Getting laser hair removal today!

[sexyninja]

I've been eyeing it for a fwe months, and a Groupon came through today and I decided to take the plunge.

I am getting my upper lip and underarms done. First appt is this afternoon

Any tips/pointers/experiences?

[futurepivko]

Never had it done, but I'm super jealous!

[natablue]

Let us know how it goes!

[photon]

i had it done a year ago. you will love the results, though it takes a few sessions to notice a difference! it feels like little prickles - not painful but uncomfortable at times (some people do think it is painful, though. it made me feel ticklish.) good luck

[adlove]

Ooh that's awesome! Keep us updated on the process/results, I'd love to do this one day.

[315bride]

Yes, tell us how it goes. I have pretty much decided that in the fall I am getting laser for at least my underarms. Probably using my fellowship money to get that for myself.

[anaps28]

I started my bikini 2 months ago, hair is definitely not growing back as fast and is missing in some places and thats after 2. Some of my friends theirs grew back after all 6 sessions and touch ups so I'm hoping to not have those results!

[sexyninja]

OH, I'd love to do bikini, but just doing underarms and upper lip. Bikini will be next, depending on results and pain.

OUt of curiosity, I was talking to my bff today and she had heard that LHR can discolor your skin? I had never heard of this. Was this anyone's experience?

Also- how long in between sessions would you recommend before my next appt? I think the receptionist said 4-6 weeks but I don't know which is better. I have a cruise I'm going on in early Dec 4 week in between appts would be ideal for me, but I don't know if I'll get better/more successful results if I wait 6 weeks in between?

Anaps- Did you do bikini or brazilian?

[calips]

I am in the process of underarms. My 4th session is Friday. Hair growth was dramatically reduced after first session for me. I spaced them 6 weeks exactly. Going into my 4th I barely ever have to shave. Love it.

That said, for me, it hurts pretty bad. My RN said that underarms and upper lip are the only painful spots. But I bare it. The results are awesome.

Good luck.

[anaps28]

I did full bikini which goes pretty far in, my girl said you really want to go for the full growth cycle so I'm at 6 weeks in between sessions. I have not had any discoloration, they used a gel first so I think that helps prevent any burns etc..
Do you know what kind of laser they use?
It definitely was not painless but it was bearable, she only went up to a level 7 on the laser so god knows how bad it could hurt!

[glw]

I had 6 bikini sessions over a year ago and have zero regrowth. It hurts/stings for sure, but it's definitley bearable. Take an ibuprophen beforehand if you're nervous about the pain. It may vary by type of laser, but I had to be sure to shave well and not use lotion before the session.

[sexyninja]

Just wanted to give you my recap of the session today. I really loved the esthetician (she is an LME- licensed medical esthetician)- she was knowledgeable, had lots of experience, and made me feel very calm. She did put on a numbing cream for my upper lip and underarms, which she left on for 30 mins. During this waiting time, she talked about the process, what to expect, etc.

Once we were ready for the laser hair removal, she wiped off the numbing cream and we started with the under arms first. She explained that the denser the hair, the more painful it would be. It felt like what everyone told me/what I'd read- like small rubber bands snapping against my skin. After each laser pulse, a burst of cold air would come through- thank goodness for that. It helped the pain. She was great in that she would tell me if it'd be "hot" vs "cooler", meaning the "hot" areas would be more painful (since she could tell the density of my hair), and she'd tell me every time before she put the laser pulse against my skin. The under arms took not even 2 minutes.

The numbing part was crazy- she mentioned that it would feel kind of weird. Not painful, just weird.

Then she went for the upper lip. I have to say that the upper lip hurt more than the under arms. She did about 7 pulses on each side of my lip area and we were done. Maybe 1 minute? If you've waxed your upper lip, you can tolerate this pain.

She said that within the next 5-7 days, my hair would just begin falling out. Shaving won't stimulate the hair growth.

Pain-wise: Totally worth it in my opinion, and only 5 more visits and I'm done-zo with my upper lip hair and no more shaving my under arms!! No amount of consistent waxing could compare.

Hope this helps answer some of your questions! The whole appt from start to finish was 1 hour, and 30 mins of that was the numbing cream, 10 mins for paperwork. You could honestly do this during your lunch hour (which I plan to next time).

[bimbi284]

Thanks for the update sexyninja!

[natablue]

Thanks for sharing! Do you have any noticeable redness, especially on your upper lip?

[sexyninja]

Good call- Yes, a bit red on my upper lip but nothing light makeup couldn't cover. Quite frankly, I hardly saw any redness, but it felt a bit weird since it was still so numb from the numbing cream. After my under arms were lasered, I felt no pain/sensitivity.

The main thing I need to do and be conscious is to put SPF on my upper lip religiously since it could hyper/hypo-pigment based on sun exposure.

[315bride]

Thanks for the followup. Maybe I'll even look into this sooner than the fall. I'd love to not have to think about shaving or waxing my underarms.