Chit Chat

Laser hair removal

Who's done it?

It seems like everyday I see a living social or groupon deal for it and I'm always tempted. My best friend has had it done in several areas and won't stop talking about it. Her goal is to be permanently hairless from her eyebrows down. Seriously.

So when the spa she goes to announces they're running a 75% off laser hair removal services, I contact them for a consultation... for a brazilian! My fried said it's the best money she's ever spent, seeing as though brazilian waxes can cost anywhere from $40-70 where we live. So I'm going Thursday night for a consultation and was hoping someone could tell me what to expect (friend is out of the country and I can't call her).  Thanks!!
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Re: Laser hair removal

  • I took advantage of one of those coupons and got treatments for my chin and sideburns. That was about four years ago. I still get the occasional hair on my chin, but not nearly as much as I used to, and I'm no longer embarrassed to wear my hair up. It was a good decision for me, though not sure if I'd go full brazillian myself!
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  • First off, it's not permanent.  At least mine wasn't.

    I bought a groupon for 6 sessions at a place in a bigger city near where I lived.  The area I did was my full face.  (Upper lip, chin, sideburns)

    At the end of the 6th session I was thinking ok awesome , I won't have to get waxed anymore!  8 weeks later, I was back in the chair getting my face waxed.  I was very disappointed.

    Now I get my full face threaded about 2x a year.  The hair grows back slower, and I guess that's less trouble, but the whole, your hair will be gone forever is not true. 

    I had a friend who bought a package for her underarms, and still has to shave.

    I've also heard from other people that 6 treatments isn't enough to fully remove the hair permanently, and that you need AT LEAST 8-10 sessions to get the hair gone forever.

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  • First off, it's not permanent.  At least mine wasn't.

    I bought a groupon for 6 sessions at a place in a bigger city near where I lived.  The area I did was my full face.  (Upper lip, chin, sideburns)

    At the end of the 6th session I was thinking ok awesome , I won't have to get waxed anymore!  8 weeks later, I was back in the chair getting my face waxed.  I was very disappointed.

    Now I get my full face threaded about 2x a year.  The hair grows back slower, and I guess that's less trouble, but the whole, your hair will be gone forever is not true. 

    I had a friend who bought a package for her underarms, and still has to shave.

    I've also heard from other people that 6 treatments isn't enough to fully remove the hair permanently, and that you need AT LEAST 8-10 sessions to get the hair gone forever.

    I have heard the bolded as well.  I think it really depends on the area you are treating and your hair type/growth in that area.

  • First off, it's not permanent.  At least mine wasn't.

    I bought a groupon for 6 sessions at a place in a bigger city near where I lived.  The area I did was my full face.  (Upper lip, chin, sideburns)

    At the end of the 6th session I was thinking ok awesome , I won't have to get waxed anymore!  8 weeks later, I was back in the chair getting my face waxed.  I was very disappointed.

    Now I get my full face threaded about 2x a year.  The hair grows back slower, and I guess that's less trouble, but the whole, your hair will be gone forever is not true. 

    I had a friend who bought a package for her underarms, and still has to shave.

    I've also heard from other people that 6 treatments isn't enough to fully remove the hair permanently, and that you need AT LEAST 8-10 sessions to get the hair gone forever.

    I have heard the bolded as well.  I think it really depends on the area you are treating and your hair type/growth in that area.




    That definitely has a lot to do with it I think.  Me, for example, I have black hair on my face despite my hair on my head being mousy brown.  The hair on my face grows fast, and it's thick.(I hate it)  I would think that my hair would be a lot more difficult to remove compared to a blonde with moderate hair growth.

    I wish I would have known more about the process before I bought the groupon, because had I known that it probably wouldn't remove all of my hair permanently in 6 treatments, I wouldn't have purchased it.

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  • First off, it's not permanent.  At least mine wasn't.

    I bought a groupon for 6 sessions at a place in a bigger city near where I lived.  The area I did was my full face.  (Upper lip, chin, sideburns)

    At the end of the 6th session I was thinking ok awesome , I won't have to get waxed anymore!  8 weeks later, I was back in the chair getting my face waxed.  I was very disappointed.

    Now I get my full face threaded about 2x a year.  The hair grows back slower, and I guess that's less trouble, but the whole, your hair will be gone forever is not true. 

