Hello! My beauty therapist suggested to me Cosmedix Refine to deal with break outs and reduce minor discolourations. However, I am having IPL treatments for hair removal on the upper lip, and this cream contains Vitamin A. Is it safe to use? I am a bit confused, because I thought that Vitamin A should not be used in conjunction with laser/IPL treaments. Thank you!
You can use it if it’s not photosensitive. You should really be asking your clinic about this.
Curious, why IPL and not true laser?
Thanks lagirl! I asked my clinic, and my beauty therapist told me that it is safe to use, but avoid it one week pre- and post-treatment, and use it at night and a good sunscreen during the day. I just wanted a second opinion, to make sure that it is safe.
In regards to your question, by searching this site I have concluded that if it is going to work it is going to work no matter what (IPL or true laser). I also feel a bit safer with IPL. It seems to me that true lasers can cause worse reaction than IPLs (I had two treatments, and I had only experienced mild redness for an hour or so). Convenience is another reason, since the IPL clinic is much closer to me.
I don’t know where you found that information on this site, because that’s not what we normally advise. IPLs actually have a bigger chance of burning skin than true lasers. And they usually take longer to produce results and don’t necessary produce as good of results. With proper treatments, the hair is affected and the skin isn’t, not matter what you use. And improper treatments can cause bad reactions no matter what machine is used. But all things beings equal, lasers are hands down more effective.
Having very little reaction with either machine can also mean the settings are too low to kill the hair permanently. Make sure you experience full shedding after each treatment.
Is the hair you’re treating coarse and dense on your face?
Hair is coarse, dark and relatively dense. I think that the first time the settings were low, because I didn’t experience full shedding (I don’t know the exact settings), so I let the clinic know. A few days ago, I had the second treatment, and I am waiting to see how it will go.
I thought to follow your advice lagirl and give a go to a true laser (Gentlelase - my skin is light and hair is dark). So, I went for a consultation and patch test two days ago. It hurt more than IPL (this is the least), and the part the laser technician did the patch test has still darker colour than the rest of my lip. With IPL I experienced only mild redness for a couple of hours or so. Does this sound normal?
Also, I experienced shedding only 5 days after my last (second) IPL treatment. All the very coarse hair fall sooner than I expected. Some of the finer hair are still there, but this is day 16 after my treatment, so I hope that they will fall soon. Any idea why this happened?
I am a bit worried at the moment. And annoyed. The clinic that uses Gentlelase charges per 5min, so it is much cheaper. With the same money I could do my upper lip and underarms! I would really appreciate your opinion. Thank you!
Can you please clarify the timing? You first posted only 13 days ago and it seems that you may have had the treatment at most 10 days ago given your last post on July 1, so I’m not understanding how it can be 16 days since your treatment with GentleLASE since today is only July 12. Also, when was your last IPL treatment? Did you have coarse hair to treat already? How long did you wait between the two treatments?
Also, what settings were used? Can you call and find out? We need to know the spot size and joules used.
It sounds like you may have temporary pigmentation which is usually caused by either settings being set too high or your skin having some tan, or both.
It takes at least for full shedding to occur. Coarse hair may shed faster.
Thanks for your reply and sorry for the confusion! I didn’t have a treatment with Gentlelase. Just a patch test!
28 May: first IPL treatment
27 June: second (and last) IPL treatment
2 July: shedding started
11 July: Gentlelase patch test
13 July: the area that the technician did the patch test is still darker
- I already had coarse hair and I don’t have a tan
- Spot size and joules 18/14
How long does it take for full shedding to occur? Your sentence above is incomplete.
Shedding question answer: 1.5-3 weeks
Did you get a test patch done on the same area as your IPL treatment or not? Not clear on that since you shouldn’t have had any hair there yet after shedding…
Yes, it takes 2-3 weeks for full shedding to occur.
It sounds like you’re too dark for GentleLASE right now if you got pigmentation from those settings. Most likely it’s due to at least a bit of a tan (unless you’re not a light type skin III or so as you indicated). It is summer and it’s your upper lip. Unless you’re using a powerful SPF sunscreen every time you leave the house, you’re getting some pigment on it from the sun even if you’re not noticing it. So, you’d need a Yag laser like GentleYAG if you want to treat that area with a true laser right now.
The patch test was done in the same area as my IPL treatment, but I still have some hair. The very coarse hair shedded quickly, but I still have some less coarse hair.
My skin is light and I am in Australia. It’s winter here. Besides, I don’t expose myself to the sun, and I always wear sunscreen when I am outdoors.
Is it possible that the sunscreen that I was wearing when the technician did the patch test, had as a result this discolouration?
“Light” is relative. Do you know your skin type (explained in the FAQs). Sunscreen should have been removed before treatment, but it doesn’t normally cause pigmentation. So the only explanation really is that your skin is too dark for an alexandrite laser, which means you’re probably at a type IV, i.e. not that light in terms of laser hair removal specifically.
If you’re going to try a true laser, you’ll need a Yag or a diode it looks like.
Laser or IPL don’t really work on fine hair, especially on the face.
Electrolysis will work on any color and size of hair, though. Skin color is NOT a problem either.
Consider your options carefully, so you don’t waste time or money. There is a lot to know about permanent hair removal (electrolysis) and permanent hair reduction (laser).
Combining the two modalities is something to consider.
