Hello all. I’m wondering if anybody has been to American Laser center for treatments? I’m asking because i just signed up last week for it and i decided to do the research AFTER i signed the papers and i googled it and this website complaints.com (i think) came up and alot of people said it was a scam…ive been looking at this board for a while and when i went in i had the list of questions to ask the technician and everything and i read somewhere that these people are just like car salesmen but she still just talked me into it and i didnt even ask a single question that was on the list…now i feel extremely dumb :eek: … i had been getting electrolysis for about a month and it was just taking so long so i decided to go ahead and try the laser thing out… so i just want to know if anyone on this forum has every been there?
Run a search and you should find several articles of people who have previously posted their experiences with American Laser Centre(s). I don’t think Iv’e come across a positive one yet.
What have you signed up for? Is there a cooling off period in the terms of your contract? Have you put down a deposit?
Regards,
Benji
I have never been there personally but I have heard lots of horrible things about the company. IE they don’t use real lasers, they have unprofessional staff, they don’t honor their money back policies or free touch-up policies, etc. I won a $300 certificate with them but decided not to use it after hearing these things. Apparently they run contests all the time and hand out small prizes such as $300 certificates, and hound you constantly about getting a consultation. Once you go in, they strongarm you to get into an expensive contract. As we all probably know if we are reading this forum, $300 is a drop in the barrel for laser treatment unless you are talking about a very tiny area…
So, sorry that I can’t offer a personal experience of going there, but I do read a TON of stuff on the web about hair removal and I have only heard bad things about this chain.
There are lots of experiences here. Just run a search.
A couple questions for you:
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What type of hair do you have? What area? What color? How coarse is it? Are you male or female?
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What type of laser does this particular center use?
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What is the law in your state regarding cancellation of contracts before using it?
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How did you pay for the treatments? How much? What areas?
i’ve signed up for 12 sessions and there is a 2 year guarantee after that which ended up coming to about 2500 and i got a credit line with care credit.
i have thick coarse hair pretty much like a mans beard …sideburns and chin… black hair…i’m female
she didnt say which laser this center uses but on the paper work it says Lightsheer Diode Laser, the coment diode laser , or the Aurora IPL/RF device.
i have no idea about the state law? 
I got approved for a care credit line. it was 2500 $ for my sideburns and chin area
thanks for the help guys 
That’s pretty expensive just for that area. However, do call them and find out if they still have the LightSheer Diode at this location. If they do, all is not lost. Most locations have switched to the other machines though, which wouldn’t be great.
Hopefully, you have light skin, type I-III.
The Care Credit deal is part of how they profit from your treatments. They have a deal with them.
Some people have expressed concern over number of treatments and the 2-yr guarantee. Does it actually say 2 years AFTER you’ve completed with 12 treatments? Does it say 12 treatments anywhere on the contract even?
do the other machines not work well? i am african american so i have light brown skin.
and yea it says “guarantee for hair removal package takes effect on the day the 12th treatment is completed.”
i’m just really scared about being burned on my face.
It sounds like you need a good Yag laser, not a diode like LightSheer. It’s good that you are cautious about your skin being burned. Think this out carefully before you go forward. Are there any electrologists in your locale that you can check out? What cities are you close to in Virginia? Are you close to Maryland?
Dee
What skin type are you? It sounds like you may be skin type V or darker. THe darkest skin type the Diode should be used on is skin type IV and even this is very debatable, if so the settings should be set extremley careful and treatment performed by a skilled operator. Please read peoples opinions on the staff at American Laser Center’s (IPL’s, as a side note, should not be used on anything darker than skin type III).
Dee is right, if you are skin type V or above the nd:YAG is the safest option. Please think carefully about any kind of treatment.
A good idea might be to look through you contract and see if there are any get out clauses and so on, as well as any other contracts you have signed.
Regards,
Benji
i had been going to an electrologist in colonial heights, va but i dedcided to stop just because it was taking so long, 2 hours every week and i was breaking out. i’m not close to maryland i’m in the richmond tri-cities area. my appointment is friday so i think i might tell her to just do a patch test instead of starting the full treatment… i really do appreciate the help.
Yes, do consider another electrologist. You can run a search here for your state or city and see if anyone has recommended one in the past in your area.
In terms of laser and this clinic, I would strongly advise you not to start treatments and demand a refund based on the fact none of their lasers are suitable for your skin type. This is partly the reason this chain gets a bad rep. They seemingly will sell anything to anyone without concern for what’s in the customer’s best interests.
Given your skin type, you need a Yag laser. Basically, if they treat you with any of the above lasers, they will have to set the settings very low in order not to burn you, and low settings do not produce results.