    I had a friend who bought a package for her underarms, and still has to shave.

    I've also heard from other people that 6 treatments isn't enough to fully remove the hair permanently, and that you need AT LEAST 8-10 sessions to get the hair gone forever.

    I have heard the bolded as well.  I think it really depends on the area you are treating and your hair type/growth in that area.




    That definitely has a lot to do with it I think.  Me, for example, I have black hair on my face despite my hair on my head being mousy brown.  The hair on my face grows fast, and it's thick.(I hate it)  I would think that my hair would be a lot more difficult to remove compared to a blonde with moderate hair growth.

    I wish I would have known more about the process before I bought the groupon, because had I known that it probably wouldn't remove all of my hair permanently in 6 treatments, I wouldn't have purchased it.

    From what I understand, laser removal actually works best with darker hairs. I still have some light fuzz on my chin and sideburns area, but they're so light you don't notice them. How permanently it removes dark hairs, however, I don't know. I can't remember how many treatments I've had.
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  • First off, it's not permanent.  At least mine wasn't.

    I bought a groupon for 6 sessions at a place in a bigger city near where I lived.  The area I did was my full face.  (Upper lip, chin, sideburns)

    At the end of the 6th session I was thinking ok awesome , I won't have to get waxed anymore!  8 weeks later, I was back in the chair getting my face waxed.  I was very disappointed.

    Now I get my full face threaded about 2x a year.  The hair grows back slower, and I guess that's less trouble, but the whole, your hair will be gone forever is not true. 

    I had a friend who bought a package for her underarms, and still has to shave.

    I've also heard from other people that 6 treatments isn't enough to fully remove the hair permanently, and that you need AT LEAST 8-10 sessions to get the hair gone forever.

    I have heard the bolded as well.  I think it really depends on the area you are treating and your hair type/growth in that area.




    That definitely has a lot to do with it I think.  Me, for example, I have black hair on my face despite my hair on my head being mousy brown.  The hair on my face grows fast, and it's thick.(I hate it)  I would think that my hair would be a lot more difficult to remove compared to a blonde with moderate hair growth.

    I wish I would have known more about the process before I bought the groupon, because had I known that it probably wouldn't remove all of my hair permanently in 6 treatments, I wouldn't have purchased it.

    From what I understand, laser removal actually works best with darker hairs. I still have some light fuzz on my chin and sideburns area, but they're so light you don't notice them. How permanently it removes dark hairs, however, I don't know. I can't remember how many treatments I've had.
    Are there different types of laser hair removal?  Because that may also make a difference?  I don't know, I just know I still struggle with hair growth on my face, and wish I would have known more about the process. I think my main problem lied in me not having enough treatments.  Maybe I should have sprung for some more, but I was too cheap to do that!
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  • There's at least two different types of laser hair removal- IPL...and I don't remember the name of the other one. IPL is less effective (though cheaper) than the other one. 

    I had about 10 sessions of IPL on my nether regions and after a year, it was back, full force. I've had the other kind on my face and it has lasted a lot longer. I usually go in once a year for a touch up and I'm good. 

    I would do a lot of research on the place offering the Groupon. The place I went for IPL was shady as fuck. The place I go for my face is soooo much better but they don't offer groupon specials. They do packages for a reduced fee, but they don't do the bargain basement pricing that the shady place did. 
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  • levioosalevioosa member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited April 2015
    I've heard that laser hair removal works best on course dark hair.  I've been dying to get it done for my bikini/legs since high school, but other bills have taken priority.  I have a friend who has blonde hair, and it didn't work at all for her, although when she went in they told her she wasn't a good candidate, and she proceeded with the treatments anyways.


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  • I did underarms and it was either 4 or 6 sessions (I'm thinking 4).  They said for permanent removal it needed to be 8 or 10 or something (so 4 more sessions than I'd purchased whichever it was) and of course the cost would be way higher since I'd bought them on a discount. 


    They also said that it still isn't really permanent and than hormones can cause a change.  So getting pregnant or menopause or anything that can mess with your hormones can basically cause it to grow back.  That was one reason I opted not to buy the extra sessions.  It's been probably 5 years now since  had it and the hair is lighter but it still grows back.  I think I have to shave less than before which is nice but certainly isn't all gone.

