Question
hi there, good thing i found this fourm... been looking up what i can do about my problem.
female, white... olive ish skin brown hair, brown eyes... in 2000 i had LHR for i think 3 sessions for my upper lip. i was afraid about it because i knew nothing about it but tried it anyway because i couldn't wax any more and my skin was kind of dark under the hair... melasma?
so the LHR really did not take, it seemed ok for a while, even the dark splotches...although i felt pretty burned on that last visit so when it grew back i started waxing again. for the past 3 years i have been waxing again... guess i didn't get the right treatment.
I am now 44. when i was in high school i started bleaching, did that until the late 90's and started waxing.
so i went to a real dermetologist a month ago for the melasma on the upper lip and am using triluma cream. i have started to get some other small brown spots and patches on my face , bridge of nose, forehead, side cheek....
he gave me info for IPL. i had waxed before the apointment because i couldn't go out!
they said to let the hair grow back if i want to make an apointment for the removal
getting the melasma under control is hard because the cream dries out the skin so much...
today my hair is long and dark above my lip.. i want to wax so bad because i am embarassed to go anyplace... but i want to get an apointment for the IPL so i have to let it grow until i can get them on the phone on monday....don't know how long it will be until they can fit me in...
this dermetologist offers the medilux system.
should i wait or should i wax.... i am pretty, petite and young looking and still do not want to go out or date! i have to do something.
good thing i am recently unemployed because my self esteem suffers and i feel like a hermit....
so... since i do not live near a big city with choices and recomendations, i have to trust the people at the DR. office..
what should i do.
dd

Answer
hi there, good thing i found this fourm... been looking up what i can do about my problem.
female, white... olive ish skin brown hair, brown eyes... in 2000 i had LHR for i think 3 sessions for my upper lip. i was afraid about it because i knew nothing about it but tried it anyway because i couldn't wax any more and my skin was kind of dark under the hair... melasma?
so the LHR really did not take, it seemed ok for a while, even the dark splotches...although i felt pretty burned on that last visit so when it grew back i started waxing again. for the past 3 years i have been waxing again... guess i didn't get the right treatment.
I am now 44. when i was in high school i started bleaching, did that until the late 90's and started waxing.
so i went to a real dermetologist a month ago for the melasma on the upper lip and am using triluma cream. i have started to get some other small brown spots and patches on my face , bridge of nose, forehead, side cheek....
he gave me info for IPL. i had waxed before the apointment because i couldn't go out!
they said to let the hair grow back if i want to make an apointment for the removal
getting the melasma under control is hard because the cream dries out the skin so much...
today my hair is long and dark above my lip.. i want to wax so bad because i am embarassed to go anyplace... but i want to get an apointment for the IPL so i have to let it grow until i can get them on the phone on monday....don't know how long it will be until they can fit me in...
this dermetologist offers the medilux system.
should i wait or should i wax.... i am pretty, petite and young looking and still do not want to go out or date! i have to do something.
good thing i am recently unemployed because my self esteem suffers and i feel like a hermit....
so... since i do not live near a big city with choices and recomendations, i have to trust the people at the DR. office..
what should i do.
dd

Answer
don't go with IPL. It's not the best treatment for your skin and hair type and for the face in general. If your hair is coarse, find a Yag laser or LightSheer diode laser practitioner. Where are u located? trying running a search on this forum to see if anyone ou has had a good experience with a place nearby.

Answer
i am in vermont...
I could travel to boston, nyc ,montreal, albany...
so laser is better than light..?
since it seems to me that i feel it is an emergency i guess i will wax while i shop around for the right dermetologist...
should i ask mine for other referals? should i go and show him my upper lip next week, if i can get appointment, now that the hair is fullest before i wax?
how does one find a trustworthy place.

Answer
you should do a lot of research first. it's helpful to read these forums. also search for a "consultation form" on this forum, so you'll have some idea of what questions to ask once you go in. after you find a suitable place, i recommend 2-3 consultations minimum, you will need to have the hair all out after waxing and you'll need to shave right before the actual treatment. so no waxing for at least 5-6 weeks.
recommendations from someone who doesn't know that much about hair removal and who hasn't had it done himself are not very useful. there are 2 places ppl here recommend in NYC, romeo&julet and Lynda (nurse). you can run a search to find their information. the owner of the first one is actually a moderator on another forum. you can also run a provider search on Cutera, manufacturer of one Yag laser called Coolglide. For GentleYag, run a provider search on the Candela Corporation website.
Yes, true lasers are usually work better, especially on darker skin. Of course, that's with an experienced tech, that's very important. They need to set the right settings and you need experience to know how.