Question
Hiyou said in one of your posts that after undergoing treatments with gentlelase, you decided to try lightsheer as well. Just wondering what your experience was with them? Have you decided one worked better or is it still too soon to tell? I was just wondering as I was thinking of doing the same. I will stick to lightsheer for another 5 sessions but I may just go try gentlelase just to see the overall difference.

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Hi k, you said in one of your posts that after undergoing treatments with gentlelase, you decided to try lightsheer as well. Just wondering what your experience was with them? Have you decided one worked better or is it still too soon to tell? I was just wondering as I was thinking of doing the same. I will stick to lightsheer for another 5 sessions but I may just go try gentlelase just to see the overall difference.

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I had my LightSheer treatment 1.5 weeks ago, so I just started the shedding process about 2 days ago. So far, the results seem the same as far as shedding goes. I am noticing that more areas were missed with LightSheer since it's a bit more difficult to operate and target to specific smaller areas with the whole gliding process, especially now that I had my 3rd treatment and hair is sparse...with GentleLASE the doctor was able to just "point and shoot". I'll update in about 10 days when I can judge better when I have finished the shedding process. I might find that those areas that seem to have been missed are just taking longer to shed...

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The LightSheer wasn't designed to slide, but often that is what the techs do. For proper cooling in between each pulse, the LightSheer should be lifted and placed down on the next spot, just like the GentleLase.

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Well, it's been 3 weeks now and basically, the hair did shed, but very sporadically, meaning that the tech missed a lot of spots. I'm planning to call in to try to come in for a touch-up session. I'll update on that laser. I think I will stick with GentleLASE for my last few treatments. That doctor says he will up the settings for me. Now that I only have sporadic hairy areas that need to be targeted individually, I feel GentleLASE gives me better results and is more accurate.

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Blink, because you have experience with Gentle Lase will you take a look at this post on the power:
I am going on for laser on my feet and fingers the start of October, wanted to know what someone with experience with gentleLASE thinks about these power - my technician is going to use somewhere between 20 and 35 joules, but will up the power in January when the skin is lighter toned again. How does this sound? Shoud I power up from the start. How much do you think my skin, slightly colored can handle.
Also, what do people think about shaving a few times in October to promote growth before the session? Should I do this? Why does this work?
THANKS

Answer
shaving doesn't promote any growth. it's basically cutting short the hair that's already there. that's all.
between 20 and 35 joules are the average settings. it's a good idea to start out at 20 and up the settings every time. I actually got treated with 14 and 16 joules and 18mm spot size. that's actually on the low end, but since it was bikini and underarms and the hair I had there was very coarse and black with very light skin (type II), it worked well anyways. I am upping the settings now that I have thinner sparse hairs left since those settings can't get them. Also, I have much finer hair on the stomach area on which these settings didn't work that well. I am upping it on that area as well. I'm assuming you have finer rather that thick coarse hair on your areas, so settings should be 20 and up as you said.

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my technitian only used 10 joules on my today with the gentlelase. It was my first laser treatment and it was on my legs. It 10 joules too low? Should I ask for higher joules?

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yes, 10 joules is not effective at all. if you have very light skin and very dark coarse hair, 14 or 16 joules will work, but ultimately settings will need to be increased with later treatments to have any effect. if you have slightly darker skin or lighter or finer hair, you should be treated at at least 20 joules or so, higher if possible as long as your skin can handle it.

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Blink thanks for the info. I acutally have very dark course hair, old wise hairs that have different colors in them, but lost of melanin. I would like them to get into the 20+ range anyway. I think no pain no game. Plus, when I did the test she wanted to be careful and I got no shedding.
The Electrologist I saw did say to shave twice before I start in late october, when my skin is very light. She wants me to shave twice before. Mayeb to make sure it gets even darker because this hair has never been really shaved before and she said that it means the hair is not growing, meaning it wouldn't have a dark bulb at the bottom of the follicle to get roasted by the laser beam.
Anyway, I don't really want to do it because it would look funny anyway. What do you think about this?

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Shaving will not make your hair darker. Shaving has no effect on the follicle nor the bulb. The reason you shave before a laser treatment is so that the laser's energy isn't wasted on hair above the skin, and also so that the hair above the skin doesn't singe or burn. I don't understand the shave twice thing. Doesn't matter how many times you shave. There's either miscommunication between you and this tech. Or this tech doesn't understand hair.

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yes, the only reason the hair feels a bit rougher after it's shaved if because you cut it midway, where the shaft is a bit thicker than the end. since laser targets the roots, it doesn't really matter. the root stays the same. the only reason I can think of is that it will make it easier for her to see where exactly to treat based on a bit of stubble.