  • kvruns said:

    I did underarms and it was either 4 or 6 sessions (I'm thinking 4).  They said for permanent removal it needed to be 8 or 10 or something (so 4 more sessions than I'd purchased whichever it was) and of course the cost would be way higher since I'd bought them on a discount. 


    They also said that it still isn't really permanent and than hormones can cause a change.  So getting pregnant or menopause or anything that can mess with your hormones can basically cause it to grow back.  That was one reason I opted not to buy the extra sessions.  It's been probably 5 years now since  had it and the hair is lighter but it still grows back.  I think I have to shave less than before which is nice but certainly isn't all gone.



    This is interesting to know, and this is probably one of my issues too, I have issues with hormonal acne, so I'm on medications that control all of that, and I'm sure they're all out of whack because of them.


     

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  • daria24 said:

    There's at least two different types of laser hair removal- IPL...and I don't remember the name of the other one. IPL is less effective (though cheaper) than the other one. 


    I had about 10 sessions of IPL on my nether regions and after a year, it was back, full force. I've had the other kind on my face and it has lasted a lot longer. I usually go in once a year for a touch up and I'm good. 

    I would do a lot of research on the place offering the Groupon. The place I went for IPL was shady as fuck. The place I go for my face is soooo much better but they don't offer groupon specials. They do packages for a reduced fee, but they don't do the bargain basement pricing that the shady place did. 
    This. I did it several years ago and this was basically my experience. Today, you'd never know I had it done. It was super painful and I'm pretty sure totally shady. The office got such down about a year later.

    If you decide to do this, I would just save up and do it from a reputable place with good equipment and certified techs. It's worth it in the long run.
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  • Definitely check the place out first.  I initially did a Groupon deal for my 8 treatments on my legs.  She did them every 2 weeks.  I later learned that hair growth cycle on legs is about 8 weeks, so doing them any more often than that is worthless.  It seemed to work great at first, but certainly wasn't permanent. Then they went out of business.

    After that I tried again with a more reputable place.  I've had about 8 sessions on my legs. The hair is definitely thinned out, but not yet completely gone.  Underarms are done (last treatment was about a year ago and no regrowth yet).  And about 1/2 way through Brazilian treatments. I love it.

    Some tips I learned:

    Most areas take 8-12 treatments. If you find a package offering 6-8 treatments, don't expect it to complete the process.  It should at least thin out the hair a lot in that timeframe though. But, expect to continue with additional treatments for full permanent hair removal. I think many people do the 6-8 treatment deals then complain that it doesn't work permanently, when they may have just needed more treatments.

    Hair growth rates for legs is about 8 weeks, so doing treatments more often than every 8 weeks is a waste of money. Areas on face are recommended every 4 weeks.  And other body areas should be treated around 6 weeks. If they want to do them more often than that, it's a waste of money as they new follicles they want to zap haven't grown in yet.

    It works best on dark hair.  Blond hair is nearly impossible to get removed.  My lower legs have dark hair and my upper legs have light colored hair.  My tech told me it would be a waste of money for me to do treatments on my upper legs, as it would be difficult to get results on the light colored hair, and suggested I just do lower legs. I love that she was honest with me and not just trying to push more sales.  So, if you have light colored hair, don't expect great results.

    Legs are relatively painless.  Underarms can be sensitive and hurt a bit, but not intolerable and it goes quick.  Bikini/Brazilian hurts for me. Sometimes I use lidocaine cream to numb the area first, which helps a lot (put it on about 45 minutes before treatment, then wash it off right before treatment).  Also, it will hurt more during or around time of your period, as body is more sensitive then. I usually will schedule treatments (especially the more sensitive areas) around my cycle to limit pain.

     

     

     

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  • Laser hair removal works best on dark hair against light skin.  It allows the laser to pick up the pigment of the hair in the follicle and zap it.  If you're dark on dark or light on light, the laser can't find the follicle/hair well and can't zap it, basically.  Camouflage and shit like that.  

    You also need at least 8-12 sessions to make it work.  Your hair grown in cycles, 2-3 which grow at different rates.  I have to wax every 2 weeks cos the next set of hairs are growing up already.  It's not the ones I waxed 2 weeks before.  

    Finally, even if you have a super successful treatment, you'll still probably need touch ups every year or so as your body changes, grows new hairs, etc.  

