So next month I'm planning to start laser hair removal. What should I expect going into it? Is it a permanent solution to get rid of my facial hair, are theyre any specific technologies I should be aware that are more effective and how about costs? I know its cheaper than electrolysis but should i expect it to cost me a pretty penny?

I posted this in another thread but ill post it again.

Mine was $900 for eight sessions spaced 4 weeks apart

This is my face after five sessions, 24 hours without shaving



It works best on dark hairs on light skin but their are machines that can hit lighter hairs as well but still not as great as dark hairs on a light skin. It is pretty fast about 10-15min per session (sometimes even less depending on how bad it is) and not very painful, I dont use numbing or anything and it feels like a hot needle prick into the follicle.  The thicker the hair the more painful.

Quote from: MaidofOrleans on January 12, 2013, 09:53:28 AM
Mine was $900 for eight sessions spaced 4 weeks apart

You got a better deal than I did.  Not that I'm complaining.

I used some aloe lotion thing afterward that's used for sunburns.  That helped cause I felt like mini bonfires were burning in my follicles, especially after the first time.  Other than that, be prepared for the smell of burning hair.  I thought my cats messed the next day when I woke up.  Nope, it was just my upper lip.

Is $2100 for the full face, 9 treatments, a bad price?

That's what my local laser place quoted; I'd like to make sure I'm not paying a "tourist's premium."

That's a few hundred more than I'd expect to pay if I had/have to go to to nine.

Quote from: ZoeM on January 12, 2013, 10:33:28 AM
Is $2100 for the full face, 9 treatments, a bad price?

That's what my local laser place quoted; I'd like to make sure I'm not paying a "tourist's premium."

That sounds a bit pricey

Average is about 120-135 per

Good to know.
I guess I'll shop around a bit before I lock myself in.

I negotiated with the laser place for my wife - with discounts and coupons, we paid $1000 for six months (which worked out to 6 sessions at the recommended 4-week intervals) plus an additional year of free touch-ups. Around here, laser places do not charge by the hour but by the session, so I don't honestly know how long each treatment was. 15-20 minutes?

By the fourth session she was mostly down to a few nagging spots; by 6 sessions and one touch-up she was clear save for a dozen or so stray hairs. Three years later and it's still all gone; my calculation was that even IF it's true that the hair regrows eventually (and so far there's no indication of that), $1000 every ten years is still a heck of a lot cheaper than electrolysis. Plus it was much faster, obviously.

I'm happy i got a good amount of money saved up. electrolysis just seems like it would be way to expensive to take plus i have a dark beard even though it takes forever to grow in, i get the 5 o'clock shadow the next day lol. I should definitely ask around about places to go and ask for estimates, definitely if its around 1000 dollars i can pay for most of it

I'll add it's totally worth the expense.  Even though it isn't perfect, the decrease in my dysphoria was pretty dramatic.

I got a deal through Groupon, which is a dealsite.

I pay almost nothing, but I do expect very little effect, and crappy service.

I actually bought a groupon deal and so far the service has been great and the tech is awesome.. My sides are almost completly clear however the "muzzle" area has been a bit more stubborn.  Bear in mind I started with a REALLY thick beard and OMG the first session felt like hell, not to mention the smell was horrid.  However each time gets better and better and where there's no hair no pain.  I should have my sixth session in a few weeks and I'm hoping that will knock out the rest, other than the blonde hairs which I'll have to get electrolysis on anyway.  But if groupon is available you may want to check them out.  Example, my place normally charges $1,500 for a full beard and I ended up paying something like $230. So one heck of a savings!

I paid $950ish for 6 sessions. I had my second session yesterday and, while it's still too early to make a final verdict, I'm pleased with the results. My sideburns and upper lip saw dramatic reduction after the first treatment, but my chin is still pretty hairy. We'll see how much the second session did within a few days. I'm confident that I'll be mostly clear after 6 sessions.

As for pain, it does sting. It's not unbearable, but it's not buckets of fun either. The worst part is the smell.

If you'd like to see what it looks like, here's a short video of my session yesterday: http://www.sendspace.com/file/rqelwu