laser hair removal?
Options
DeonnPaul
Posts: 50 Member
Have any of you had laser hair removal? I've been considering it, and wondered how painful it is? I bought a Tria, and have been forcing myself to use it on small areas (on my face) each day or every other day. It works, but damn!!! Call me a wimp, but it seriously hurts! The highest setting I can take is at four, but in some spots where the hair is plentiful and course, it's hard for me to stand zapping myself for very long. I've been thinking if I paid for laser hair removal sessions maybe it would be easier and faster, and then I could just use my Tria for maintenance.
Since puberty I've had to deal with facial hair growth. I've tried everything there is to try at home, and recently laser surgery was suggested to me by my boyfriend's family. Most of the women in his family have had facial hair (his family is hispanic) issues, and they all have dealt with it by getting laser surgery. At this point in my life, my facial hair is at its all time worst, and I am soooo done with it, and just want it to be fricken gone. I have large patches on either side of my chin, and then larger patches on either side of my throat/neck under my chin. The hair is black, and course, and grows so quickly that I could be the bearded lady in a circus side show. In the last two years (after my miscarriage) my hormones and PCOS have gotten so out of control that it has really motivated me to get my *kitten* in gear and start solving some of these problems! My hope is that the laser treatments will get rid of the hair growth, and that supplements and weight loss will balance my hormones enough to prevent future growth.
Have any of you successfully done away with the facial hair issues? What works/worked best for you? (I currently drink mint tea every day, but can't take saw palmetto because it gives me a rapid heart beat)
Since puberty I've had to deal with facial hair growth. I've tried everything there is to try at home, and recently laser surgery was suggested to me by my boyfriend's family. Most of the women in his family have had facial hair (his family is hispanic) issues, and they all have dealt with it by getting laser surgery. At this point in my life, my facial hair is at its all time worst, and I am soooo done with it, and just want it to be fricken gone. I have large patches on either side of my chin, and then larger patches on either side of my throat/neck under my chin. The hair is black, and course, and grows so quickly that I could be the bearded lady in a circus side show. In the last two years (after my miscarriage) my hormones and PCOS have gotten so out of control that it has really motivated me to get my *kitten* in gear and start solving some of these problems! My hope is that the laser treatments will get rid of the hair growth, and that supplements and weight loss will balance my hormones enough to prevent future growth.
Have any of you successfully done away with the facial hair issues? What works/worked best for you? (I currently drink mint tea every day, but can't take saw palmetto because it gives me a rapid heart beat)
0
Replies
-
I have done laser hair removal, it is painful. It feels like someone snapping rubber bands onto the skin. That is the best way I can describe it, with warmth added to it.
Most of the hair stayed away, but there was some re-growth after 6 treatments. It isn't forever though in that same spot. The way the laser hair removal doctor told me his name is Dr. Hamel, but he said that some hair follicles are not active and can become active at a later time. If it is not active during treatments, then growth in the same spots where you had the removal can have re-growth. But he did say that the same exact hair follicle will not grow back but it may seem like there is a new hair in that same spot.0 -
I did laser hair removal a couple of years ago. I did not find it to be painful, but it was not comfortable either. Unfortunately I did not see any decrease in the amount of hair. It has been suggested to me that this is due to the fact that I am graying and that the hair is courser.0
-
I did it on my underarms. It was a bit painful but not too bad, and less painful with each treatment. Unfortunately the effects weren't permanent... lasted about a year and a a half. I'm told that that is common with PCOS. Apparently the only permanent hair removal for women with PCOS is electrolysis, but I haven't had that done yet.0
-
If you have PCOS and specially if you have Hirsutism PLEASE DO NOT WAIST YOUR TIME AND MONEY ON LASER HAIR REMOVAL!
I paid 3,000.00 to get rid of all of my hair on my body. This was before I knew I had PCOS and Hirsutism. They of course knew I had it but didn't want to say anything because They were getting 3,000.00 bucks!
I did it for a year and saw NO changes. Please just go to a endocrinologist, they will be able to help you more with hair loss and much more then laser removal. Not until you get your hormones balanced will laser work.0 -
If you have PCOS and specially if you have Hirsutism PLEASE DO NOT WAIST YOUR TIME AND MONEY ON LASER HAIR REMOVAL!
I paid 3,000.00 to get rid of all of my hair on my body. This was before I knew I had PCOS and Hirsutism. They of course knew I had it but didn't want to say anything because They were getting 3,000.00 bucks!
I did it for a year and saw NO changes. Please just go to a endocrinologist, they will be able to help you more with hair loss and much more then laser removal. Not until you get your hormones balanced will laser work.
