Thread: Lazer Hair Removal

Has anyone ever done the lazer hair removal?
Any comments?

I have a friend who used to work at a laser removal place. Her employer was a storefront in a mall. She had some real nightmare stories.

For example, the place treated their employees so badly that people didn't show up for work, which meant that the clients scheduled to be treated by them spent as much as an hour in the waiting room beyond their scheduled appointment time waiting for a different person to "fit them in" between appointments.

The place didn't perform the recommended maintenance on their equipment, which meant that some clients ended up with burns on their skin.

Employees were not adequately trained, and they were also pressured by management to turn the settings up too high so that they could take less time per client. But of course, higher settings meant higher risk of burns.

If someone got burned by a laser in a previous appointment, and it was still healing, employees were instructed to go ahead and do another treatment on the same patch of skin anyway, even though the manufacturer of the equipment had said, "Don't do that." This of course, would make the burns worse.

Needless to say, my friend quit that place. And needless to say, SOME places treat their clients responsibly, unlike that one. But considering the above stories, I'd advise dropping in on the place you're considering without an appointment and talk to the people in the waiting room. Here are some suggested questions:

• How long have they been coming to this place for treatment? What do they like or not like about the treatments they have received here?
• How long have they been sitting in the waiting room? Is the place punctual about taking them at their appointment time, or is there always an annoying wait? A habitual annoying wait may mean that the place is understaffed, and pressuring its employees to take shortcuts that could be harmful to you!
• Has the person always consistently had the same person do their treatments, or do they tend to have different people from one appointment to the next? Different people may mean that they have high turnover in employees, and that in turn could mean that inexperienced people are working on clients.
• Does the waiting room seem calm and cheerful, or does it seem chaotic? If it seems like lots of people are fidgeting, or the staff seems harried, that's cause for concern. It may mean that they manage their business in a chaotic way, and that could extend to how they handle stuff like training, equipment maintenance, etc.

If you're talking to the management or a sales person at a place you're considering going, ask them how long the person they plan to assign to YOU has been working for them, and what kind of training/qualifications that person has. If you show up for an appointment and they try to have someone different from whom you expected do your treatment, that's cause for concern.

Tangential question:

I was told by one of these places that male facial hair could be successfully removed. I'd just *LOVE* to do that - but I'm sure its outrageously expensive. Anyone have any knowledge?

I have a beard only because I detest, and I mean DETEST having to shave. I was really beginning to think I was one of the blessed few who wouldn't grow a beard when I still didn't have to shave at age 20. Then it finally came in - with a vengeance! ,m::

I worked for Dr. Tattoff for a short period of time. I was in Operations. They are currently building shops throughout the US. In Cali, they do laser hair removal. All of their people are certified and supervised by a Dr... While the work situation wasn't compatible - I was very expensive and they dind't have enough work at that point in time to justify my being there, having not yet even hired my boss - I do feel that they provide a good service and are overall well thought of in the industry.

Having said that. . .

One of the issues to loook at no matter what kind of laser work youa re having done - tatt removal, hair removal, photo facials - is skin and hair colour. Lasers work well on fair skinned dark haired people because the laser travels to the dark areas. When there is too little difference between pigments, the laser doesn't know where to go and this is the major cause of problems, injury and damage.

I personally would shy away from many of the mall and beauty shops offering this service. Because many of them, as Shira suggested, really have no training to do laser work. Look at their certification, their equipement, and their back grounds. Who is in charge of the clinic - a Dr., a nurse anestitist, etc and how often are they in house? Will they personally see you at any point? also, how many treatments are they estimating you will need in order to successfully remove the hair / tattoo / etc.

you can go to Dr. tattoffs website which will give you some ideas. there are also several sites dedicated to the medical side of lasers.

{{{HUGS}}}

I was thinking of "dropping in" on the place next week. I figured if I scheduled an appointment to come ask questions then they would be ready for me. Maybe I'll just stop in to get a brochure of something, see what the waiting room looks like. I am going with a larger company.
Well, I called them, and was quoted $500 (and change) for 6 treatments on an upper lip only. They didn't offer the painless, but did say that the places that do the painless don't have the 2 year guarantee that this place had. I wonder how painful we are talking..........

OK, I have the light skin dark hair covered in spades! AWESOME!
The place I am looking at is in a professional building and a nurse anestitist does the treatments.

Originally Posted by tahiradancer

I personally would shy away from many of the mall and beauty shops offering this service. Because many of them, as Shira suggested, really have no training to do laser work. Look at their certification, their equipement, and their back grounds. Who is in charge of the clinic - a Dr., a nurse anestitist, etc and how often are they in house?

It's good to check the credentials of the people who offer the service, but...

The friend of mine who worked in the Place From Hell has 3 master's degrees in health care fields, AND is a licensed nurse practitioner working in a clinic as her primary employment. (Her laser removal job was a second job to help save money for a special expenditure.) So she is very qualified in health care, and also very intelligent. HOWEVER, she had no control over stuff like whether the equipment she used was being properly maintained, or whether she was pressured to do rush jobs in order to deal with the overbookings, whether the appointment-makers indeed scheduled clients who wanted appointments with HER for days that she would be in (or whether they promised the client they'd get her but then secretly booked the client with someone else without telling them), etc.

As for who does the supervising, the Place From Hell allegedly had some supervisor with some health care credentials (I don't remember what) supervising the actual workers, but my friend said she had never actually met the guy in 6 months of working there. So if you're promised that someone qualified is "supervising" the workers, make sure you find out just what, exactly, that means!

the Place From Hell also was part of a big-name chain, so you can't just assume that having a lot of storefronts is a sign of legitimacy. In my friend's case, the site was an independently-owned franchise, meaning that it was not owned by the corporation, but rather by a local entrepreneur who was operating under the corporation's name and marketing propaganda. In the franchising business, the central corporation doesn't always have a lot of quality control over the actions of individual franchisees.

