My third laser hair removal treatment, Yikes

Hi all:

I had my third laser hair removal treatment this past Friday. All I can say is ouch!!!!!!!!!! :eek: I had hoped that this treatment would have been less painful, because I made some adjustments before receiving it that I thought were going to help. However, this treatment was almost as painful as the very first one I had last year.

Even after the nurse turned down the energy on the laser, it still felt like someone was stabbing me millions of times with sharp miniature knives. I had tears coming out of my eyes by the time she finished. It seemed obvious to me that the amount of pain I was feeling was not what she had expected. I get the impression from her that the other clients had only discomfort and not pain. The only conclusion that I can come to is that either I have a low threshhold of pain, or the other clients aren't being exactly truthful about the pain they are experiencing. If those client are men, I think that the old macho mentality is keeping them from being less than truthful.

Girlfriends I am not afraid or ashamed to say it hurt and I was in tears. It took all I could just to finish the treatment. I was clinching my teeth and my whole body was tense. When I got back home, I took some over the counter pain reliever and put Solarcaine and ice packs on my face. It took over 12 hours for my face to cool down.

I have no idea why it was bad as it was this time. I let my facial hair grow out for about a month before the treatment. I thought that this would allow my skin to not be as tender as it would be if I had shaved the whole month before. I used an electric razor the day before and was careful not to scrape my skin. The only thing that I can think of is that the gel that they gave me to numb my skin wasn't effective. It seemed to me the last time that the gel began to work almost immediately when I put it on my face. Where as this time, the gel seemed to take longer to work.

In any case, they told me that they were not going to be using that gel anymore and were going to have their clients use something else. They called in a prescription for me for the new gel and I will used that when I go for my next treatment.

I can not even imagine what it must be like for someone who is transitioning who has to get electrolysis to remove hair from the genitals before they have their surgery. I don't think that I could do it unless they numbed me completely to do that.

I have two more treatments to go and I am hoping that they will give me the result I want which is to not have anymore facial hair. Oooh, I must be absolutely mad! Why else would I endure such torture :confused:

Is anyone else having laser treatments to remove hair? How was your experience?

Taylor that sounds awful, I thought laser treatment was supposed to be less painfull than the likes of electrolysis. Hope the results are worth it though!
*Hugs*

As they say, the things women go through to be 'beautiful'!

ow - the pain! I hope it is only temporary for you. It seems like the gel they used wasn't effective.

If i may ask, despite the pain, do the procedures seem to be effective? For several years i have wondered about laser hair removal and whether it would be worth the pain/cost to go through with it?

I hope your future treatments are less painful for you.

Christine

It does sound like the cream they were using was either old an less effective or perhaps you were just more sensitive at the time. Regardless I do hope it's less painful the next time. Beauty and pain go hand in hand :flirt:

ouch! huge wendy hugs to you..........

Hi Taylor - I only had one laser treatment on my face and neck, and I remember it hurting a lot, but not as much as it sounds like you were.

Now, I am no expert, and I am just throwing this out there as a possible reason - do you think maybe it hurts more for you because you have darker skin, and that would perhaps absorb more of the laser radiation? After all, the laser works more on darker hair than lighter hair, because it absorbs the laser radiation better.

Just a thought....

DanaJ

Hi Christine:

After the first treatment, I didn't grow any hair for the first month and a half. The hair that did grow grew in large patches. Then the next cycle started and the hair seemed to cover more of my face. The second treatment left me hairless for about a few weeks or more, but the hair on my face didn't appear as dense. I could see that hair wasn't growing in different places. I think that the jury is still out on this one. With two treatments to go, I guess I'll have to see how much grows in the next growth cycle.

The cost wasn't too bad. I paid for all five procedures in advance, because they had a special going on at the time. I guess the bottom line is that I really won't know how well it works or whether it was worth it until all the treatments are done. I will keep everyone abreast of the situation as it unfolds.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DanaJ

Hi Taylor - I only had one laser treatment on my face and neck, and I remember it hurting a lot, but not as much as it sounds like you were.

Now, I am no expert, and I am just throwing this out there as a possible reason - do you think maybe it hurts more for you because you have darker skin, and that would perhaps absorb more of the laser radiation? After all, the laser works more on darker hair than lighter hair, because it absorbs the laser radiation better.

Just a thought....

DanaJ

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Hi DanaJ:

I believe that this also could be the case. I know that they have to make adjustments in the laser settings for my darker skin. The nurse also applies a lot of the cooling gel just before she starts to help pull the heat out of my skin during the treatment.

Lady Jayne, thanks for your good wishes :)

Tristen, girl, someone is going to have to give me some happy pills, because the quest for beauty is torture :lol:

Wendy thanks for your hugs, I really did need them :)

:rolleyes:
I have my first appt. this very week! Now, you've got me scared to death!
Chrissy

Two friends of mine have had the full treatment (six sessions) and both said it felt like a bubber band snapping against your skin. The pain only lasted a second and both said it was no big deal. Maybe the numbing gel was better or they had higher tolerances to pain.

I spoke with the nurse who did their laser and she said their response is pretty typical.

I'd do it but better than half my beard is white and laser doesn't work on white or light hairs. And there's no discount for a less effective result.

It seems every time I look into ways to become more feminine or less masculine I find it's less effective due to my age or I'd need a more agressive procedure or some other negative due to the effects of aging. I think I was born about 30 years too early because so much of this was unavailable when I would have been the age when it's most effective. :(

I've had two or three sessions on the face, and yes it hurt a lot. I have to really steel myself for the zap. And dark hair follicles will absorb much more energy, so it hurts more.

I also have lighter hair, darker on the face. But too much gray now. I've still found the facial laser worth it though. I have much less beard shadow to cover, and what's there is lighter. Not a lot of beard there even the second day.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chrissycd

:rolleyes:
I have my first appt. this very week! Now, you've got me scared to death!
Chrissy

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Hi Chrissycd:

Didn't mean to scare you. From what I understand, my situation is a little different because of my darker skin. Your experience could be totally different :)