber band around two fingers, pull that bitch back 4" or so, and let it snap your skin, hard. Now imagine that 40 or so times on each side of your face. That's what it feels like.
I see nsome pretty amazing groupon rates for laser, I am trying for that myself, but many times it is a fraction of the cost.
Some of those groupons especially in the cities are enticing. The problem is, trying to actually get an appointment because so many people jump on those. And the quality of their laser machines might not be the best. Might is the operative word.
They all hurt like hell anyway. So whatever.
I pay $75/session (full face). The women who does mine also teaches it at a school. You can even get it done cheaper if you let a student do it, but I (and even the teacher will tell you) would not recommend a student doing your face. I've had 6 sessions and great success. (Have one more left if even that.) I still have some pesky white hairs that electrolysis is being done on.
These are Australian prices, $350 for full face and neck on some fancy top end machine with cooling fans and does more than just dark hair types? I forget the name. Then a new shop is opening 200km away from me that uses IPL? They are $200 for full face and neck, but I know nothing about them sadly. I have yet to begin due to income problems as a single parent of two, travel costs of 200-500kms each way.
Quote from: Sydney_NYC on July 09, 2014, 08:35:15 PM
I pay $75/session (full face). The women who does mine also teaches it at a school. You can even get it done cheaper if you let a student do it, but I (and even the teacher will tell you) would not recommend a student doing your face. I've had 6 sessions and great success. (Have one more left if even that.) I still have some pesky white hairs that electrolysis is being done on.
In NYC? That *is* cheapo ;D What % of hair would you say was perm gone after the 1st session?
Quote from: Evelyn K on July 09, 2014, 11:22:52 PM
In NYC? That *is* cheapo ;D What % of hair would you say was perm gone after the 1st session?
(It's in Queens.) The first session kills a lot of hair, and it takes about 10-15 days before the hair falls out, but you can keep shaving the whole time. (Some people can't shave the next day after a treatment if their skin is too sensitive, but I never had that issue with the laser. After each session you want to put to Aloe Gel on it. The good pure stuff. My skin gets more irritation from razor burn than laser.) After the first session, there will be some dark patches here and there, but easily 60% of the dark hairs were gone after that 10-15 days. It's really after the second and third sessions when you get to see a huge different. After the 2nd session I no longer had a 5 o'clock shadow unless more than a day went by. (Prior, I would start to shadow within hours, but it was never dense in the face, it was just dense underneath the chin.)
After the 3rd session I was able to go full time and sometimes even without makeup I would pass. Right before the next session (I do a session every 6 weeks), a little shadow would creep in on the upper lips and chin. After each session, this becomes less and less. I just had my 7th session last week and right now even though not all that was done has had a chance to fall out, I hardly have any upper lip shadow. I've seen cis-women with darker upper lips than me.
Once thing to remember is that it takes about 3 sessions to hit ALL the hairs at least once, but many of them will get hit twice in that 3 session range. The upper lip is the pesky ones that just don't want to let go, but the laser eventually wins. I've been told that the average needed is about 8-10 sessions, but some have needed up to 12 or more. A good technician will tell you when that's all laser can do and mine will tell you when it's time.
The other cool thing about the place I get it done, is that it is at a school and they get a lot of new equipment all the time. She's has used 3 different machines on me since I started and the latest one (was only a week old when she used it on me last week) uses an invisible laser that uses a different wavelength that travels deeper. (The other two used a laser you could see even with you eyes closed and covered.) She didn't even have to tell me, I could feel the different and the pain from the laser was deeper than before and a little more intense. (Not as bad as electrolysis.) But she also cranked it up pretty good as she knows I have a higher pain tolerance than most of her patients.
Yeah I'm worried about my upper lip. That one was *really* painful. Keep squeezing that foam ball!
60% right off the bat is perty good. I have dark hairs and light asian skin.
I noticed I have a tiny birth mark on the back of my hand that was hit. I'm going to bring whiteout next time and paint it over. Don't want to be lasering that into a malignant melanoma or something.
My sessions are supposed to be $125 for face and neck. The first one was half off. It's every 4 weeks with a free touch up 2 weeks after each.
They couldn't fit me in for a touch up after the first session and she only charged me $95 for the second... maybe because I didn't need as much? Or maybe they just factored out the cost of the missed touchup?
Each new area that I could start laser on would get 50% off the first treatment.
The laser she uses can go all the way to a pretty dark olive skin, but it still won't do light colored hairs.
I got a groupon deal for a package of 6 sessions for a total of $399, which they claimed was normally $1250. I am four sessions in and am very happy with the results so far. My cheeks and neck are almost completely bare. The upper lip and chin have not been as cooperative, but in those areas I would say about 2/3 of the hair have gone away. When I finish this deal I plan on switching to electrolysis to get what's left.
