I had my first session on Monday. To recap, I’m Type II with brown hair. Had my underarms and bikini done with a Gentlease Laser. I forgot to ask about the settings, but the nurse was talking to the doctor beforehand and they decided on 7… does that make sense?
My underarms look fine now, but my bikini area is still covered with pink polka dots. Is this normal? They told me that the pinkness should go away within 24-48 hours, but it’s been over 60 now and they’re still there (but fading).
Also, they suggested 4-6 weeks for my next appt but I just read here that it might be better to wait. How long after shedding should I expect to see regrowth? And how much regrowth should I allow before my next treatment?
People can have reactions to the cryogen spray that is used by Candela. It is called a cryogen burn and is caused by the intense cold. Usually they don’t last very long but it is pretty variable.
You should go back to the doctor’s office so that they can look and make sure there aren’t any other issues.
Thanks for the responses. The spots have faded to a light brown color (similar to when I get a tan. They are still fairly noticeable, but seem to be fading slowly.
I had the nurse look at the spots and she said that they are fairly common and offered to sell me some skin lightening cream (for $70!) She indicated that this is hyperpigmentation.
And I will be sure to ask at my next appt what the joules and spot size was. I didn’t know the right question to ask, so thanks for helping out with that, lagirl.
I should start shedding in the next few days… I’m anxious.
Thanks, Al. It did sting quite a bit, but certainly not unbearable. It actually wasn’t as bad as what I had thought it might be. And I’m off to bed now, so I’ll answer your message this weekend.
So I have yet to achieve 100% clearance after a treatment. I have extensive hyper-pigmentation, but am not overly concerned about it.
Any suggestions on how to get my tech to turn up the settings? I’m guessing that I should be using somewhere around 15 joules for settings? Does that sound right?
Also, my armpits seem to be more responsive than my bikini area. The same settings have been used on both.
I had 6 weeks between treatments 1 & 2 and it has been 7 weeks since treatment 2.
those settings are pretty useless. even if some hair is falling out, it is probably not permanently damaged. you should really be somewhere in the 16 joules and up range on 18mm spot size, and that shoudn’t cause any problems if you’re truly a type II as you say.
Thank you for your opinion, lagirl. The dermatological clinic verified that I am a type II.
If anybody has had success in convincing a tech to turn up the settings, those anecdotes would be appreciated.
I realize that I am being under-treated and would like to continue with proper settings. I do not have many options of going elsewhere as this clinic is already a very long distance from my house. I believe that the next clinic with Gentlase is 5 hours away.
You’re paying money. Call Candela corporation directly and verify the settings. They usually provide a chart to clinics with settings for various skin types. They’re on the conservative side, but I believe they are definitely higher than these. So technically, they’re using settings lower than recommended by the manufacturer, which you can definitely complain about. Also, ask them to try a few test spots at 16 18 and 20 joules at 18mm on some spots on your body and offer to sign a release of some sort if they want one so they can see you can handle it fine.
