OT: Laser hair removal.

KeepTheKey

I have a Groupon-type offer for laser hair removal ($99 for six treatments to a small area, PM me if you're interested and in the L.A. area!) and I was wondering if anyone here has had it done? I would love to not have to shave such sensitive parts, but is the pain up front worth less of a hassle in the long run? I'm so scared! TIA

14 years ago

General

11 replies

Latest reply was from rute

Isabel

Veteran

Hi KTK ! I have not it personally, but a friend of mine did many treatments which included her legs and underarms. She has VERY sensitive skin and psoriasis and she said it was painful....but worth every penny and the pain. She said that the pain only lasted while they did it and they did small areas at a time, so she found it tolerable. No more infections for her from shaving or waxing, no more shaving or waxing with psoriasis patches, etc.

I say - go for it - after the first couple of sessions, you could always quit if it is not tolerable to you.

GOOD LUCK !

14 years ago

Anya

Member

Hi! I'm in the same boat. Recently I bought a couple coupons for laser hair removal to two different places to get two different body parts done. I ended up going to get my bikini line done first and I was pretty impressed with it.

I think I have low pain tolerance and I thought I was going to suffer a lot. I ended up taking 2 Tylenols about 45 min before the appointment and I'm not going to lie, it did hurt. However, the pain was different. I don't know if you've ever had waxing done, but I thought waxing was a torture. Laser hair removal hurts almost as much, but there is no residue pain as I call it. I find with waxing when they rip of the wax it hurts like hell for a while and I almost have to curl up in a ball and cry until the pain eases up. With laser it hurts when the laser hits the hair and then the pain is gone and it doesn't linger. The skin does feel warm like you've just been out in the sun for a while, but nothing compared to lingering waxing pain. I found that the skin was a little more sensetive then usual for a couple days, like you've been tanning, but it's really not noticable or inconvenient.

Recently I ended up using the second coupon to get my underarms done in a different place. They had a newer laser then the first place I went to and the whole experience was different. It hurt just a little more, but as my aestetician said it was likely because I had a glass of beer the night before. Apparently liquor the night before makes pain worse!

If I was happy with the experience on my bikini line, the laser experience with my underarms was FANTASTIC! Three days after my first treatment my hair on my underarms was gone. It looked a little funny for the first couple days, but then I think it just fell out. I haven't shaved in a week and there is nothing there! The skin feels so smooth and pretty. The hair will definitely come back in about 4 weeks, since I was told you will need anywhere from 6-8 treatments, but due to the differences in lasers the hair removal process is faster.

As for my bikini line, I've had 2 treatments already and the hair is definitely still there and the skin is not as smooth. The growth slowed down significantly though. I only find the need to shave every couple weeks. I'm thinking once my treatments at that place are done (the coupon was for 3 treatments) I will switch to the place that does my underarms. Bottomline, I would be very happy with my bikini line experience if I hadn't tried the other place for my underarms.

Another thing, the treatments are done about a month apart or even longer as the hair growth slows down. So it's definitely easier on the wallet if you have to pay for it if you do have to pay.

Is it worth it? ABSOLUTELY! The amount of pain is nothing compared to having less worries about shaving even after just one treatment.

14 years ago

Kate

Veteran

I had my first treatment (of a package of 6) on my underarms yesterday!

First, the color of your hair matters for the effectiveness. I have no idea what color your body hair is, but the darker the better because the laser zaps the melanin. Even some people who are ideal candidates don't get the long term results that they want, so there's no guarantee that it will be worth it in the long run. Results can also vary depending on what type of laser they use and who does the treatment.

In my consultation, they asked a variety of questions about my health, medications, and skin tone to make sure that I was a good candidate. At the place I went, if there are concerns about sensitivity or pigmentation issues, they can even do a test patch for free rather than starting with a full treatment.

I have very sensitive skin but a decent pain tolerance, and for me the zaps are uncomfortable but really not that bad. The pain only lasts for a split second, and only in the spots with dark hair. So it hurt the most when she did the middle of my armpit, but then when she went around the periphery there weren't as many hairs to zap so it didn't hurt as much. Plus, the treatment goes by very, very quick, and I made a point of having a conversation while it happened to help keep me from focusing on the feeling of the zaps. Basically, I wouldn't choose to have the feeling of laser hair removal just for fun, but it really isn't that painful.

There are a couple of other threads about laser hair removal on YLF that you should be able to find with a quick search. There are even videos on youtube of people getting laser hair removal, so you can see exactly what it's like.

I can't say yet whether it's worth it, but I can tell you that it's really not that painful or scary. Good luck!

14 years ago

Freckles

Veteran

I saw this technique on ETCanada tonight and the piece of equipment they used lookoed much larger than the ones on youtube and did not spurt zaps either. The paddle was about double the size of the woman's hand and it did not zap. It was more like an ultrasound and the person receiving the treatment said it did not hurt at all, not one stitch of pain.

14 years ago

suzanne

Active Member

Hi, KtK. (This is my normal spiel, so sorry if it's already old news.) I don't know if your red hair comes courtesy of your genes or a fab hairstylist, but if you have any red pigment in your body hair - steer clear. I went for a few (hellishly expensive) sessions that had absolutely no effect on the treated area. Instead of the hair, the only thing that disappeared was my money. I was very unhappy with the results. (Oh, should have added this before - I have auburn hair and slightly reddish body hair and the process itself definitely wasn't painful).

