Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Transitioning => Hair removal => Topic started by: Bari Jo on November 27, 2017, 07:56:26 PM

Title: How many laser sessions before clear.
Post by: Bari Jo on November 27, 2017, 07:56:26 PM
I've had one laser session on my face and after a week, I notice that some patches of dark are now gone. It doesn't look weird, just starting to thin.  I'm wondering if your experience was the same and how many sessions yoi required before your face was clear

Bari Jo
Title: Re: How many laser sessions before clear.
Post by: Jessica_Rose on November 27, 2017, 08:10:30 PM
Two to three weeks after each laser session I shed dark facial hair. I used a small exfoliator pad on my face when I shower to help the shedding process a bit and reduce the occurrence of ingrown hairs. According to the folks performing the service it usually take four to five sessions before you start seeing more permanent results. I have had six sessions so far and not too many dark hairs have returned, the most stubborn ones are on my chin and upper lip. I have scheduled session #7 for late January and this time they prescribed some anesthetic cream and plan to do two passes during the session. Hopefully those dark hairs will get the message they are no longer wanted!
Title: Re: How many laser sessions before clear.
Post by: Siobhan Amanda on November 27, 2017, 08:59:08 PM
I've had four laser face jobs most dark stuff gone wit a little returning,upper lip and chin too. I've been 4hrs with electrolisis for the grey ones I have two hours tomorrow and more laser after. I'm pleased with the results (not the pain of the electrolisis 😳) and unsure how long to go, I suppose it depends on how much you have and if or how many grow back. It doesn't take long to see results though😊
Title: Re: How many laser sessions before clear.
Post by: echo7 on November 27, 2017, 09:29:39 PM
You will likely see good results after 3-4 sessions. After 6 you might even think you're close to done.  But the hairs come back. They always come back, because not all hairs are active at once.  Most good candidates for laser will need 15-20 sessions for complete removal. If you are not a good candidate (i.e. you don't have black hair and light skin), it will take longer. But I bet you'll probably just switch to electrolysis at that point instead.

Everyone always underestimates how long and how expensive facial hair removal will be in the long run.  Everyone. 
Title: Re: How many laser sessions before clear.
Post by: Dani on November 28, 2017, 05:26:08 AM
Many of us here had several laser sessions then switched to electrolysis. How long and how many sessions all depends on your thickness and darkness of your hair. It is a struggle and they both hurt, but the results are worth it.
Title: Re: How many laser sessions before clear.
Post by: Megan. on November 28, 2017, 05:53:26 AM
I had 8 sessions 2 years ago. And recently had 2 more. These have cleared all my shadow,  and I don't need to shave every day any more. Still some work to do on those pesky white and grey suckers!

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Title: Re: How many laser sessions before clear.
Post by: josie76 on November 28, 2017, 07:00:22 AM
I've had 4 laser sessions. That and the 8 or so home IPL treatments first have really thinned my face down. They do come back all over but with missing patches and so much less than when I started. The IPL worked on some but other hairs are too resilient or too deep for the IPL. The laser causes a good full shed of the dark hairs a couple of weeks after, but almost right after that is when the new growth shows up.
I think that the laser shock stimulates the next folicule to start a growth stage.

I went yesterday for my first electrolysis appointment. Going back today for another hour. $50 hour is a lot easier to pay for than $325 all at once for laser. The lady got about 1/8 of my face cleared yesterday. Today I'm going to ask her to focus on the upper lip first.
Title: Re: How many laser sessions before clear.
Post by: Charlotte F on November 28, 2017, 07:20:36 AM
I had my fifth beard session last week.  After the fourth I had very little returning dark hair so now we're just trying to get rid of two small stubborn patches on the chin and top lip.  I'm just waiting to see what's left after this hair sheds.  I guess at this stage if I hadn't paid for a block of eight sessions I would probably switch to electrolysis to finish the job

My biggest problem now are the grey & white hairs.  Luckily there aren't many and being light coloured are not particularly prominent but they will definitely need some electrolysis to clear in the new year
Title: Re: How many laser sessions before clear.
Post by: Bari Jo on November 28, 2017, 07:48:12 AM
I've had about 30 hours electrolysis, which I'm sill doing.  I just added laser since electrolysis hurts so damn much on the Centerline.  My beard is about 50/50. Black and grey.  Even if laser got all the black I'm in for a lot more electrolysis:(

Thanks everyone for your replies I'll look for around the sixth session for black hair starting to be cleared.

Bari Jo
Title: Re: How many laser sessions before clear.
Post by: ainsley on November 28, 2017, 08:34:15 AM
Quote from: echo7 on November 27, 2017, 09:29:39 PM
You will likely see good results after 3-4 sessions. After 6 you might even think you're close to done. But the hairs come back. They always come back, because not all hairs are active at once.  Most good candidates for laser will need 15-20 sessions for complete removal. If you are not a good candidate (i.e. you don't have black hair and light skin), it will take longer. But I bet you'll probably just switch to electrolysis at that point instead.