I'm curious to find out about the process,
keep us update
good luck! ♥
My laser place charged me $600 total for my first 3 sessions, and then it was $150 a session after that. Now that I'm down to only needing a session every 4 months or so, they're only charging me $125 per session.
Hair's basically gone after 9 sessions. Mostly what's left is transparent mostly-invisible browns, and completely invisible little blonde whispys.
I forgot to mention my laser place (after the 8 or so major sessions) switches to a $5 per zap fee to clear up whatever is left over.
When the technician is zapping you and you're squeezing the foam ball, and your toes are curling from the pain, and she cheerfully asks, ... "so, what made you decide to remove your beard?"
What do you say? :D
Quote from: Evelyn K on July 10, 2014, 02:02:30 AM
When the technician is zapping you and you're squeezing the foam ball, and your toes are curling from the pain, and she cheerfully asks, ... "so, what made you decide to remove your beard?"
What do you say? :D
"I'm actually trans."
"Oh, wow! You know, you're going to think this is crazy, but my ex-husband was actually trans."
"Really? Wow! So, man, you really know about it then."
"Yeah. But now she's a woman and we all know her as ______, and that's it."
"Well that's good to know."
"Yeah... and actually, when we first opened this laser place, we only really had a few occassional trans people in here, and they were mostly middle-aged, but now we seem to have more and more young trans people coming in with every year."
True story...
Quote from: Evelyn K on July 10, 2014, 02:02:30 AM
When the technician is zapping you and you're squeezing the foam ball, and your toes are curling from the pain, and she cheerfully asks, ... "so, what made you decide to remove your beard?"
What do you say? :D
I only do a full body twitch/shudder with about 40% of the pulses. The longer apart they are the worse. She usually does 10 back to back each time to make It easier. She would do more but the laser has to cool ):
I do hate when she asks questions... how am I supposed to respond!? If I talk my face moves and I'll wind up with a bald patch in my hair or a singed tongue...
Quote from: Evelyn K on July 10, 2014, 12:48:12 AM
Yeah I'm worried about my upper lip. That one was *really* painful. Keep squeezing that foam ball!
I use a 20% benzocaine and 5% menthol solution on my upper lip before laser, makes me talk funny (apparently not being able to feel your face does that) but it stops you from feeling pain and doesn't last very long. I hear many clinics will sell you lidocaine as well which should be longer lasting. Last place I looked it was more expensive though, my benzocaine and plastic wrap solution was less than $5.
Hehe.
Me: "iiIi CanT ttALK nOW pAIN..."
Yep.
I think I tested new upper limits in jaw clenching power to the dismay of my molars.
Quote from: Hikari on July 10, 2014, 02:11:06 AM
I use a 20% benzocaine and 5% menthol solution on my upper lip before laser, makes me talk funny (apparently not being able to feel your face does that) but it stops you from feeling pain and doesn't last very long. I hear many clinics will sell you lidocaine as well which should be longer lasting. Last place I looked it was more expensive though, my benzocaine and plastic wrap solution was less than $5.
I used 10% -- my lips where so numb and flubby it was *exactly* like being novacained at the dentists office.
Didn't do much after all though. Kinda fear what it would've been like without, and I'm not planning to test my hypothesis either. :D
I'm not S&M inclined....
Quote from: Evelyn K on July 10, 2014, 02:14:34 AM
I used 10% -- my lips where so numb and flubby it was *exactly* like being novacained at the dentists office.
Didn't do much after all though. Kinda fear what it would've been like without, and I'm not planning to test my hypothesis either. :D
I'm not S&M inclined....
Now that would be some place to hang out. An S&M laser hair removal clinic.
I paid $1000 for 6 sessions plus unlimited touch-ups for a year. After those 6 sessions and a couple of 5-minute touch-ups I was down to maybe a dozen facial hairs, which is where I still am now four years later (and I just pluck 'em).
What Evelyn said about the rubber band about says it all. And definitely have the person running the laser go quickly. My first session, the nurse waited seconds between each zap and it suuuuucked. My second session, the doctor went quickly and kept a good rhythm so i still knew when it was coming.
I'm paying $350 a session but I am getting mine done at a dermatologists office which is the most expensive way to go. My first session was with an RN and my second with the Dr. I wanted to be safe with my face, but will probably bargain shop for the rest of my body. Even though the cost is higher per session, they have the latest laser and only expect it to take 4 sessions. They said to expect about a 25% reduction with each session, and after the first two, I would say that they were dead on. Even though my per visit cost is higher, it looks like the overall costs will be similar to or less than what other people are paying with fewer torturous visits. My facial hair is black and dark brown. You should be prepared to watch sun exposure and wear a strong sunscreen after treatments because your skin is more vulnerable to damage.