    I've never done it myself, cos I've got blond hairs on pale white skin - wouldn't work well for me.  I have done electrolysis though, which took forever!!  But I've looked a lot onto laser.  Make sure your place is reputable and clean!!

  • A friend of mine had her legs done 15 years ago and hasn't shaved since. She's smooth as a baby. It definitely CAN last forever under the right circumstances.

    "Everything below the eyebrows" is my pipe dream goal too (you know, when I'm a millionaire) but I wouldn't trust anyone on Groupon etc to do it.

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  • I got my under arms done. I won 4 free sessions in a drawing thing and I paid for the additional 4 to make it permanant. I love it. I want to do my nether region eventually. 

    I don't mind shaving my legs. I've got light blonde hair below my knees and move my knee...hair just doesn't grow...or something. It's fucking weird. But I always forgot to do my pits and taking care of my wiff-waff is a lot of fucking working. 
  • levioosa said:

    I got my under arms done. I won 4 free sessions in a drawing thing and I paid for the additional 4 to make it permanant. I love it. I want to do my nether region eventually. 


    I don't mind shaving my legs. I've got light blonde hair below my knees and move my knee...hair just doesn't grow...or something. It's fucking weird. But I always forgot to do my pits and taking care of my wiff-waff is a lot of fucking working. 
    Where the hell were you when we had our vagina name thread? 
    There was a vagina name thread and I missed it! I love vagina names!

    Wiff-Waff I piked up from the L Word.
  • A friend of mine had her legs done 15 years ago and hasn't shaved since. She's smooth as a baby. It definitely CAN last forever under the right circumstances.

    "Everything below the eyebrows" is my pipe dream goal too (you know, when I'm a millionaire) but I wouldn't trust anyone on Groupon etc to do it.

    Yea, me too.  I would love to get my legs below the knee lasered as well as my bikini area, eyebrows and lip.  I pluck my eyebrows and lip pretty much every day in order to keep up with it. I have to shave my legs every other day if I want to wear skirts or shorts. I usually wear pants and avoid it for weeks or months at a time.  I shaved my legs for the first time in a month and a half on Sunday so I could wear a dress to church for Easter.
  • I've had it done on my bikini line and it worked great. But I had to go for something like 12 sessions. I also had it done on my face, which I DO have light skin and dark facial hair on, and it didn't work at all. I heard through one of FI's co-workers who had it done with success that on certain areas you actually have to look for a place that does it MORE often than the hair cycle, something like once a week, in order for it to work, and at least 12-15 sessions. She told me most places offer it less often as a way of getting people to come back. Not sure if it's true, but I wouldn't doubt that the industry in general had a standard for making sure people need to keep coming back for touch-ups. 
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  • I have had my bikini done for about 15-16 years, and outside of some random hormonal hair growth it has been permanent.  I did my under arms about five years ago and that too is permanent.  It does work better on dark hair, and facial hair is more resistant, it was unsuccessful on my upper lip, but the hair is finer and not quite as dark.  As for what to expect, it is kind of like a series of repeated hot zaps, not super painful but uncomfortable.  Taking a pain reliever can help and don't get it done around the time you are going to menstruate the skin is more sensitive and it hurts more. 

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  • I'm in the process of getting it done on my face and underarms, and I start the Brazilian next week (yikes!)  So far, I have been very, very happy with my results.  I have super dark hair and pale skin, so it works quite well on me.  I never shave or pluck anymore.  There are still some fine blonde hairs, but they really aren't very noticeable.  I do find it painful, moreso on the pits than the face, but it's so fast that about the time I'm ready to give up, they're done.  Not looking forward to the Brazilian though.  I did do mine through a Groupon, but I felt comfortable because the salon is reputable, and owned by two doctors I was friends with in high school.  They did mention the hormonal hair growth, which I fully expect to have as a hairy Italian woman with PCOS, but they offer a lifetime guarantee, so I can head back in for touchups if needed.
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  • I had it done on my bikini line and my underarms - like 10 sessions total I think?   This was about 3 years ago.

     

    I still have to shave. 

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  • I went to get it done about a decade ago and was sent home-- the place said it wasn't worth having an unhappy customer. You definitely need a greater contrast between hair and skin, something I lack.
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