Is laser hair removal a fad or does it actually work?

[rosierose12]

Thinking about getting laser hair removal again. I started having it done last year with Laser Clinics but after success with session 1, hair grew back faster thereafter and they kept calling to cancel my appointment at short notice so I gave up.

I'm considering trying somewhere different but I'm not sure if it's worth it. I have dark hair/light skin but not sure what laser type I should be looking for, how do I know which is best? I'm googled and no further forward apart from that IPL and laser are not the same!

I had mine done and it was excellent until I got pregnant and it all regrew. I’ll be trying again once I’m done with babies.

It didn’t work for me. It all grew back. Electrolysis much more successful, though you do need to keep topping up.

You need minimum 6 sessions on each area of the body to stop it growing back for any significant amount of time. I had 6 sessions on legs, armpits and bikini line, only now several years later do I prob need a few top up sessions for legs (just the odd random hairs) and bikini line. It does work you just have to do it properly and they do say you might need top ups over the years.

I got a Braun home IPL last year.

It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty good. Sadly I’m pale skinned with DARK hair (tho this is a plus for IPL). Left to their own devices my legs look very manly and having such pale skin made it look worse than it was. My arm pits would get 5 o’clock shadow after shaving in the morning.

I have not followed it to the letter. I think I did it weekly for maybe 5/6weeks. I got lazy over the winter and did it once every few months. Now the hair growth is so much slower and way sparser. Eg I only grow a dozen or so armpit hairs and they grow so slowly I can go several days without shaving, and don’t have any obvious regrowth. I don’t have to shave every morning if I’m wearing shorts/skirt etc. I’ll do it weekly 3 weeks before we go on holiday and have no regrowth whilst away.

But it is no way as quick as it looks in the ads!! It probably takes me 30min to do full legs and armpits. Bikini line is now completely dead and I haven’t touched it in months but could in theory put on bikini bottoms without scaring anyone!

Your post has reminded me I should really do a session again!

I bought the Philips lumea thing, I’m not hair free but it massively reduced the amount of hair on my legs. I have very dark hair and very pale skin, I was very hairy and would avoid getting my legs out because it would take at least 45 minutes to shave them. I tried wax but my hair would break so I got immediate regrowth after and so abandoned that.

Now I’m done in about 15-20, there are a few patches for whatever reason it’s not done much, but most of my legs are pretty smooth. I repeatedly used it about 7 years ago and haven’t seen much difference in re growth since.

The only permanent hair removal is electrolysis. And even that can’t protect against hormonal hair growth. But that said, I had laser 18 years ago on the sides of my face (less hormonal place) and it’s stayed pretty clear. It doesn’t work on red or grey hair so if you have any of those mixed in those won’t go.

I got lasered 15 years ago and it's honestly been the best thing I ever did, 99% gone

Yes it works, but it takes several sessions and it's not completely permanent. I had IPL years ago and it was great for a while, I think I had 6 sessions then barely needed to shave under my arms for a year or so. Maybe every few weeks. It did grow back though. You're meant to have top ups every now and again - like one top up session once a year.

I'm currently having proper laser on various areas of my body. I've only had 3 sessions so far, and my underarm hair had responded really well (possibly due to prev IPL??) and other areas (bikini, peri anal, upper lip and chin) are starting to grow noticeably thinner. I will need at least 8 sessions in total though, and similar to the IPL I've been told I will need a top up session every year or so. The laser is a "Soprano" some kind of advanced laser. But no I'm not sure there is a completely permanent solution.

A friend of mine had laser done on her leg hair, and she has bought a home handheld IPL machine to top up herself which she believes will work out cheaper in the long run. I may consider doing this too.

20yrs ago I was living abroad and a friend was training in a laser clinic- I was her guinea pig. Unfortunately only for 1 session though because she left. I had underarms and bikini line done. I've been left with about 3 hairs in either underarm and maybe 2 bikini hairs where it was done. I've been pregnant 3 times, sadly all ended in MC, but I've had no hair regrowth at all! I have dark hair and light, freckly skin.

