Ok, here's another angle for my wandering mind to mull over.

Let's say that finances are shaky and one finds a way to buy SOME laser for the face but not enough to get it clean. Like from a tax return for instance.

Two questions...


First, does a limited number of laser session make the hair which remains less coarse, less obvious (shadow wise) and easier to get a really smooth clean shave (and maybe less often)? It seems to me it would be of tremendous value just to minimize the shadow (which I have even with my best shave) and to have softer finer hairs to remove.

Second, if the above is true, about how many sessions would you have to have, minimum, to achieve that kind of result? i KNOW everyone is different but ball park.

for reference, I have dark brown hair (what isn't gray) that produces an obvious shadow even after a shave, and when it grows in even after 8 hours or so it's VERY stiff and bristlly right now.

3 sessions were enough for me to remove all the dark hairs that were currently active, but after about 14 weeks the ones which were dormant before become active which requires a couple more sessions. Best to look around and find a good package deal somewhere- due to the lagging economy you can find some really good deals if you shop around.

Also hormones don't stop beard hair from growing but for me they made it softer, finer, and slower growing at least.

Every time you write about facial hair I can just feel how much it bothers you. This is one of your big dysphoria triggers isn't it? Personally I don't think you should start laser or electro until you are certain you can see it through, because stopping halfway adds considerable cost to the overall project, not to mention dragging out the torment.

Anyway on topic I had four sessions of laser before all the dark hairs were gone, but there's a fair amount of grey left for the electro. The grey is a thousand times softer than starting out, and grows a lot slower. To give you an idea it started out being standard whisker prickliness and texture, and now it's like soft, fine cat hair.The thing is though, if you have some laser and don't follow all the way through with it, your body will eventually spread out your growth cycles with fewer active follicles, resulting in needing an extra few sessions.

How many sessions can you afford? Three or four is going to really lay waste to your beard, but less than that and I wouldn't think you'd see a whole lot of improvement in either texture or long term appearance.

Quote from: Becca on July 12, 2009, 08:53:49 PM
Every time you write about facial hair I can just feel how much it bothers you. This is one of your big dysphoria triggers isn't it? Personally I don't think you should start laser or electro until you are certain you can see it through, because stopping halfway adds considerable cost to the overall project, not to mention dragging out the torment.

Anyway on topic I had four sessions of laser before all the dark hairs were gone, but there's a fair amount of grey left for the electro. The grey is a thousand times softer than starting out, and grows a lot slower. To give you an idea it started out being standard whisker prickliness and texture, and now it's like soft, fine cat hair.The thing is though, if you have some laser and don't follow all the way through with it, your body will eventually spread out your growth cycles with fewer active follicles, resulting in needing an extra few sessions.

How many sessions can you afford? Three or four is going to really lay waste to your beard, but less than that and I wouldn't think you'd see a whole lot of improvement in either texture or long term appearance.

Right now I can't afford any but that's the point of the question - if/when I can afford SOME...i want to be sure I can afford enough to be worth the effort.

If I got it down to fine soft grayish hairs that I still have to shave 2 or 3 times a week I'd be VERY happy with that and I could be content to wait until whenever to finish it off one of these years.

Well try to afford at least 3...though I have to admit the noticable improvement came after the 4th session. Make sure and tell the techs you are after maximum results in the shortest time, because sometimes they will dial back the power to make it more comfortable...or get more money out of you, however you want to view it. Shave REALLY close before you go in for the first one, because the first time, at full power, is going to be something you never forget that's for sure.

It just occurred to me, even just three sessions spaced 8 weeks apart are going to put you at 6 months before you hafta pay them again, and who knows what could happen financially in that time.

Eight weeks, really? I thought the optimum to hit the groth cycles was about 3-4?

I noticed a small difference after about 10 days from my first session (mostly a slight thinning) and my first "bare spots" after my 2nd session.

Quote from: Laura Hope on July 12, 2009, 11:43:05 PM
Eight weeks, really? I thought the optimum to hit the groth cycles was about 3-4?

I go every 4.

Well isn't that fun. They told me 8 so I went every 8 like clockwork. It's nice to know it could have been over with sooner 

I went every 4 weeks too but did not see any of the secondary regrowth at all until about 14 weeks. I didn't even start laser however until after I had already been on hormones a while so that may account for slower cycles.

I've had two sessions of laser and I can't see much difference at all.  My laser tech thinks she can see some change.  I started Electrolysis this week and that I could see quickly    I think the laser is working, but i have a fairly thick beard.

My hair has virtually disappeared after two sessions.  What is left is weak and thin.   There are a couple of small dark patches left but I expect them to go at the next session.

I go every six weeks as this is approximately the hair growth cycle.  Every four weeks seems a bit early and they may carry out sessions that are not needed as the hair is dormant.

The hair loss is not actually permanent. It just takes much longer to grow back. I shaved my face after my mom made me do the laser and my facial hair grew back. After your done with your initial amount of sessions you may need to go back for a touchup every few years or so.

Quote from: Kyle :3 on September 04, 2009, 04:09:52 PM
The hair loss is not actually permanent. It just takes much longer to grow back. I shaved my face after my mom made me do the laser and my facial hair grew back. After your done with your initial amount of sessions you may need to go back for a touchup every few years or so.

Testosterone and minoxodil encourage beard growth. Also my upper lip has been lasered like 15 times and most of my face at least ten times. you just don't realize how much hair you have and how hormonally charged areas can grow. My cheeks are void of dark hairs now,  but plenty of little blond ones.

Dormant hairs can spontaneously mature as hormones fluctuate. And vellous hairs can become regular hairs.

Three sessions down.  All I am left with are a few patches of thin dark hair.  For some reason the right side of my face appears more resistant to treatment.  My cheeks are clear and the areas still requiring treatment are my top lip and the jaw beneath the ears.  I am extremely happy with the results and I am sure that after the course of six treatments, shaving will be history.   My treatment nurse told me that I may require the odd treatment but probably not for about seven or eight years.   The hormones kicking in are also helping.