What did i tell the nurse when she asked why? I chickened out and just said I hated shaving. I had planned on coming clean, but I am a wuss.
I paid $119 for 6 partial face (the lower half of the face where the hair grows and the upper part of the neck) laser sessions on a groupon deal. When I was done with those I bought a package of 6 more sessions on my full face and neck for $200. I'm about to do session #8 and most of my black hair is gone. I let my beard grow for a couple of days to see what was left and it is mostly white/gray hairs now. Yes, i'm old :(
My laser place uses a Candela GentleMAX 755/1064 nm laser. My therapist told me to have a compounding pharmacy mix up a batch of numbing creme using a mix of lidocane/benzocane/tetracane; that mix works way better than EMLA did.
If you are in the L.A. area and want to check out this place PM me and I will give you the link to the business.
Quote from: Kylie on July 10, 2014, 10:50:21 PM
What did i tell the nurse when she asked why? I chickened out and just said I hated shaving. I had planned on coming clean, but I am a wuss.
I did the same thing and I have no idea why. I've come clean in far less safe scenarios.
Quote from: Evelyn K on July 10, 2014, 02:02:30 AM
When the technician is zapping you and you're squeezing the foam ball, and your toes are curling from the pain, and she cheerfully asks, ... "so, what made you decide to remove your beard?"
What do you say? :D
I said I didn't have enough facial hair for a beard, and shaving made me have breakouts, so getting rid of it was going to be good.
Quote from: Evelyn K on July 10, 2014, 02:14:34 AM
I used 10% -- my lips where so numb and flubby it was *exactly* like being novacained at the dentists office.
Didn't do much after all though. Kinda fear what it would've been like without, and I'm not planning to test my hypothesis either. :D
I'm not S&M inclined....
You need to try 3+ hours of electro! now that feels great!
The big problem with topicals is that it's not comprehensive - the deep nerve fibres aren't affected. Also as there is no vasoconstrictor to stop blood flow from carrying it away, the effect is very short in nature.
How obvious is the redness following laser treatment? I envision it like a "sunburn beard" for a day or two - is it that noticeable, or can you go to work the next day with no worries?
Quote from: Brenda E on July 11, 2014, 05:06:58 AM
How obvious is the redness following laser treatment? I envision it like a "sunburn beard" for a day or two - is it that noticeable, or can you go to work the next day with no worries?
I've had two treatments, and haven't had any redness at all. I have read of other people that have had redness or puffyness though so it might have to do with things like laser type, the setting they use, skin sensitivity and/or quality of the laser or person running the laser. My first treatment was on a low setting to see how I would react to it, and then they stepped it up this last time.
I paid $100 per session (in Philadelphia) each covering my neck and face. They had me coming in about every six weeks.
After eight sessions I have few dark hairs left which I've decided to save for electrolysis - along with a plethora of white hairs. :(
My skin is fair and somewhat sensitive and I would usually get red blotches here and there with some minimal swelling. It typically cleared up within two days.
I pay like 200 USD (approximate conversion from 4000 CZK) for a face and neck session on a certain clinic in Prague. Based on their website they use GentleLase Laser.
My skin is very pale and facial hair pigment is very dark with no whites or grays so it works perfectly. I'll see in a few weeks how much is left after 5th session which I had on June 25th.
I usually make 8 or 9 weeks pauses between sessions. Otherwise I use a razor and then cover some dark spots (mainly under nose) with a bit of make-up. Only few places need shaving now so I'm very satisfied with the progress :-) .
Quote from: Kylie on July 10, 2014, 10:50:21 PM
You should be prepared to watch sun exposure and wear a strong sunscreen after treatments because your skin is more vulnerable to damage.
What did i tell the nurse when she asked why? I chickened out and just said I hated shaving. I had planned on coming clean, but I am a wuss.
Oh yeah defo covering up with some sunscreen SPF 30 here, but I don't go out much.
The technician noticed my puffy nips so I'm guess she got a clue and decided to "ask me".
Quote from: Brenda E on July 11, 2014, 05:06:58 AM
How obvious is the redness following laser treatment? I envision it like a "sunburn beard" for a day or two - is it that noticeable, or can you go to work the next day with no worries?
A little red around each follical and when a lot of those are combined it does give the skin a slightly sunburned hue. Goes away in a day or two.
However, for me, 2 days after, the beard hair and follicles are slightly raised like stipples all over my face and I can't really shave. So I look beardy today UGHHH!!
I think the redness varies by person (and laser strenght)
At the first setting I was red faced for about 20 minutes. When they upped it to a higher setting the next time it took just over 40 minutes for the red to go away.