Subscribe & Support This Site!
consumer hair removal forum
Page 1 of 2 1 2 >
Topic Options
Rate This Topic
Hop to:
#56597 - 10/10/08 02:33 PM Laser hair induced growth - back
back_hair123 Offline
Member

Registered: 10/10/08
Posts: 5
Hi,
I've been having laser hair removal done for about a year now and have had some great results mostly. But I have a question about induced hair growth on my back.

The history of my treatments is 5 on my back, about 6-8 weeks apart.

I've also had two to legs/buttocks (about 60/70% reduction, very impressed) and one to arms/hands (about the same, amazing results).

On my back, I had two patches of pretty coarse hair, centre of lower and upper back. These were treated 3-4 times, before I had the whole back done because the tech wanted to cover the entire area.

Now after these last 1 or 2 whole back, it seems that all the coarse hair is gone for good (in fact, I reckon it was gone after the 3rd), but the finer hairs seem to have been stimulated and are now evenly grown all over, but mainly at the sides.

So my question is, will continued treatments be effective at removing those new ones too? They have colour and are maybe up to 1 cm long. So that's not the vellus type, right? And even if it is, are they still treatable?

Thanks.

ps Tried to take some pics, but they're not very good (see attached).

http://s123.photobucket.com/albums/o317/prince_george/?action=view&current=IMAG0259.jpg

http://s123.photobucket.com/albums/o317/prince_george/?action=view&current=IMAG0258.jpg

Top
Forum Sponsors
#56598 - 10/10/08 02:39 PM Re: Laser hair induced growth - back [Re: back_hair123]
lagirl Offline
Top 10 Contributor

Registered: 12/22/04
Posts: 5409
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
Unfortunately the new hair is not coarse enough for laser, even though they're not vellus. Laser doesn't work on finer hair, only coarse hair as you can see by your results. They really shouldn't have treated your entire back. Wish you would have found this site earlier since we discuss this all the time.

At this point, you should only treat areas with very coarse hair. For the induced hair, you'll need electrolysis.

Btw, how long ago was your last treatment? Your treatments are a bit too close together for those areas which have long hair cycles, so you'll likely see more growth come in if you stop treatments for at least 3-4 months. Make sure to have about 12 weeks between treatments for legs and back.

Top
#56601 - 10/10/08 04:30 PM Re: Laser hair induced growth - back [Re: lagirl]
back_hair123 Offline
Member

Registered: 10/10/08
Posts: 5
OK, so it doesn't work at all on the finer hairs.. or its just less effective? What I'm really wondering now is, should I stop doing the back completely now? Or is the damage done now and its not possible to get any worse and may in fact be improved with further full back treatments?

How long would electrolysis take? I'm just guessing a full back isn't realistic..?

Back was done every 6-8 weeks. I have one treatment left for back and that will be a 12 week gap to that one.

For legs, there was about a 6-7 week gap.


Edited by back_hair123 (10/10/08 04:32 PM)

Top
#56602 - 10/10/08 05:56 PM Re: Laser hair induced growth - back [Re: back_hair123]
dfahey Offline
Top 10 Contributor

Registered: 10/27/03
Posts: 3518
Loc: Columbus, Ohio
Originally Posted By: back_hair123


How long would electrolysis take? I'm just guessing a full back isn't realistic..?


My experience with male back hair, as a practicing electrologist, is that IT IS a realistic approach for permanently removing back hair. All the cases I have seen through start to finish have taken about 14-18 months. The hairiest clients basically reach first full clearance in seven months coming 2- 2.5 hours a week. Maintainence takes up the other seven months as we go over areas where new hair cycles in about every 3-6 weeks. I use PicoFlash thermolysis, but MicroFlash or flash thermolysis will work as well. Blend is effective, but too slow and painful for the amount of hair most men have. Surgical magnification allows the electrologist to make accurate insertions, which is the key to destroying hair growing tissue.

Is a year and half considered unrealistic for you? Most men need about 80 to 100 hours on the table over this time. Is that unrealistic? If so, then electrolysis is not for you even if it is your only option at this point. If you have less hair, then of course you will need less hours on the table.

If you desire electrolysis, then you need to look for someone with modern computerized equipment who has the skill to use these faster forms of thermolysis, otherwise, you will become very frustrated. PicoFlash and MicroFlash thermolysis offer less sensation, with PicoFlash only being found on the Apilus Platinum or Pure, which are the best for sensation. These newer forms of thermolysis offer more comfortable, for sure.

So that's about how it works and believe me, IT WORKS! You just have to find someone very good to get you there and you do this by shopping around and getting as many consults as possible.

Dee
_________________________
Dee Fahey, R.N., C.T.
Licensed by the State Medical Board of Ohio for Nursing license and Cosmetic Therapy/Electrolysis license

Top
#56605 - 10/10/08 07:57 PM Re: Laser hair induced growth - back [Re: dfahey]
lagirl Offline
Top 10 Contributor

Registered: 12/22/04
Posts: 5409
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
- Your hair is not coarse enough based on your pictures to get any results with laser. I wish I could say otherwise, but I really can't.

- Electrolysis removes 5-10 hairs per minute or so, but since hair grows in cycles, you'll still need about a year worth of treatments.

- You really need to wait 12 weeks at least on your legs. 6-7 weeks is not even enough on other areas with longer hair cycles. You're basically not letting the hair come in in order to treat it. Technically, at 6 weeks you shouldn't have much to treat if all treated hair shed within 3 weeks of your treatment like it was supposed to. For legs especially, 12 weeks is minimum if your treatments are effective.