I am just starting to get my homones into balance and my diet under control, I used electrolysis and it works, I figure if I am spending the money to get waxed might as well spend it on something that will end up being permanent. Just remember that not everything works for everybody.0 -
I had laser done and it only removed a pea size amount of hair permanently and it hurt like heck, much worse than just a rubber band snapping......more like being burnt and a million paper cuts all that same time.....actually made me cry and I usually can tune pain out this not so much......I did however get some embale cream and used this 2 hours before the appointment and it made all the difference in the world most areas with this cream I didn't feel it however the upper lip and just bellow the lower lip I still felt it a little bit.0
-
Does laser hair removal not work only on the face? For now I'm okay with tweezing for that, but I'm sick of shaving my legs and armpits and would love to not have to do it again. However, I don't want to waste my money on it if it's not permanent.0
-
I have thought about Lazer removal but cant afford it right now. i have been wondering about " NO NO" they show on tv. None of that stuff ever works it seems. My doctor put me on Aldactone over a month ago for this along with my metformin and I have seen no decrease in hair growth. I'm at my wits end with this crap!!!! Is anyone else on Aldactone?0
-
I too wondered about the no no. Ihave a lot of facial hair and it really bothers me. but not really sure what to do other than shave.....to many hairs to die as it would still show up0
-
i tried laser hair removal for a very small space years ago, just try to it out, and it hurt a lot! its similar to a HOT rubber snapping BUT the pain lingers for a while and is more sharp/intense. its tolerable but i still wont do it unless i can justify to myself that it is absolutely needed. Remember: i just tried it once on a small spot so i cant tell you if it will be permanent. but i assume it is better than constantly shaving and waxing..... Note: I have high pain tolerance and have multiple piercings all over the place and this was still painful for me. I would rather have something else pierced. haha
Im really considering doing my pits. lol. but the pain i remember is holding me back. the doc i spoke with said that you NEED to finish the 5-6 treatments for it to be effective.... and some hair MAY come back or new growth may happen from unactive follicles that have become active with age. but he guarantees that there will be improvement and it will never ALLL fully come back or come back with a vengeance or something silly like that. lol0 -
There are home-use ones that you can buy and do the laser at home yourself. Obviously the "dosage" will be lowered but it works for me. Have to consistently do it according to the package direction, but the hairs do get less dark and more scarce each time I do it.0
-
As a former laser tech, I absolutely and unequivocally do NOT recommend. This is a for a several reasons:
- There is no such things as permanent hair removal. You'll notice most advertising now says "reduction" because of too many lawsuits.
- All machines work on the principle of physics, meaning the energy that attempts to kill the follicle does so by pigment. Those ONLY suited to fair results will be those with pale skin and dark hair so the energy follows the path of the hair and does not diffuse along the skin missing the hair completely.
- For even those who may be so lucky to be light skin/ dark hair...hair growth will likely reoccur with hormone fluctuations. EG pregnancy, menopause, or PCOS : (
- All the machines require constant maintenance which few facilities are great about. You have no idea when you are getting a service if the machine is even working properly - nor would the tech. One bump to the machine and calibrations may be out of whack.
There are a few people who luck out and have decent results for a few years, but most don't. Accounting for the pain factor (which is variable according to person and machine being used), the cost and the high likelihood of damage (think pigmentation problems)....laser hair removal is a scam.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.0 -
Laser hair removal saved my life...or at least my confidence in myself... Which has made my life tremendously better! I'm a high school principal--was a teacher when I finally got laser treatment due to the brutal comments made by a few students. It worked great. Don't wait if you are younger. It doesn't work on gray hair (or blonde). And you may have to do maintenance periodically (I've had my chin area touched up once after having the treatment 3 years ago.) Look for groupons! You can often get a 6-treatment pack for around $99 for an area. I bought 3 areas when I did it--chin, side/cheeks, and neck. It was wonderful! I went from plucking for an HOUR or more EVERY MORNING to nothing--no more tweezing, waxing, or bleaching. Just recently, after 3 years, I have noticed a little more dark hair growth that I was tempted to tweeze, so I found another groupon for $99 and did a maintenance treatment. I would never spend $3000 on it! But I know I will periodically have to do "touch ups" but I am very okay with that because it is soooooo much better after getting the laser hair removal. I agree it is not permanent, but it has been worth it for the improvement to my appearance as well as how much easier and less time consuming my morning routine is!0
-
I had a friend who did laser, but she hadn't completed the treatments when we last spoke years ago. I was doing elos hair removal for a few years. It's not laser - it's some other kind of light technology - and it was offered in my gyno's office. I was tired of shaving and trimming so I wanted to try something (anything!) to remove it. I'm lucky that I only have two small patches on my neck, but I'm allergic to hair removal creams like Nair so my removal options are limited. Plus the amount of hair had increased since college and it was getting more and more obvious. Elos was kinda pricy, but I was REALLY happy with the results. I had started going every 4-6 weeks, but by the end I was only going every 4 or 5 months. Unfortunately, I went of my birth control briefly and all the hair came back. The next year of treatment went really well though and I hadn't received treatment for a about 4 months - which was nice since I didn't have to worry about my neck hair on my wedding day (!!!). However, I had a gap in my BC prescription, and most of it came back. Not all of it though. I haven't gone back for treatments because I moved and it's not as convenient. Plus the woman there wasn't always reliable with scheduling and treatment was between $100-130 each time I went. Since the amount of hair I have now has decreased, it doesn't feel worth it.