14 years ago

rosee

Veteran

I wanted to add a couple of things to what is already above:

good info on this link:
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....ir-removal

Instead of taking tylenol for the pain, take aspirin or ASA (if you can tolerate it) since it actually is better for helping to loosen the hair a little. ASA is in products like Tend Skin that are used for ingrowns, and ASA is an anti-inflammatory not just an analgesic like Tylenol.

If you have fair or red hair hair, I would seriously have a good consult with the practitioner, b/c you might not experience the results you want (see link above for longer comment).

Ive had some LHR and it worked pretty good (dark hair, fair skin) but some areas did experience regrowth.

Right now I am eyeing the home laser tools (Like Tria or Pria or whatever is is called), but am very skeptical. I want them to be on the market for a few years and have lots of feedback before I try one myself. I'm mostly worried about scarring if the laser is not applied properly. Also, I don't think this laser would be as effective as the salon /doctor one as that is a huge maching compared to the hand-held.

14 years ago

rosee

Veteran

thought I'd copy and paste from the above link:

"a Mediterranean girl responds (i.e. dark hair), and I've done it all:

- if lasering, don't sugar or wax or epilate. There needs to be some hair below the skin for the laser to target. Shaving is actually recommended for laser appointments and in-between maintenance.

- if red-haired or light-haired, get a good second opinion about lasering b/c many lasers don't target lighter pigments in those hair follicles. It may be possible but it also may be a very expensive waste of time.

- lasers effectively remove the particular hair follicle targeted over time (a few sessions) but they can also stimulate other follicles to produce thicker /darker hairs. Happened to me and I've read others too (internet search, don't have the link right now). This is one of the side effects they tend not to tell you about but seems to be common. Hormones also affect the new hair growth.

- a common problem with epilation /waxing /sugaring is that you can get in-grown hairs, and these can scar the skin. I don't use these methods any more b/c my skin is too sensitive and it took me a very long time to get rid of most of my scars (legs and bikini line).

- HOW you wax /sugar is important: the wax must be applied thinly and smoothly to the skin, the strip firmly pressed into the wax, and it must be quickly lifted away in the opposite direction of hair growth.
I've gotten quite good at waxing over 15 years, and I find I often do a better job than they do in the salon. Mind you, I learned this technique from an aesthetician in a salon.

- back to shaving for me, and yes men's razors seem to be better than women's for some reason (cleaner shave). I want to do more LHR (laser hair removal) again in the future though. There are products like TendSkin ( salicylic acid -- basically aspirin in a bottle) that are good for in-grown hairs. Paula's Choice also makes one, can't remember the name of it though (it's in men's skin care).

- haven't personally had success with products like VEET, but I have heard that others with less-coarse hair have.

I haven't read all the above comments, so I may be repeating some, but then it is just confirmation of that point.
Best wishes!!!"

14 years ago

KeepTheKey

(website)

Active Member

Thanks to everyone who responded! I greatly appreciate the links from all who replied. I've decided to take the plunge, and I purchased the 6 sessions

I'm not naturally a redhead, and I'm fair skinned/dark haired, so hopefully the LHR will work. I'm ridiculously excited!

14 years ago

Kari

Veteran

We're in the same boat! A few months ago I purchased a 6 session groupon in my area for laser hair removal that I elected to use in the underarm area. Like you, I'm not naturally a redhead, and the skin under my arms is dark and coarse - I was deemed a good candidate. My sister (who is naturally fairer than I am but has similar body hair) has had 5 or 6 underarm treatments with great results. I have had one session so far and haven't noticed much difference overall (since my hair usually grows back fairly quickly, I think the next "cycle" of hair grew in about a week later) except that I am having to shave less often. I'm looking forward to seeing if I notice more after the next round.
I was pretty nervous and am a low pain tolerance/"flinchy" person, so I jumped a bit when the treatment started, but it really wasn't bad. The technician described the pain level as "like a rubber band snapping you", and that's really exactly what it felt like to me. A bit of a sting, but not bad. I was ever so slightly tender but not at all bruised for the rest of the day. It was super quick - the whole appointment was less than 5 minutes, mostly from the prep time to undress and clean up afterwards.

14 years ago

Reneeb

Veteran

I had laser treatments on my legs several years ago and for the most part have enjoyed it. After a couple of years patchy places have grown back but I think it was worth it. It was not very painful to me. It was kind of like getting too close to an open flame for a second. No pain meds required for me. From what I understand your hair color makes a difference. The tech. said I was a good candidate because my hair was dark but my friend was not allowed to have the procedure because she had melanoma 6 years ago. I use to have to shave my legs daily now I shave about every 3 weeks in few spots. Good luck.

14 years ago

rute

Veteran

eh eh another Mediterranean girl here (i.e. dark hair)!

I have done and it was the best investment I've made!!
I have done in my legs, bikini area and under my arms (don't know the name..).
With 5 sessions I have no hair! I was a good candidate (dark hair and fair skin).
It hurts a bit but it worth every penny!

14 years ago

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