Question
hi
i just had 3 consultations this week for laser hair removal on my back and shoulders. all of them were free, and 2 of them did a test patch. the 2 that did the test patch used a LightSheer, the one that didn't had a GentleLase. All of them seemed knowledgeable and experienced, all of them had clean offices (one of the offices looked a little less professional, because it was a little unorganized and not as new, but it was still clean) and they were all privately owned (not chains). One test patch was done at 32j and the other one was done at 37j. The 2 that did the test patch both quoted me at $600 per treatment and the one that didn't do the test patch quoted me at $500 per treatment. 2 of them said it would take 2-3 treatments, which after reading the posts here seems a little optimistic, but the one of them said anywhere from 3-7 treatments.
My dilemma is that I don't know which one to choose. I'm terrible at making decisions, especially when I didn't find anything "wrong" with any of the places. Obviously cheaper is better, but I'm not sure that I got a good vibe from the cheaper place. There wasn't anything glaringly wrong, but sometimes you just get a vibe. I guess one of the things that stood out was that she recommended I use one of the numbing creams on my entire back, which I've read on here is a bad idea. One of the other consultations I got also said that I shouldn't do this because it should only be used on small areas.
I guess one thing that can help me decide is technique. The one that used the 37j setting glided the laser along my skin as she fired it, while the other tech who used the 32j setting kept the laser in one spot when she fired, moved to another spot, then fired again. Is there anything wrong with either technique that might make me choose one over the other? $600 is a lot of money, so I'm so afraid to make the wrong choice. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Answer
hi
i just had 3 consultations this week for laser hair removal on my back and shoulders. all of them were free, and 2 of them did a test patch. the 2 that did the test patch used a LightSheer, the one that didn't had a GentleLase. All of them seemed knowledgeable and experienced, all of them had clean offices (one of the offices looked a little less professional, because it was a little unorganized and not as new, but it was still clean) and they were all privately owned (not chains). One test patch was done at 32j and the other one was done at 37j. The 2 that did the test patch both quoted me at $600 per treatment and the one that didn't do the test patch quoted me at $500 per treatment. 2 of them said it would take 2-3 treatments, which after reading the posts here seems a little optimistic, but the one of them said anywhere from 3-7 treatments.
My dilemma is that I don't know which one to choose. I'm terrible at making decisions, especially when I didn't find anything "wrong" with any of the places. Obviously cheaper is better, but I'm not sure that I got a good vibe from the cheaper place. There wasn't anything glaringly wrong, but sometimes you just get a vibe. I guess one of the things that stood out was that she recommended I use one of the numbing creams on my entire back, which I've read on here is a bad idea. One of the other consultations I got also said that I shouldn't do this because it should only be used on small areas.
I guess one thing that can help me decide is technique. The one that used the 37j setting glided the laser along my skin as she fired it, while the other tech who used the 32j setting kept the laser in one spot when she fired, moved to another spot, then fired again. Is there anything wrong with either technique that might make me choose one over the other? $600 is a lot of money, so I'm so afraid to make the wrong choice. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Answer
yes, these are hard. I would probably go with the LightSheer place that used the technique that applied pressure and higher joules. and hopefully, it's not the one that wants you to use the numbing cream on entire back. you will definitely need at LEAST 6-8 treatments. whoever said 2-3 is WAY off...so I would be wary of them. $600 for just back and shoulders? It seems like an ok price, a bit on the higher end, but it depends on where you are located etc too. either way, if there are no commitments and you're just paying per treatment, you can try one place and switch if you don't like it. also, i would wait to see how shedding goes from the test spots etc to make your decision. if you can handle 37 joules and are going to the place that used 32 joules, ask them to go higher.

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hi blink. thanks for your response! can i just get one clarification on your response? did you think that the gliding along while firing wasn't good technique? the one that did this used the higher joules, but like you said, i could always ask the one who stopped, fired the laser, moved to the next spot, fired the laser, to up the joules next time.
yeah, $600 is more than i was hoping to pay, but i'm in the boston area and want to avoid going to a chain. not all chains are bad, but the likelihood of me getting someone who's clueless and/or very inexperienced is much higher at the chains.

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I think Blink would probably be better at answering this question but I understand that while using the LightSheer, the technique of applying pressure, firing, moving the laser, apply pressure, and then fire again, is the preferred method.
I also think that you should avoid the clinic that told you about applying numbing cream over the entire back. That isn't a good thing.

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one other detail just occurred to me. the one who used the "gliding" technique and also used the 37j setting said that she was using a higher setting, but also said she would do something different with the wavelength. she mentioned something about it "zigzagging"? could that have anything to do with the gliding?
in any case, i also remember that the session with the 32j setting actually hurt more than the one with 37j setting. pretty much every shot with the 32j setting hurt. with the 37j setting i sometimes didn't feel it at all. i remember being surprised because i assumed it would hurt more.

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The LightSheer is not designed to slide/glide. For the best protection of the skin by the cooling system, the LightSheer is supposed to be pressed against the skin, fired, and then moved to the next spot and pressed against the skin again before the next pulse.
Topicals should not be used on large areas, such as the back, because of the risk of an overdose of lidocaine, which has proven fatal for a few laser hair removal clients.
I'm assuming you are male, and I'm assuming you are under 40. If so, expect a minimum of 8-10 scheduled treatments, and then 1 or 2 maintenance treatments until age 35-40.
You probably felt the one with the 32J more, because he/she was pressing the tip into your skin as it's meant to be done.

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nice to see all your questions were already answered
I would go with the place that uses 32j and uses the up and down technique. that's the way it's supposed to be done. I had one Lightsheer treatment where the doctor used the sliding technique, and I had at most 10% shedding even at 33 joules etc. And yes, I barely felt anything at some points too like you. This is in comparison to GentleLASE up and down technique where I get 95% shedding.
And yes, numbing cream is dangerous when used in large quantities. There is a girl in NC that died from putting it on her entire legs. It's only safe on small areas and I recommend to avoid using it in general unless you find the pain absolutely unbearable. I haven't had the need to use it for any of my treatments.

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thanks for your help everyone. i think i'm going to force my self to shop around a little more to see if i can find a good place that's a little cheaper, but if i don't i will go with the 32j place. whatever i decide to do, i'll be sure to post my results on here with full details. hopefully they'll be good results