Question
ive read on various sites,(having to do with lhr) that when one receives lhr,the effect on skin is like that of a sunburn.
then i read about the causes of aging. one major cause of aging is the sun. burns from the sun rays boost the aging process. sunlight rays penetrate the skins surface and physically destroy tissues of skin, which leads to wrinkling a.k.a skin damage/aging.
so does it seem apparent that if the sunlight rays cause aging, then most likely a laser is as well? this simple fact seems logical to me, although of course it is my opinion.
someone argue with me please, this is depressing.

Answer
ive read on various sites,(having to do with lhr) that when one receives lhr,the effect on skin is like that of a sunburn.
then i read about the causes of aging. one major cause of aging is the sun. burns from the sun rays boost the aging process. sunlight rays penetrate the skins surface and physically destroy tissues of skin, which leads to wrinkling a.k.a skin damage/aging.
so does it seem apparent that if the sunlight rays cause aging, then most likely a laser is as well? this simple fact seems logical to me, although of course it is my opinion.
someone argue with me please, this is depressing.

Answer
I really doubt that laser would cause aging. Firstly, the laser is a completely different spectrum than that of the sun. Excessive tanning appears to cause aging and is not good for your skin in the long run. As far as the "sun burn", laser treatments will cause some reddening around the follicles. I've not had any experience where the entire treated area was red because of a burn. I think there might be some confusion because people will say that after the treatment, it feels like a mild sunburn. Yes, you do feel something that might be equated to a mild sunburn but, in my experience, it certainly didn't look like one. Besides that, the reddening that does occur, is gone in less than a day (at the very most).

Answer
Woah, speak for yourself Brrr, I still have red marks, a week and a half after my first treatment on my back, and it hurt severely afterwards. The pain got less and less and is gone now, but the post-treatment pain was worse than any sunburn I've ever had, and it stayed painful for a good 5 to 6 days.
I doubt we really know the long-term damage this is actually causing to our skin. As studies emerge in years to come, they could very well pull the plug on LHR. My thinking was I want a hair free back while I'm still young in the first place. And to hell with the future.
It takes a good 20 years to amass enough scientific data to really know the saftey and efficacy of any procedure or drug. LAser just hasn't been around that long.
The only publicized warning I heard about was a spider type pattern that emerged in the skin of a small sample due to micro-blood vessel damage in the skin. This was an actual published study - not rubbish.
Personally, I would never do laser on my face. Back and legs could probably take it.

Answer
The danger from the sun is the UV rays.
Lasers are not new. They have been used medically for over 40 years. When used correctly, there are no long term issues.

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Yes, I was speaking for myself. That has been my experience with the Aurora, Coolglide and GentleLase. Perhaps, what has helped is using aloe on it afterwards several times. I've also read many others with similar experience.
With the aurora, I did get a burn that lasted a longer period of time but that was in a small portion of the treated area. The rest of the area was just fine. It could have been caused by incorrect technique as that area was the same color as the rest.
I think, what I am saying is that, for example, if you have your full legs done (or back or any large area) and the entire area is red and burns for over a week, then there is something wrong. I really doubt that this is the norm.

Answer
There is a big difference between using lasers for medical procedures (like shrinking tumors) for 40 years and specifically using them for hair removal.
The correct answer is no one really knows for sure yet what the long term effects will be to the skin and supporting structures, if any. Long term, medically, is usually 20 years, but it can even be longer.

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nick, i would have to agree with BRR that 1.5 weeks for redness and pain is not normal. can you describe in more detail what laser used, what setting, what your skin type is? also, was this only after first treatment when hair is most dense, or u get that every time? any redness, that should usually only be around the follicles, should go away within 1-3 days at most.

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Nick, you are right. No one really knows for sure. However, I think that from what people have been experiencing and some of the tests that I've read about, it appears to be a safe procedure. As far as aging goes, for some there might have been the appearance of aging, I don't know. For years, people have said that shaving causes hair to grow, which is not true. It just appears that way because we start shaving at a time when our bodies are just beginnig to grow a ton of hair over a course of a number of years. Consequently, we equate the shaving with the ever increasing growth and thickness of hair. By the same token, I wonder that for some, having LHR over a period time appears to cause aging simply because we are ALL aging. How do we know what "premature" is, when it comes to aging? I seriously doubt that a 30 year old that has had LHR for 2-3 years is going to look 60. That would definately be premature aging.

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reply to this from another site that should be helpful:
"Fear not. It isn't the same. The sum emits very short rays (ultraviolet) that targets some cells in the skin, turning them into necrotic cells that emit free radicals. These free radicals actually affect the DNA of the skin causing latent damage and wrinkling. The lasers operate in the "red range" and affects nothing in the skin except pigment and moisture. The lasers that target pigment only are probably the safest. "

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Hi Brrr and Blink,
Yes, I had every risk factor for having a bad "red" reaction. It was my first treatment, very coarse dark hair, high joules (46 on Lightsheer), and I have super sensitive skin under the best of conditions. But, very white skin. I had no blemishes or pigmentation before the treatment. (I have hardly ever gone out in the sun in my life, so I don't have any visible sun damage yet).
I think the technician is competent. She works out of a plastic surgeon's office. He has a good reputation in my city. But, I never asked for her specific credentials. (I figure she could lie anyway. I have no way of checking for sure??). She told me the joules, the number of zaps, everything, without me having to ask. I didn't get the feeling she was trying to hide anything. She did say the setting was high. I do admit that I was a bit uneducated as to how high the joules should be. I just trusted her.
I think she set it high with good intentions, and maybe she was thinking because I was a man I would have tougher skin? (Definitely not the case. I have just as sensitive skin as a woman would have).
I just wanted to clarify that my back never looked like I had a sunburn. It FELT like a bad sunburn, as far as pain goes.

Answer
yes, that setting is VERY high for your first time when hair is most dense and coarse. that's the explanation for the reaction. it will be much better next time. the good thing about high settings is that they're more likely to kill the hair, but you don't want to do it at the expense of your skin's condition. I would ask her to treat you at 35-40 joules next time and see how that goes. if you're not sure, she can also try test spots and see post-treatment reaction to see what your skin can handle best, and then go with that for the entire area.