Yes I am...

Okay. You don't need a hormonal workup for normal man hair, but if you feel better asking your physician about this, then follow your instincts.

I was a laser tech 3 years before I was an electrologist and when I started my electrology course I had no leg hair (maybe 5-10 hairs) for me to practice on. At that time my legs had been hair free for at least a year from multiple laser sessions (started legs in 2005). Now 4 years later, I have a lot more leg hair to work on! More keep slowly coming back but, I'm still happy since the majority of my leg hairs are miniaturized (so fine and tiny that you can see only in certain lighting and/or magnification)

Laser reduced hair will probably creep back for several years to come.

Sigh...you aren't seriously saying I can still expect laser regrowth five years from now? Really? Sigh....I'm going to be practising electrolysis a LONG time

I've spent a lot of money on both IPL and laser. With each I did several treatments, a "full package" plus additional. I most recently finished one year of laser treatments spaced at about 5-6 weeks. Similar to my prior IPL experience, about four months after the last treatment the hair starts to come back thick.

I've had it with laser. Enough. I've spent over $8k for results which are well below my modest expectations of "reduction". Perhaps laser works for some, but it didn't for me.

Recently I started seeing a reputable electrologist. The results so far are very encouraging. It's a slow process, but actually faster than what I had imagined. No doubt it will be a long process, and perhaps another $3-4k. But it's comforting to know that I am finally on the right path.

I cant say much to your post, because my experience was pretty similar.
Stick with the electrolysis. Eventually you will get to a point where the "tap will be turned off" for new hair and its a really nice place to be.

Seana

From your post, first of all, IPL rarely works if at all, so I'm not surprised you didn't see results. With an actual laser, my guess from what you wrote is that you went to a "medical spa" with a package deal. Those places tend to not pump up the laser high enough to do some permanent results. Just a hunch

Also dependends on the area treated lots of people have reported more growth in face and arms from laser where as its rare to have this issue on body hair such as legs or under arms bikini or least I hope so as I plan to do bikini once saved up.

One phenomena that I have witnessed since the introduction of laser (and to a lesser extent IPL) is the "welding" of the follicle on large hairs. By welding, I mean that the outer layers of the follicle have been dried out and now adhere to the surrounding skin. At any one time, I have at least 2 clients who have done extensive laser electrolysis. For me as a galvanic operator, the heat generated results in lack of sufficient moisture to enable a timely removal, a condition that I have also witnessed with certain applications of thermolysis. Regrowth is not my only problem, it is the significant reduction in speed required to obtain a permanent kill.

Hi Susan,

Lovely to see you here today. BTW we are sharing a client (the Coast Guard guy who was living in SF, now in Virginia). He had nothing but praise for your work and I can attest that your results were superb ... well done indeed. Last week I quickly "cleared off" his back and I think there were only about 10 hairs! (I also finished-up the chest and stomach.) "Electrolysis really works folks!"

On this "welding?" Maybe there is a build-up of scar tissue in the follicle from repeated (unsuccessful) treatments? Of course, this "follicular" scar tissue is not visible. Scar tissue is, as you say, dryer and tougher than surrounding more vascularized tissue. "Weld" is a good term for this ... I like it and I'm going to use the term. "Laser-welded follicles" ... WOW!

Now that you mention it, I think I have been aware of this too ... I just didn't necessarily put 2 + 2 together. I DO notice a bit more difficulty when I encounter "pebbling" and this would, perhaps, point me in the same direction you have indicated. I will be thinking and looking now ... thanks. *

I hope we can get together some time soon and share notes. I'm not planning to be up in SF soon, but you never know. Definitely coming through in the Spring to visit friends in NoCal (Mendocino).

*In the "old days," before "constant current DC," you could immediately tell when you encountered dryer tissue because the DC meter would drop. Now, because voltage is automatically "pumped up" (or lowered) and regulated, you can't tell any more. Old DC meters also indicated when the person was relaxing or when they were encountering more pain. Now, this is gone. In some instances, with "new technology," something is lost too.