Top
#56609 - 10/11/08 04:23 AM Re: Laser hair induced growth - back [Re: lagirl]
back_hair123 Offline
Member

Registered: 10/10/08
Posts: 5
OK - thanks for all the answers. I'll look into electrolysis, depending on how it works out after leaving things a decent period to see what grows back. The main problem is I can't commit to 2 hours per week, time-wise!

Also, on my last back laser, is there any point doing this now? Seems like its not going to do any more than its done to date. Maybe it will make things worse?

Top
#56616 - 10/11/08 08:49 AM Re: Laser hair induced growth - back [Re: dfahey]
confusedinpa Offline
Member

Registered: 09/09/08
Posts: 6
Loc: Pennsylvania
Originally Posted By: dfahey
Originally Posted By: back_hair123


How long would electrolysis take? I'm just guessing a full back isn't realistic..?


My experience with male back hair, as a practicing electrologist, is that IT IS a realistic approach for permanently removing back hair. All the cases I have seen through start to finish have taken about 14-18 months. The hairiest clients basically reach first full clearance in seven months coming 2- 2.5 hours a week. Maintainence takes up the other seven months as we go over areas where new hair cycles in about every 3-6 weeks. I use PicoFlash thermolysis, but MicroFlash or flash thermolysis will work as well. Blend is effective, but too slow and painful for the amount of hair most men have. Surgical magnification allows the electrologist to make accurate insertions, which is the key to destroying hair growing tissue.

Is a year and half considered unrealistic for you? Most men need about 80 to 100 hours on the table over this time. Is that unrealistic? If so, then electrolysis is not for you even if it is your only option at this point. If you have less hair, then of course you will need less hours on the table.

If you desire electrolysis, then you need to look for someone with modern computerized equipment who has the skill to use these faster forms of thermolysis, otherwise, you will become very frustrated. PicoFlash and MicroFlash thermolysis offer less sensation, with PicoFlash only being found on the Apilus Platinum or Pure, which are the best for sensation. These newer forms of thermolysis offer more comfortable, for sure.

So that's about how it works and believe me, IT WORKS! You just have to find someone very good to get you there and you do this by shopping around and getting as many consults as possible.

Dee


Dee,

When you say 80-100 hours over 14-18 months, is that permanent removal of all visible hair or is it 80-95 reduction like laser (good candidates) but it is guaranteed forever unlike laser? I just wanted clarification on what it means.

Top
#56618 - 10/11/08 09:13 AM Re: Laser hair induced growth - back [Re: confusedinpa]
dfahey Offline
Top 10 Contributor

Registered: 10/27/03
Posts: 3518
Loc: Columbus, Ohio
Thanks for the question. Yes, that means total, permanent removal, not reduction. In all honesty, I have only witnessed one case in ten years that was incredibly out of the range of 80-100 hours over that time frame. He was massively hairy unlike the average of above average hairy guys back. He would have taken more time for sure, but he was okay with that as he was just as incredibily patient and determined to get rid of the hair.

With electrolysis, we can brag or speak, if you will, in terms of total, permanent hair removal, not reduction. The client must be willing to match up with a professional electrologist that can do this because not every electrologist has the belief, stamina or equipment to do this as I described. That's their choice, but some?/many? electrologists will take up the challenge and get the hair off as fast as humanly possible. It can be done, it just takes the right behaviors on the part of the client and the electrologist.

Just keep this important concept in mind: the bothersome hair follicles treated TODAY will be effected forever more if the electrologist uses powerful equipment, wears a good vision aid, uses the proper size probe. NEW HAIR THAT DEVELOPS OVER YOUR MANHOOD WILL HAVE TO BE DEALT WITH LATER ON. IT IS NOT THE SAME HAIR THAT WAS TREATED FIVE YEARS AGO.

The most powerful epilator can be the best one for comfort factors as well. There is strategy issues here that must be adhered to that will make an electrolysis experience a great experience. It's just a matter of finding a modern, electrologist who steps it up several levels from what she or he learned in school.
_________________________
Dee Fahey, R.N., C.T.
Licensed by the State Medical Board of Ohio for Nursing license and Cosmetic Therapy/Electrolysis license

Top
#56619 - 10/11/08 11:03 AM Re: Laser hair induced growth - back [Re: dfahey]
lagirl Offline
Top 10 Contributor

Registered: 12/22/04
Posts: 5409
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
I would use your back treatment money on another treatment on another large area. You'll need 6-8 treatments on most areas anyway.

Top
#56652 - 10/12/08 07:48 AM Re: Laser hair induced growth - back [Re: lagirl]
pdeco1 Offline
Major Contributor

Registered: 07/30/08
Posts: 108
If you have pictures of your back before you started treatment and they clearly show that you now have more back hair in certain areas. I would have a meeting with your current provider and ask them to remove the hair that they induced for free. A years worth of electrolysis is going to be expensive. I do not know how much others charge, but I charge $100 an hour and that is competitive in my area.

2 hours a week, 52 weeks a year= 10400

Even if you can find a deal for 50 an hour, it is still going to be very expensive.

Top
Page 1 of 2 1 2 >


Recent Posts
Not Getting Results from Treatments...
by dfahey
2 seconds ago
Legitimate electrolysis machines on eBay part 2
by love2besmooth
21 minutes 31 seconds ago
Looking to do it at home
by F6Hawk
Today at 07:32 PM
Another unhappy american laser center cutomer
by roma18
Today at 06:13 PM
any other "catch" about electrolysis?
by cool_guy
Today at 05:25 PM
Top Posters
lagirl 5409
James W. Walker VII, CPE 4750
Andrea 3926
dfahey 3511
RJC2001 1513
Who's Online
2 Registered (hanalulu, 1 invisible), 13 Guests and 3 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod