Laser hair removal before and after reddit

If you have a lot of hair, it is absolutely not worth buying a home machine to do it yourself.

Table of Contents Show

How many sessions of laser until hair stops growing?
What happens if you don't shave 24 hours before laser?
Does hair permanently go away after laser hair removal?
What are the negatives of laser hair removal?

I went to one place 16 years ago for upper lip, and it didn't take after 6 sessions.

I then went to do my Brazilian at another place and after 6 sessions, minimal difference.

I decided maybe my body just hates laser (despite being fair with dark hair) so I went for a consultation for electrolysis. The woman there was like, no, you just haven't been to the place with the best lasers. She said "go to this place, if they àrent able to remove your hair I'll zap your entire body for free". So I was like... okay!

I'm three sessions in, doing full leg/brazilian/face and underarms. It is WORKING. I am thrilled. The only area of mine that seems to be resisting laser is my upper lip, so they're adjusting my schedule to target that area.

It's expensive-- I paid $600 for the first two sessions and $515 for the third. But oh my God I don't care. So worth it.

So my suggestion is not go with places that offer deals or bundles or offer "pain free" laser. Go somewhere with a long reputation, that uses the most powerful lasers. If you want results, you gotta pay for it. And you will pay, in money and pain!

I've been on the fence about getting laser hair removal for my underarms and private parts for a few years now, but wanted to ask, what's your opinion on it, why did you get it/why haven't you? My skin is very fair and my hair grows out black and fairly quickly. To those who have done it: How much did it cost you, how many sessions did it take, and do you need to go back for any retouching after you've "completed" your sessions?

Every time I shave, it grows out itchy with ingrowns, I've never tried waxing or sugaring before, I've only shaved or used tweezers.

Can anyone help with how the process works? I've called a few places and I feel like some of the receptionists I've spoken to were sugarcoating the prices and process.

Me: Asian ancestry but heavy sun avoider; was told my dark hair against relatively pale skin = "perfect" for laser hair removal (you want as much contrast as possible, but also, were these guys just trying to say nice things to convince me to buy their services? Maybe...)

How often I went: It was like, every 4-6 weeks for first 6 sessions (it was a while ago); I must have had some 20-30+ sessions, though not all areas were treated for all sessions and I added a bunch of different areas along the way. I honestly think I was going to the laser clinic for 1-1.5 years total, though some areas (eg underarms and lower legs) usually "take" the fastest, and it'll be things like brazilians that take the longest. Important note: I have a really low pain threshold so I made a deal with my laser people upfront that I'd be happier to go for a longer course if it meant the pain was more tolerable for me.

Does it hurt: I have a really low pain threshold, so yes, the first time in particular was pretty brutal (not aided by the fact I didn't take any analgesia at all) and felt like I was getting electric shocked - my laser lady had to pause a lot and turn the setting down a bit especially on areas overlaying bone eg shins and forearms. The good news is I made sure to take some painkillers for future sessions, AND as the darker/thicker hairs are the ones to absorb more of the laser, this means they're killed off first. Brazilian will always be a bit zappy but aside from that area, by the 6th session or so, I basically felt like laser was being in some kind of day spa and would practically snooze off underneath the sunglasses they give you, even if the laser strength was almost maxing out (completely painless - again, exception being brazilian).

Worth the price: This is the one time I went to a "shopping-centre laser clinic" as opposed to a proper dermatologist, and I tended to buy treatment packs when on sale. I would say the investment to not having to shave every xyz days makes it TOTALLY worth it - I can't tell you how liberating it is to never have to wonder if I've shaved (or not), if I need to wax, or if I have growth showing, if it's safe to lift my arms, if I have ingrowns, panicking about rushing in the shower because you've just received a dinner invite but need to deal with your legs etc. The reduced mental loading alone has saved me so much time and stress!!!! You also save on razors/wax equipment etc.

Does it really remove the hair follicles: Yep, kills them off - though some of the really super-fine ones may remain. I have heard they grow back during major hormonal shifts though (eg pregnancy). I'm now 5ish years down the track and have the odd hair growing through - not sure if these are genuinely new hairs or ones that were previously missed (more likely the former as I've only noticed them past 12 months) so plan is to get these sorted after COVID. To be fair, I've never gone for annual touch-ups either - I probably should! :)

NB: I was told "hormonal" areas are hardest to treat (eg brazilian, upper arm) - they actually talked me out of getting my upper arms lasered because they said it might actually make hair regrowth thicker/darker, so I've only done up to the elbow.

Tips: If you're worried about pain, dope up on pain medication about 60mins prior to your session. Be reassured that it gets much, much better as you go along - your 4th or 6th session will feel much better than your first.

It also helps to be realistic about what's achievable with your hair/skin combination (I lucked out here). DON'T wax in between sessions (the hair follicle needs to be present during laser session for things to work) and follow post-treatment advice, a lot of which is staying out of the sun.

Also don't let yourself be pressured into any other treatments - sometimes these clinics tend to upsell. If you find a laser person you like, try to keep booking in with them (they'll come in varying levels of attention to detail/making sure they don't miss spots, +/- pushing the laser as high as you can reasonable tolerate to optimise hair removal vs keeping it a touch lower to ensure you keep coming back etc).

How many sessions of laser until hair stops growing?

Laser treatments are often sold in packages of four sessions or more. You may need 12 treatments or more to completely eliminate hair growth. After that, the need for touchups should be minimal. Some people may require semiannual treatments at first.

What happens if you don't shave 24 hours before laser?

Therefore, if you shave less than 24 hours before your scheduled appointment then there won't be enough hair present to burn, and this can cause irritation to the treatment area.

Does hair permanently go away after laser hair removal?

Most people experience hair removal that lasts several months, and it might last for years. But laser hair removal doesn't guarantee permanent hair removal. When hair regrows, it's usually finer and lighter in color. You might need maintenance laser treatments for long-term hair reduction.