As I said above, there are places that do a good job. I just wanted to warn that awful places exist too. As always, it's a case of buyer beware, and do your research before you spend any money!

Extensive discussion here. Scroll down a bit...

Ops! I should have done a search first!
Sorry!

It's okay!
It also doesn't work, I have to add. :0( Save the money for a costume. ;0)

gads, doomed to a life of hair!
HaHa!

Thanks Azhia! That $500 will buy a splendid costume!

Yeah, I was disappointed. My waxing woman warned me that I would be back to see her. She was gracious enough to not say "I told you so" when I trudged back to her a year and a half later, head low and hairy hooha in tow.
WOAH. TMI. Sorry! LOL
She advised that even hair on cadavers continues to grow for a certain time.

I am having it done to my arm pits! they say if your young....it takes a lot of treatments because of your hormones.
I'm not sure how old you are...but I'm 23 and it is taking longer than I'd like!

oh crap...I'm 24 now!

I had all of my underarm hair removed by electrolysis, which is still the only FDA-approved method for permanent hair removal. Lasers scare me. I don't understand why more ladies don't do electrolysis - the cost is comparable to laser over the long term, although you do have to sit through many more appointments than just the 3-5 laser treatments. But it didn't really bother me, it became part of my regular beauty routine for a while - I chose to give up 30 minutes every other week or so and get my electrolysis done instead of watching TV or whatever. Actually, my technician had a TV in the room so I managed to do both at once!

I don't shave anymore - HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

I've had this done and it was fabulous. It was pricey, $3000 I think was the cost for lower legs and bikini (complete, brazilian would have been less). You have to understand that I am pretty fair (I tan well, but dont tend to go out in the sun much), and my hair is a darkish shade, so it was really the optimal scenario. The treatment itself was annoying and a few spots were painful, but not as much as a tattoo. Literally, the week after my final treatment, they released the 100% pain free system. Go figure.

Guess thats good though, in the event I get my under arms done later. ;-)

I had 5 treatments, 95% of my hair is gone. I might eventually go back for one more to try to rid myself of the remaining 5%, its so little hair though, that I can go for weeks before I even notice it! Its also softer and finer than it was before.

No regrets at all here :-)

Just to clarify, FDA "approved" lasers are approved for permanent hair REDUCTION not permanent hair REMOVAL. There's a difference. And, it's illegal for companies to market lasers as either painless or permanent for hair removal.

I've gone for laser hair removal,spent $3000 - didn't do a thing!

You have to research the machines they use. Some only use optical lights which are not lasers (they cost $30,000 vs the laser machine which run $500,000). Optical lights stunt the growth, which make it seem like the treatments are working. Beware places which wont tell you what machines they use. One consultation I went to when I asked what kind of machines she used,she said "well, I don't know! I don't even know what kind of car model I drive, do you?" I said I drive a VW Cabriolet. I kid you not! They also spelled the word laser with a "z" - "lazer". Hmmm, trying to avoid lawsuit perhaps?

The place I went to was run by a dermatologist and all laser procedures were done by an RN. I researched their machine and indeed it was the real deal. I had three treatments done in each area and did not even see a 1% difference so I stopped going :(

However, my friend went to the same place and had great results. It's been over a year so I'll have to ask her if it lasted. They do *should* tell you that there is no such thing as permanent hair removal and it could grow back at anytime for various reasons ie. hormonal changes,etc.

Oh and it hurt like a MTF-ER! I have fair skin and dark hair so I was the ideal candidate.

Originally Posted by Mahabellydance

Oh and it hurt like a MTF-ER! I have fair skin and dark hair so I was the ideal candidate.

2nd that! MUCH WORSE than tattooing, let me tell ya. I've sat through 5 hours of inking and had to go back THE NEXT DAY for an additional 5 hours (on TOP of the previously inked skin) and that still hurt LESS than laser hair removal.
..cr.:

I had 7 treatments. I have dark hair, olive skin, 36 years old. It's come back after a year. I'm fine with waxing...

ok, if it hurts you are going to the wrong place, the new lasers have cooling agents, so don't let them use the old models, they have various lasers some have a cooling element others don't. I've experienced both. 3 years ago I had legs, bikini, underarms done, didn't have to shave but once a month, after 3 years, I have to shave my legs once a week, my underarms not at all. So I've started back up with the treatments, the place I go had a special:
upper lip
under arms
forearms
legs bikini
6 sessions for $1800 total!! That is a smokin price! I go to a medical spa that has doctors nurses aesteticians etc. So YES!! it works, I have dark hair med/tan skin. The important part is don't go longer than 4 weeks between appts or you miss the hairs growth cycle, and the results aren't as good.

Zorba it would be worth a try, even if you had to shave once a week, that's do able

Originally Posted by Azhia

It also doesn't work, I have to add. :0( Save the money for a costume. ;0)

true!
in calif. only electrolysis is legally permitted to called "permanent hair removal"

laser is not permanent, regardless of what they might tell you. it will grow back
laser is a giant waste of $ imo. and can damage your skin if not done with the ultimate standard of care.

Hi! What's your experience with electrolysis? I haven't tried it but I have been undergoing laser hair removal and so far I am not having problems with it. Thanks for sharing your insights on hair removal. nice post!

My ex is fair with dark hair and had treatments done on his neck, the hair still grows back but not as thick, he doesn't tear his skin up so badly shaving now.

I did a few sessions for the bikini area but didn't see a difference. I'm not a hairy person in general so figured if I wanted pain I'd rather pay for tattoos.