Everyone always underestimates how long and how expensive facial hair removal will be in the long run.  Everyone.

^^This. (emphasis mine)

I have had plenty of times I went months thinking "Ah, finally, all the black hairs are gone!" from lasing sessions...  Only to have them reappear several months later.  I still do both laser and electro.  It is an endless battle, if you ask me.  Appreciate the lessening, but I've stopped looking for total removal.  If total removal happens for you, then great.  But chances are you are in for a long fight like the rest of us. ;)
Title: Re: How many laser sessions before clear.
Post by: Charlie Nicki on November 28, 2017, 09:23:31 AM
I've had 3 sessions of laser so far. After the second one I was happy cuz most of my face was cleared but most of it came back! (I also stopped spiro back hhen so had a T peek, which probably didn't help). Third session cleared even more than the second one. I literally spend 10 seconds shaving what's left. I hope it doesn't come back, next session is in January.
Title: Re: How many laser sessions before clear.
Post by: Charlie Nicki on November 28, 2017, 09:25:23 AM
Quote from: echo7 on November 27, 2017, 09:29:39 PM
You will likely see good results after 3-4 sessions. After 6 you might even think you're close to done.  But the hairs come back. They always come back, because not all hairs are active at once.  Most good candidates for laser will need 15-20 sessions for complete removal. If you are not a good candidate (i.e. you don't have black hair and light skin), it will take longer. But I bet you'll probably just switch to electrolysis at that point instead.

Everyone always underestimates how long and how expensive facial hair removal will be in the long run.  Everyone.

And there goes any hope I had to finish after the 6th session lol.
Title: Re: How many laser sessions before clear.
Post by: Ellement_of_Freedom on November 28, 2017, 03:51:56 PM
Quote from: echo7 on November 27, 2017, 09:29:39 PM
You will likely see good results after 3-4 sessions. After 6 you might even think you're close to done.  But the hairs come back. They always come back, because not all hairs are active at once.  Most good candidates for laser will need 15-20 sessions for complete removal. If you are not a good candidate (i.e. you don't have black hair and light skin), it will take longer. But I bet you'll probably just switch to electrolysis at that point instead.

Everyone always underestimates how long and how expensive facial hair removal will be in the long run.  Everyone. 
Agreed!

I'm up to my 20th session in a couple of weeks.
Title: Re: How many laser sessions before clear.
Post by: LizK on November 28, 2017, 05:16:48 PM
I am up to about session number 15 or 16. Not all of this has been laser with about seven sessions in the middle being IPL. My sessions on laser are now out to about every 3 to 4 months, and that my last electrolysis session I was asked not to have laser on my face or my next upcoming electrolysis session. If I did then there is not enough work left on my top lip for the hour-long session especially if I have had laser treatment on the upper lip. The laser impacts my Electrologist's ability to deal with the dark years if they have been impacted by the laser.

I have to agree that after about the sixth session it appeared that the job was almost done. However like all hair, it needs to complete its three-month cycle in order to be successfully removed. You cannot kill a hair follicle where the hair is already in the dying phase of the hair cycle.

After each laser session, about day 7 to 14 is when I see the majority of the shedding of black hairs. It is important to understand and recognise that not all hair will be killed by each pass of the laser, the hair itself needs to be in its growing phase in order to be killed. The other thing you will find is that as the hair thins out the amount of pain from each that becomes less and less. My last session was relatively pain-free with the exception of a couple of spots that have a distinct area of the year.

You can save yourself a large amount of time money and pain by using laser in conjunction with electrolysis. For example if you have 150 hours to completely clear your face with electrolysis and you are able to reduce the amount of hair by about one third (as an example) then this could potentially save you 50 hours of electrolysis which in my money equates to a saving of around $9000. In my case I think the reduction was closer to 50% thereby saving myself an absolute fortune for the cost of electrolysis.

Unfortunately I received about seven sessions of IPL on my face, which in turn did very little in the long run and the areas that were treated simply re-grew a month or so later. The person who administered the IPL to my face claimed at the time that it was "laser". I guess technically she is right however she was also aware that I was talking a proper laser i.e. like the one used at my laser clinic. So if you do not get the results you are expecting and it may be worthwhile checking to ensure that you are having laser rather than IPL             
Title: Re: How many laser sessions before clear.
Post by: Allison S on November 28, 2017, 06:10:56 PM
Quote from: ElizabethK on November 28, 2017, 05:16:48 PM
I am up to about session number 15 or 16. Not all of this has been laser with about seven sessions in the middle being IPL. My sessions on laser are now out to about every 3 to 4 months, and that my last electrolysis session I was asked not to have laser on my face or my next upcoming electrolysis session. If I did then there is not enough work left on my top lip for the hour-long session especially if I have had laser treatment on the upper lip. The laser impacts my Electrologist's ability to deal with the dark years if they have been impacted by the laser.