Here are some rules for breaking a contract. Typically, if you haven’t yet started treatments, it’s easier. You may want to consult a lawyer and/or find a doctor who will write you a letter stating that those lasers are not suitable for your skin type and will cause skin damage/burns at effective settings.
"There are many valid defenses that can be raised to a claim of breach of a contract. Depending upon the particular facts and circumstances of the contract and the actions of the parties, an attorney can advice you of what makes sense.
The more common defenses to a breach of contract claim are:
(1) One side was not competent to enter into the contract, either due to age or mental illness;
(2) One side had a “free way out” and really never provided any form of “consideration”;
(3) One side was under pressure and duress or other undue influence to sign;
(4) One side engaged in “fraud” to procure the contract;
(5) One side prevented the other from fulfilling its/her/his end of the bargain;
(6) The original contract was changed with the agreement of all parties;
(7) There was a mistake of fact or mistake of law prior to signing the contract;
(8) The contract has an illegal purpose or act;
(9) Something happened, through no fault of either side, making the duties under the contract impossible to perform;
(10) The side claiming the breach accepted the performance without claiming a breach had occurred."
Okay, thanks. Good luck with your test patch. That sounds very sensible.
If you think you will need to go back to electrolysis, then do a good search for electrologists in your area and sample them all. We are not all the same in our approach, some are speedier than others and leave the skin looking as if nothing happened or with very few signs that a treatment has occured.
When I get a chance, I’ll see if I made a note of any electrologists in your area that others have recommended here on hairtell.
Dee
All I have to say about ALC is that they F*$@%ed up my face!!! I had a facial hair problem, which only got way worse after I got laser induced growth and now I’m spending lots of money on electrolysis! I say only do it on the sideburn area if it’s dark and thick, but I would do electrolysis on the rest. It might take longer, but the risk of laser induced growth is not worth it.
Have you seen an endocrinologist? Since you said that your hair is like a man’s beard and you’ve gone for electrolysis for a month at 2 hours a week, I wouldn’t invest a dime in laser until you have a thorough exam and test hormones, insulin resistance, PCOS possibilities, syndrome X, etc. If there is an underlying medical reason as to why you have the hair and it’s left untreated, you will be using that 2 year guarantee, and still have new hair coming in after that. Some laser practices with guarantees will have a clause voiding the guarantee if the patient has a hormone imbalance.
For electrologists in Richmond, don’t know what the tri-city area means???
You can peruse these names as a beginning effort.
Dee
i do have pcos i was dx today by my ob/gyn and i have an appt with the endo next month
Yes, this is very important. You need to get PCOS under control in order to prevent future growth. Laser or electrolysis can only kill what’s currently there. They don’t prevent new future growth.
that link says access denied. i havent been able to find any in the phone book or online for the richmond area though, except two.
It works for me. Pasting below. Also, check out the electrolysis section of this forum and look under the sticky post for how to find electrologists near you. Also, Google lists a bunch too: Google Maps
Alternative Health Associates
Maureen Shaltz 215 N. Washington Street Alexandria VA 22314 (703) 683-5736
Almost everyone in the Alexandria area has been to Maureen. Very sympathetic to TGs – speaks regularly at TG groups. Also teaches so lots of free hours are available if you don’t mind students. (97-06-01, aol)
Medical Electrolysis and Skin Care Clinic
Mari Greer 8294C Old Courthouse Rd. Vienna, VA 22182 (703) 847-5332 (97-06-01, aol)
Springfield Skinkcare Solutions
Karin Lynch Fern Park Drive Springfield, VA (703) 503-0767
Really sympathetic and fast. Does a great job. (97-06-01, aol)
Lily’s Hair Craft
Karin Earwood Newport News,VA (757) 874-1688. Respondent comments: There are no other persons recommended in this area. She is very sweet and very TG friendly. She is also very affordable.
Hampton
Electrolysis by Sally
2013 Cunningham Drive,
Hampton, VA 23666
(757) 826-4663
Poquoson Electrolysis
501 Wythe Creek Road,
Poquoson, VA 23662
(757) 868-0443
Lynchburg
N/A
Newport News
Blendtone Touch Electrolysis
12638 Jefferson Avenue,
Newport News, VA 23602
(757) 874-1688
Electrolysis by Debra
888 J Clyde Morris Blvd,
Newport News, VA 23601
(757) 591-0283
Norfolk
N/A
Portsmouth
Electrolysis of Portsmouth
3597 Griffin Street,
Portsmouth, VA 23707
(757) 399-4465
Richmond
Braun Eleanor Electrolysis
Chippenham & Forest,
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 320-3300
Maggi Maxwell Electrolysis
6001 Lakeside Avenue,
Richmond, VA 23228
(804) 264-9371
Virginia Beach
Electrolysis by EVIE
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
(757) 463-3832