So after getting a crazy good deal on Groupon and talking it over with my Electrologist, I'm going to try laser hair removal on my face.  My first session is next week.  I got 6 sessions of face and neck for $680.  After that each "maintenance" session is $125.  My plan is to go through the 6 sessions and see how I fare and then return to Electrolysis to finish up what's left or any regrowth that occurs after that.  My Electrologist agreed that this was a good approach that should speed up the overall process quite a bit.  She wasn't put off at all by the loss of business and was actually very complimentary of me.  Her opinion which matched what the Laser clinic said was that with my hair and skin types, I should get like 80-90% success.

Anyway, so I'm starting next week.  I've so far experienced home IPL on my face and electrolysis on my neck.  Any thoughts from you ladies that have been down the laser path as to what I should do to prepare for the session or have ready for aftercare?

I've done 4 sessions of "true" laser in combination with electrolysis (weeks between).  After the first laser session (pre-HRT) my face was a bit of a mess for a couple of days and the treatment hurt quite a bit.  My belief is that the frazzled hairs (many the first session)caused my skin to be irritated.  Subsequent sessions haven't been as painful as a whole or caused nearly as much irritation, even though the intensity has been increased.  The area above the lip has always been painful but taking a few Advils, abstaining from caffeine and soaking my upper lip in lidocaine cream really takes the sting out.  After care is witch hazel and an aloe gel moisturizer.  Good luck.

If you have dark hair on your face, it's really the only option that makes any real sense. Kill all the dark one with laser and play whack a mole with the white hairs left through electrolysis.

Quote from: jentay1367 on April 27, 2017, 10:35:20 PM
If you have dark hair on your face, it's really the only option that makes any real sense. Kill all the dark one with laser and play whack a mole with the white hairs left through electrolysis.

  Dark hairs?  What are dark hairs?   

Laura or Jeanette

Quote from: jentay1367 on April 27, 2017, 10:35:20 PM
If you have dark hair on your face, it's really the only option that makes any real sense. Kill all the dark one with laser and play whack a mole with the white hairs left through electrolysis.

Yep and that's exactly my plan.  I have very few gray hairs at this point (well in my beard anyway) so I'm hoping for a pretty good result.  My skin is also on the lighter side.  One of the laser technicians I met with while comparisson shopping actually said she would be kind of excited to work on my face because she thought it would be so successful (of course maybe that was just part of her sales pitch but whatever).

I'll probably try the lidocaine approach at least for the first treatment. I know the upper lip was one of the most sensitive places when I did home IPL as well.

Yes....light skin and dark hair equals the perfect combination.  Youth, accept no substitutes.....lol

Quote from: AlyssaJ on April 27, 2017, 11:41:12 PM
Yep and that's exactly my plan.  I have very few gray hairs at this point (well in my beard anyway) so I'm hoping for a pretty good result.  My skin is also on the lighter side.  One of the laser technicians I met with while comparisson shopping actually said she would be kind of excited to work on my face because she thought it would be so successful (of course maybe that was just part of her sales pitch but whatever).

I'll probably try the lidocaine approach at least for the first treatment. I know the upper lip was one of the most sensitive places when I did home IPL as well.

You will get some coming back but just keep persisting with the laser and the Electrolysis and you will get there.

Quote"play whack a mole with the white hairs left "

I love it... exactly right

Ensure you are really well shaved, I  have a bottle of Aloe Vera Gel that I keep in the fridge and apply when I get home to cool my face. Stay out of the Sun and make sure you have sunscreen on if you have to go into it. If your make up has sunscreen that helps but you really need here in Australia a 50+ block but it will depend on what part of the world you are from, as to what you need.

Liz

I think that's a great call! I started with laser and got a year of sessions for $2000. I would have cost me close to the same just for full face, chest, and neck, so I figured what the hell, right? Two sessions later and I've got almost no body hair to speak of and what is still there is much more fine and slow growing. My face and neck have a little progress, but are still mostly holding out, but my esthetician is turning up the juice when I go back on may 8th, and she says that since I'm on her now, I should have more luck. They use the candela GentleLase on me and the cryogen blasts along with the laser make all the difference! I'm at 12 Jules right now and the pain is incredibly bearable. Based on my talking with professionals and research, the consensus seems to be to go for laser first to diminish the bulk of follicles more quickly and cost effectively and go back over with electrolysis to make short work of the more stubborn stragglers.

Many ladies seem to be using this exact technique and as long as your expectations about Laser are realistic then it should work out pretty good I would think

Had my first session of Laser today.  I ended up choosing a clinic that was farther away but has the Lightshear Duet laser system.  I figured the newer models of laser would have some refinements and advantages over the older 1064 Laser that a different clinic had.

So far I'm very happy I made the choices I did.  First of all, the duet with it's big handset made quick work of the larger areas on my face and neck.  In fact even with her having to use the small tip on the middle of my neck, the whole procedure took 20 minutes, including the initial consultation.  Second, the vacuum on the large handset and the cool tip on the small tip both helped with comfort quite a bit. Third, going this route over electrolysis is paying dividends for my skin.  I still have some bumps and hyper pigmentation in areas where I had electrolysis over 5 weeks ago.  My skin after laser is recovering very quickly.  It wasn't very red nor did it get swollen really at all. So assuming it is effective (chances are good given my light skin and dark course hair) this was definitely the right way to go.  After my six treatments are done, I'll follow up with electrolysis to get the stragglers/regrowth.

I didn't really do too much to prepare.  I shaved nice and close with my electric razor.  I did take Ibuprofen about 1 hour before my scheduled appointment.  I brought ice packs with me for afterward.  I used a combination of the ice packs and running the car's A/C on full blast  (even though it was only 54 degrees outside) to keep my face cool on the 35 minute drive home. 

Fingers are crossed that this treatment is effective.

That's the same machine that I'm getting hair removal with and it is working very well.  The vacuum then zap sensation is quite strange.