I have to agree that after about the sixth session it appeared that the job was almost done. However like all hair, it needs to complete its three-month cycle in order to be successfully removed. You cannot kill a hair follicle where the hair is already in the dying phase of the hair cycle.

After each laser session, about day 7 to 14 is when I see the majority of the shedding of black hairs. It is important to understand and recognise that not all hair will be killed by each pass of the laser, the hair itself needs to be in its growing phase in order to be killed. The other thing you will find is that as the hair thins out the amount of pain from each that becomes less and less. My last session was relatively pain-free with the exception of a couple of spots that have a distinct area of the year.

You can save yourself a large amount of time money and pain by using laser in conjunction with electrolysis. For example if you have 150 hours to completely clear your face with electrolysis and you are able to reduce the amount of hair by about one third (as an example) then this could potentially save you 50 hours of electrolysis which in my money equates to a saving of around $9000. In my case I think the reduction was closer to 50% thereby saving myself an absolute fortune for the cost of electrolysis.

Unfortunately I received about seven sessions of IPL on my face, which in turn did very little in the long run and the areas that were treated simply re-grew a month or so later. The person who administered the IPL to my face claimed at the time that it was "laser". I guess technically she is right however she was also aware that I was talking a proper laser i.e. like the one used at my laser clinic. So if you do not get the results you are expecting and it may be worthwhile checking to ensure that you are having laser rather than IPL           
I was duped by IPL too. On my whole body... That was before I started actively transitioning so now I think of it as an investment. A very expensive one with no return, but still an investment.

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Title: How many laser sessions before clear.
Post by: cej on November 29, 2017, 12:29:17 PM
Quote from: ElizabethK on November 28, 2017, 05:16:48 PM
I am up to about session number 15 or 16. Not all of this has been laser with about seven sessions in the middle being IPL. My sessions on laser are now out to about every 3 to 4 months, and that my last electrolysis session I was asked not to have laser on my face or my next upcoming electrolysis session. If I did then there is not enough work left on my top lip for the hour-long session especially if I have had laser treatment on the upper lip. The laser impacts my Electrologist's ability to deal with the dark years if they have been impacted by the laser.

I have to agree that after about the sixth session it appeared that the job was almost done. However like all hair, it needs to complete its three-month cycle in order to be successfully removed. You cannot kill a hair follicle where the hair is already in the dying phase of the hair cycle.

After each laser session, about day 7 to 14 is when I see the majority of the shedding of black hairs. It is important to understand and recognise that not all hair will be killed by each pass of the laser, the hair itself needs to be in its growing phase in order to be killed. The other thing you will find is that as the hair thins out the amount of pain from each that becomes less and less. My last session was relatively pain-free with the exception of a couple of spots that have a distinct area of the year.

You can save yourself a large amount of time money and pain by using laser in conjunction with electrolysis. For example if you have 150 hours to completely clear your face with electrolysis and you are able to reduce the amount of hair by about one third (as an example) then this could potentially save you 50 hours of electrolysis which in my money equates to a saving of around $9000. In my case I think the reduction was closer to 50% thereby saving myself an absolute fortune for the cost of electrolysis.

Unfortunately I received about seven sessions of IPL on my face, which in turn did very little in the long run and the areas that were treated simply re-grew a month or so later. The person who administered the IPL to my face claimed at the time that it was "laser". I guess technically she is right however she was also aware that I was talking a proper laser i.e. like the one used at my laser clinic. So if you do not get the results you are expecting and it may be worthwhile checking to ensure that you are having laser rather than IPL           

Laser gives quick results initially but the hairs are more likely to grow back, compared to electrolysis. I did ten sessions of laser and I think it just slowed down the electrolysis process a lot because the follicles were damaged and the hairs became blond and hard for the electrologist to see. I've done over 200 hours of electrolysis now and I think it would have been cheaper and faster in the end if I'd skipped laser entirely and went straight to electrolysis. (Note: I used galvanic not thermolysis.)
Title: Re: How many laser sessions before clear.
Post by: Taylorcaudle on November 30, 2017, 03:35:13 PM
Ive only had one session so i cant say but when i go back im going to have her increase the intensity of the diode and go against the grain of the hair and hope that speeds up progress.

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Title: Re: How many laser sessions before clear.
Post by: Taylorcaudle on November 30, 2017, 03:39:29 PM
I paid for 10 sessions so after that im going to switch to electrolysis.

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