Question
Hi my name is Diana and I am 23 years old and I live in NJ. I have medium-light skin(when not in the sun) with dark brown hair. I have had 6 laser hair removal treatments on my face(upper lip, cheeks, and chin) thus far, and am really not getting the results I would like.
My treaments were in intervals of 4-5 weeks. It has now been almost 3 months since my 6th treatment. I did this purposedly to see how much hair would grow back, and I am not happy at all.
Before in the 4-5 week intervals I would still have to shave at least once because some hair would grown back. I guess when I started the treatments my hair was not course since I had always used bleach intead of shaving or waxing the whole area.
There is some reduction in the hair, but in terms of texture it looks the same as before. I scheduled my 7th treatment for next week, but I am afraid that this LHR is not going to work for me.
I really thought that after 6 treatments I would see a huge difference, and I haven't. I don't know what to do...I go to a dermatologist and she told me that facial hair is the toughest to be removed and that it might take up to 10 treatments for some people.
I am not sure if I should change doctors or just give up on this method completely....I have always had a huge complex about this facial hair and I am so disappointed....
Any advice?
Thanks

Answer
Hi my name is Diana and I am 23 years old and I live in NJ. I have medium-light skin(when not in the sun) with dark brown hair. I have had 6 laser hair removal treatments on my face(upper lip, cheeks, and chin) thus far, and am really not getting the results I would like.
My treaments were in intervals of 4-5 weeks. It has now been almost 3 months since my 6th treatment. I did this purposedly to see how much hair would grow back, and I am not happy at all.
Before in the 4-5 week intervals I would still have to shave at least once because some hair would grown back. I guess when I started the treatments my hair was not course since I had always used bleach intead of shaving or waxing the whole area.
There is some reduction in the hair, but in terms of texture it looks the same as before. I scheduled my 7th treatment for next week, but I am afraid that this LHR is not going to work for me.
I really thought that after 6 treatments I would see a huge difference, and I haven't. I don't know what to do...I go to a dermatologist and she told me that facial hair is the toughest to be removed and that it might take up to 10 treatments for some people.
I am not sure if I should change doctors or just give up on this method completely....I have always had a huge complex about this facial hair and I am so disappointed....
Any advice?
Thanks

Answer
By the way the Laser used on me was Epicare.

Answer
I did 8 laser treatments on my face and I wish I never did it. The hair only got worse after the treatments. Sure, I was hair free for a couple of weeks after each treatment. Then the hair would just come back even more than when I started. But like most I kept hoping and thinking maybe the next time will be better. For everyone who says that it can't happen, they don't know what there talking about. I am proof. Lots of money down the drain.

Answer
Please don't tell me that....That sucks!
Thank you for sharing your experience. I am definitely bringing this all up with my doctor.
I don't see my hair getting worse. It's a little better but just not what I expected.

Answer
Yea, I know it does suck. If you are willing you should wait a couple of months (like 4 or so) to see if your having any REAL luck with the treatments. Sometimes I would be hair less or reduced for a whole month or more then it would pop back up. During that month I would be like wow this is great. I spent about $2000 and am WORSE than when I started. I don't know your situation, you may not mind spending the money. Having more hair than when I started is even worse than loosing the money. Every time I would ask the lady about it she would have some great answer for me (at the same time she's taking my money). I do wish you luck . I don't want to bring you down, but I wanted to share my experience.

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This usually happens only on women's faces when the tech is not knowledgeable enough to use the correct settings. So they end up undertreating you and activating dormant hair instead of killing the follicle. It's very important to find a good experienced tech with a good laser that's best for your skin and hair type to do a treatment on a woman's face. And if you have just a bit of hair that's not coarse, it might be better to do electrolysis instead. Laser works best on coarse hair.

Answer
Well it has already been almost 3 months....It's not worse but like I said it's not what I expected...
I thought if I went to a certified Dermatologist that would be the best thing....I am not just going to a Spa...I would think that the doctor knows what she's doing no? That is even more concerning if she doesn't...
I saw alot of her before and after pictures and I spoke to some people who also had similar things done there....I thought I did my homework....
I also researched all the lasers online and from what I read it seems like Epicare(which is an Alexandrite laser) is the best fit for my type of skin...
Well I am definitely going to ask her next time about the settings and how high she is going...
Thanks for the comments...

Answer
While laser settings may be to blame for the lack of progress, just remember that LHR results vary from person to person, area to area. You could have nice pale skin and black hair and STILL not be a successful candidate. It can't always be explained, either. At least the treatments didn't cause INCREASED hair growth like it has for so many other women out there. Just beware that it may have nothing to do with the tech or the equipment. Laser on the face, as so many personal experiences on this board will prove, is very tricky and seems to NOT work more often than it DOES work. You could always consider electrolysis.

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Hi there! I am new to this site, and am very happy to have found it!
I hate to say it but I have tried laser myself. Had close to 15 treatments!!! with different techs, and the outcome was worse than what I started out with to begin with. I think the hair grown back more because heact from the laser activates the hair follicle and the shaving downst help either.
I went back to electrolysis and am very happy!!!!! Have been treated for over a year now, and the results are awesome!!!! But, you do have to find a reputable electrologist who knows what they are doing. If you walk of there with scrapes on the skin you should not go back. There is no reason why your skin shoud be forfitted for the elimination of hair.

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if you are having increased hair growth it is VERY important to see a doctor. This COULD be a sign of an underlying metabolic disorder. Rarely seen but importnat to follow through. If you are just not seeing much in the way of decreased hair, first make sure you have the appropriate laser (not an IPL) and the proper settings. I've seen clients who had used the correct laser for prior treatments but had 9-10 treatments which is outrageous - the power just wasn't high enough.

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I am not sure I like the idea of electrolysis on my face. I have a friend who did it for a while, and she had so many scars and red bumps on her face after the treatments.
After the first treatment I stopped using the numbing creams, the dermatologists puts only the cold gel on my face. And I mean I feel the little pricks and in some areas of the face I feel discomfort while in other sections I don't.....
I have very little redness when she's done, and within 30 minutes whatever I did have is gone.
I am not sure if any of this is a sign that she is not going high enough on the settings....but after reading all these comments I am definitely discussing it with her.
Thanks Everyone!

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with an experienced qualified electrologist, you shouldn't have any marks. that's a sign of lack of experience.

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Well I went to my dermatologist today to get my 7th treament. And I did talk to her about my concerns. She says sometimes due to hormonal imbalances it takes longer for some people to get the results they want...
There can sometimes be underlying hormonal issues that people are not aware of...one of the most common is Ovarian Cysts. (which by the way I have)
She said that some ppl with this condition take some kind of medication to control those hormones that are affected by the cysts so that no additional hair growth occurs.
So basically she said since I do have this condition it will take me a little longer than other people to get the full results....
And the last setting for the laser was at 20J, which she said is high...
I don't know...I am going to speak to my Gynocologist to see if there is any medication I can take to make sure no extra hair grows and continue with treaments to see where it takes me...

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Yes, there are medications to control this. And you should probably do that before continuing with treatments since laser only kills the hair that's already there and if you have an underlying medical condition that causes hair growth, your body will continue developing new hair. So, it will seem like it's not working, no matter how many treatments you get.

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If you have PCOS, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, you really need to see a doctor and be treated. Unwanted hair aside, PCOS can cause infertility. Something that you may not be giving much thought right now since you are only23, but if the time comes and you want children, it could be difficult to conceive if the PCOS is left untreated.