What worries me about electrolysis is the downtime. With the IPL I was a little bit red for two hours and then I was able to go out. If I do electrolysis how long does it usually take for the skin to be normal again? Can I use makeup after electrolysis? Is there an “Electrolysis FAQs” in this site?
No FaQ’s, yet, but I would be happy to respond to your specific question.
Don’t know where you live on this planet, but in many areas there actually are electrologists who have come into the age of computerized epilation. I can speak for myself, but I am not rare or some kind of super hot shot electrologist when I say what I’m about to say. I used a Silhouet-Tone VMC epilator with gold probes before I started using the Apilus Platinum a couple months ago. These are two specific brands and models that I know well, so I can say with authority that clients were able to get a treatment on their upper lip and chin, sides and neck for hours at a time and then walk out of my office, minus 600 to 3,000 hairs, depending on the time spent on the table. They were a little pink, but reported back that all side effects were gone within minutes to an hour or two after their appointment. For abused skin prior to electrolysis (due to years of temporary measures), with thick and deep root structures, down time may be hours to a day or two because more energy needs to be delivered to damamge the hair follicles.
Both brands I mentioned enable the electrologist to remove hair fast and with deadly results to the hair follicle while leaving the skin in very acceptable condition. There are other brands that may do the same, but I can only be specific about my experience. If the electrologist does not have the sense or the skill to operate the machinery, then it follows that you may have more side effects. So, that’s why we are redundant to the point of being annoying, when we strongly advise you to check out all the local talent IIIFFFFFFFFFFFFF you are fortunate enough to have any electrologists in your home town.
I am in love the Apilus Platinum. Sensation is the real factor in regard with this electrolysis epilator. Skin outcome is also something to rave about as well. The electrologist is only as good as her/his equipment, but keep in mind there are hundreds of skilled electrologists that can make a treatment session wonderful, even if they don’t have a certain brand or model epilator.
I do not like makeup to be applied for 24 hours at minimum, but some clients will not listen. They know not to blame me for any negative outcome if they go against my advice. With a skilled electrologist and superior modern tools, you won’t need makeup anyway.
IPL may allow you to go out in a couple hours after a treatment looking great, but it is not going to solve your facial hair problems. A good electrologist will solve your problems, but she/he needs the right set up and skills to make this happen for you. Hope you have someone that fits the bill close by. Just keep all this in mind. Go to a Professional Electrologist that doesn’t do this as a side show on a limited basis. Even if you have to drive a distance, it is worth the effort if you can not find someone good where you live.
Dee
Thank you so much for your responses! They are really helpful. I thought that after an electrolysis treatment I would have to stay at home for days.
So, I decided to give electrolysis a go. I have nothing to lose really. Can you tell me which type of electrolysis is better for the facial area? I am doing my lip at the moment. I might do sides as well, although I don’t have many hair there.
Call around and see what is offered in your area. Thermolysis (flash, microflash, etc types) is the fastest method and would be good on this area. I had it done myself actually as you can read in the link below. It’s most important that you find someone experienced with a good computerized epilator (my electrologist had Apilus as well) who will leave your skin perfect.
I made an appointment with a clinic in which apparently electrolysis (thermolysis) is performed by nurses. I heard good comments about this clinic, and I found some feedback in this site as well! Hopefully, they won’t disappoint me!
Because the longer the treatment, the cheaper (it’s 55$ for 30min and 75$ for 1hour!), if the consultation goes well, I will have an hour treatment. I was browsing some previous posts, and came across some with people that were overtreated. So, I am thinking to ask the electrologist to try to thin the lips (at the moment I don’t have many hair on the upper lip anyway) and maybe sides, and if there is still more time, I might do the abdomen. What do you think about that?
I also want to ask if there is something that I can take or do before the treatment to reduce side effects. I read that tea tree oil is good post-treatment, but what about pre-treatment?
Pre-treatmemt, drink enough water for your body size three days before and avoid caffiene for three days.
After treatment, keep it simple and as pure as possible. Witch hazel, aloe vera gel as close to 100% as possible and dabs of tea tree oil at bedtime, if needed, works well. Do not dream up other strategies that you think would be better like antibiotic creams and ointments, vitamin E oil, hand sanitizer or other over the counter gunk.
Overtreatment and ordinary temporary side effects are totally at different ends of the healing spectrum. You will know what overtreatment is if you skin does not return to normal within minutes to a week. Electrologists are in the business of damaging hair follicles so those follicles cannot support the growth of a hair anymore. Expect some degree of inflammation whenever the skin’s lovely enviroment is disturbed. The degree to which it is disturbed varies with the size of hair, the condition of the skin, the kind of professional epilator used, the skill of the person using that epilator, aftercare, etc…
Don’t freak out if you have normal temporary side effects that last less than a week. Expect it in the beginning. How long this lasts is totally individual. Keep a converstaion going on with your electrologist so she/he can try differnet approaches to lessen certain side effects.
Most price structures fall in the the direction of more money per minute for short appointments, less money per minute for longer appointments, so doing several areas for a longer time makes economic common sense.
Dee
They can probably remove 5-10 hairs per minute. So try to estimate how long that would take. I would go in for a short treatment for your first one to test them out. If you like them, schedule for longer treatments.
For the upper lip, most people don’t get treated for over 20 mins or so to avoid overtreatment. Basically, avoid treating the same spot or spots very close together for an extended period of time.