I think it was definitely worth the money and has prevented it from getting worse. I just really didn't like the woman who did it. She would turn the machine up a little too high which meant instead of just a little zap with a slight sting, it would REALLY hurt and my neck would be a little sore. I've been looking into home kits (at $300-400, they're the cost of three treatments at my doc office) as well as other places near me.
I do agree with the poster who said to go to an endocrinologist. After years of just going to the gyno and her telling me my only option is BC, I plan on going to a GP next month for a physical and blood work and asking for a recommendation to an endocrinologist. I know there are other ways to manage PCOS and I'd really like to try them.0 -
I was reading about the Tria 4x today in a magazine, which said it is the first product to use Salon quality Lasers. I have been thinking about purchasing a home laser/electrolosis machine for a couple of years now, but if it was guaranteed - I'd buy it tomorrow. I just wouldn't want to be £375 out of pocket and still hairy!!!
http://www.triabeauty.co.uk/home-laser-hair-removal0 -
I have had laser treatments and didn't think it was too bad. I have had it done on my chin (and double chin) area. I haven't had time to go back for another treatment as I didn't complete the full cycle but I definitely have a much reduced hair growth. You need to go to a good facility that knows what they are doing. I'm in Maryland and drive 45 mins from my home because I want the best. I pay $125 a session and am very satisfied with my results.
The hair must be dark in color otherwise it will not work. If you have light colored hair go with electrolysis which is more often and takes longer for the sessions. Good luck!!0 -
I have severe facial hair issues, and I've tried creams and laser...after a LOT of money, I still have unwanted hair, everyday. I'm on birth control and spironolactone tho for this problem. If you are able to take these, and your doctor "allows" it, give it a shot. Don't expect a miracle. It does take 4-6 months to really notice anything. It the combo doesn't stop hair growth, but it sure does slow it down and thins it. I did have my doc up my dosage tho to 100 mg twice a day for the spironolactone. Also! I stopped taking these for a few months (due to lack of insurance) and the hair growth was immediately back and to its' regular full strength and I gained quite a bit of weight (due to crap eating and possibly not taking these pills anymore) Now that I'm BACK on this, I can't wait for the difference it makes!0
-
I thought about getting the "No No" until I looked at reviews. Google it yourself, look at all of the reviews on amazon, etc. People say it doesn't work.
Tweezing foreverrrr.0 -
I have been battling my hair issues (lip, cheeks, chin, and neck) since puberty. I have to agree with the rest of you that it TOTALLY sucks. I started with electrolysis for a few years in my teens. It was really painful. At one point the the lady who owned the business had her husband (a dentist) put me under so they could crank up the machine so high that it burned me. Electrolysis didn't work ~I don't think it even helped a little. :frown: I was in a laser trial in the late 90's. They used a "Ruby" laser. I only had 3 treatments. That didn't work. :frown: I tried laser again at gimmicky laser hair removal place. They used IPL (Intense Pulsed Light). It started to work, but they treated me every week. ( I found out that is the wrong way to do it because of hair growth cycles). That didn't work.
I was not treating my PCOS with any of those treatments.
Fast forward today.. I am treating PCOS with Mirena IUD, 1000mg metformin, and 100mg Spiro/day. I have noticed a slight slowing of hair growth. I am starting Laser again at a plastic surgery/dermatology department at a hospital. They will be using an Alexandrite laser once a month for 7 months. I feel confident that treating my PCOS with meds, diet, and exercise will make it work for me this time. Well...for $3000.00 I'm either confident or desperately foolish. We'll see I guess.
I start February 7. I'll keep you updated. Feel free to add me as a friend! :happy:0
