Hair questions...

[Clara84]

Hello girls.

I got some questions.

First, laser hair removal (beard). I've 7 laser sessions done. The last two times, 2 weeks after each session, nothing remains, no hair. But after a few days they grow back. And I don't feel it grows lighter than before the session. When will it be finished ? It there really an end on this nightmare ?

 

 

I am 14 months HRT. Since a few weeks hairs on my arms have litteraly changed. They grow faster, are longer, but much thin and smooth, nearly invisible. What's this ? Will it be the same for the whole body hair ?

[Terry]

Hi Clara,

 

So far my experience is completely different. It's only the neck so far, but I assume there's not much difference between neck and higher up, because I used to have very thick whiskers there.

 

First of all, the biggest effect about two weeks after each session is what I've seen as well. But what I'm seeing is much more permanent as far as I can tell so far. Shortly before the second session there were a few patches where nothing had grown back. Shortly before the third session there were only a few patches that still had relevant hair growth at all. During that session I did notice the laser, so it apparently still had something to target, but that was a bit of a surprise, because it was definitely not very visible.

 

At the moment the neck is almost completely clear. I booked a package of six treatments, so I have the realistic expectation that I will get a near-perfect result. It might have to do with my hair/skin combination (thick black hair and fairly light skin) together with a good laser / cooling system.

[Maid In Bedlam]

I tried Laser. Did absolutly nothing for me. after a few days it all just grew back the same as it was.

Im now onto Electrolysis . Granted i have had only 4 sessions which translates to about 5 hours worth all on the same area of my face being the top lip. Being honest every occasion they have cleared the same spot then about a week later i can see no diffrence. Either i have about a million hairs in the same place or it just isnt working on me as it should. I tell you what i find it really painful to. Someone once described it as a Bee sting feeling. Im not a baby and my life it bloody hurts. I brave it in the hope that eventually it will be hair free if  I keep directing them to the same area. I live in hope.  For the time being I thank the God of Dermablend

[Jani]

Clara laser treatments are called hair reduction as opposed to electrolysis which is permanent hair removal.  Laser does work well for some people, not for others.  I believe you may has said you have fair or light colored beard hair and that could be an issue with laser as well as the hair isn't dark enough to absorb the light pulses.  

 

I know several people who started with laser then went on to electrolysis to finish off any remaining.  I have only done electrolysis and it is time consuming but I love the results. 

 

Laser may work better on body hair as it's a different type than facial. 

Jani

[SugarMagnolia]

What Jani said...

Plus, my understanding is that not all of your hair follicles are active at one time. What I was told is that roughly 1/3 are actively growing at any given point and even if you got rid of all of those, you'd need to do the same thing again for the other two thirds. 

I had good success getting rid of the dark hairs on my face with 10-12 laser treatments over the course of a year. It didn't get rid of all the dark hairs but it significantly reduced it. I'm currently doing electrolysis and expect that to continue for the next 1-2 years. That will get rid of what's left of the dark hairs as well as the white/silver hairs (!) that lasers can't do much about.

Best,
Julie

[Jani]

3 hours ago, SugarMagnolia said:

not all of your hair follicles are active at one time.

Yes you're correct.  My electrologist has said you have to catch them at the right time.  Which is why I have a regular weekly appointment.   At first it seemed like everything was growing back but eventually the time on the table paid off as the hairs got finer and then were banished.   
 

On 7/15/2018 at 12:11 PM, Maid In Bedlam said:

I tell you what i find it really painful to. Someone once described it as a Bee sting feeling. Im not a baby and my life it bloody hurts.

I've joked that its like B D S M without the B!   

 

Hang in there.  No one promised this was easy! 

Jani

   

[Clara84]

Thanks everyone 

 

Laser works on me. I lost 80% of facial hair during the first 5 sessions. 

But the remaining are still growing growing and growing (no more hair 2 weeks after session, then grows nearly like before) . Most are dark. 

 

I don't see the end... And every single hair is a huge masculine feature. 

 

For the girls who finished with hair removal, is it really over? No more shaving? 

[Terry]

2 hours ago, Clara84 said:

Laser works on me. I lost 80% of facial hair during the first 5 sessions.

 

As far as I remember this is about as much as you can expect, it's even a good result. Even advertising (from serious providers of course) usually doesn't promise more than that. I guess under those circumstances it might be best to move on to electrolysis.

[Terry]

Here is a small update. My 5th session is coming up this week. There is some hair growing on my neck again, but much slower than before (and compared to the rest of the beard). Will be interesting to see if and how well the laser gets rid of this.

[Terry]

I was not planning to do another update already, but I'm just back from the laser session and it was not pleasant. It hurt more than I was used to, and that at a power level that was even lower than before. The skin is also a bit swollen. It might be because it's now a different type of hair. It's definitely much thinner than the whiskers I had growing there before and the laser might now be targeting some skin as well as hair.

 

Now I'm curious if it was worth the (literal) pain. I could now be at exactly the same point as what you describe in the OP  @Clara84 , but of course that will only be clear in a few weeks.

 

To be honest I could stop at this point, because shaving my neck is now done within a few seconds, as opposed to close to impossible when I started. But I still have another session booked and it seems I will get two complementary sessions (which is absolutely awesome, especially because I already got a discount for booking six sessions).

[Jani]

I can't comment on the pain other than to say we all react differently.  I'm doing electrology and it's not a cake walk.   The pain could be the result of cumulative sessions and your skin is tender.  Remember laser is like getting a sunburn.  Maybe you could wait an extra week between sessions?  Personally, I would continue since you have a few left.  Why put up with having to shave at all if you need not?  

 

Jani

[Clara84]

I got another session last Monday. With more power. It hurted a lot. 

A lot of hairs which weren't visible were shot. It has been 4 days now where dead hairs are showing at some place I didn't noticed there was hairy. 

Still have to wait a few days to see the results. 

[Jani]

Sounds like there is progress Clara.  Make sure to keep your face moisturized.  

 

Jani