10yrs ago I bought a braun IPL. It made absolutely no difference to the few underarm/bikini hairs I had, but did get rid of nearly all my arm hairs. I also tried on DH's back and don't think it made any difference. I'm not sure if that helps OP, but I would go to another salon.

Ive had 5 sessions so far and honestly its money well spent. I have dark hair and light skin. I noticed a great improvement from the first session. I used to have to shave all the time. I go to a clinic not sure if the at home ipls work as well.

I had IPL about 13 years ago at a professional clinic. Expensive but worth every penny! I had suffered all my life up to then with excessive hair, and shaving in the summer heat was unbearable. Waxing didn't work, and epilators were too painful. Also affected my relationships, because I felt like a freak. I honestly didn't know anyone else who had as much body hair as I did, and trying every day to get rid of it controlled my life, especially on my face.

In my early 40s, I finally took the plunge: it took over a year and a half to get through the treatments: 15 on my face, 6 full legs, 6 full bikini area and bikini line. If you have dark hair but light skin, that's the best type they recommend. So it worked really well for me, and changed my life.

13 years later, I probably could go back and have top-ups for my face, but almost nothing has grown back on legs and bikini area.

The last time looked into it, they said they were moving away from IPL to a new type of laser, which apparently gives even better results. I would persevere if it's that important to you. Don't wait until you are much older, because it doesn't work as well on white hairs.

edited for spelling

Thank you all for the replies. I don’t think I’ll do it at home but the quotes I’m getting for 6 sessions of laser at salons nearby are around £1000. I was hoping for a package deal but most seem to price individual area.

One salon uses soprano, another uses IPL, how do you know which is better?

You need a modern laser like vectus. Ipl is not even a laser

I had YAG laser removal almost 15 years ago for underarms and Hollywood. Dark skinned Asian so always a bit iffy about whether it would work. I have the odd underarm hair that needs plucking. Nothing at all on undercarriage. Also had a few facial patches zapped with similar success.

People talking about IPL - it’s not the same thing at all. I use IPL for my legs but I understand it’s not permanent.

Edited because I have fat fingers that no amount of laser treatment will fix

I got YAG laser done in a laser clinic chain. Great results. And I was hairy.

Timing is everything BTW for laser. So find a reliable clinic that won’t cancel on you. I’d ask for your money back from the original clinic if their cancellations pushed you beyond recommended intervals between treatments.

I’d recommend it only if you don’t want/are done with having children. My chin hair have made a strong reappearance post babies.

With electrolysis - do you have to shave before sessions?
that’s what’s out me off as it’s in my face and I don’t shave already…

I use Philips Lumea IPL on my under arms and legs and really the best thing I ever did. I followed the initial treatment plan religiously and now maybe do it fully about four times a year, do get some patches popping up so for them every two months. I used to have to shave every day and it’s a complete game changer in the summer.

I've got a patch test this week for candela laser (hollywood) so ask me in a couple of months!

As long as you use the right machine for your skin tone.

I did laser with Soprano - barely any difference.

Did full body with ND Yag - 10 years later and I’m still hair free, and I was SUPER hairy beforehand.

No, for electrolysis you should leave the hair visible. Electrolysis kills each hair follicle individually one by one, so the technician needs to know where the hairs are to know where to zap.

For laser you need to be clean shaven.

Buy a Philips Lumea IPL and change your life! I bought one about 5-6 years ago and I've remained completely hair free everywhere I've done it. Means no itchy armpits in the summer or worrying about my bikini line. Best present to myself I could have bought.

F

For me, it has depended on area. It has been extremely successful on my legs and bikini line. That was very important for me as I had almost like pubic hair down the back of my legs and inner thighs and that is all gone now and has been gone now for the best part of 20 years.

I think it reduced the hair in my armpit, but definitely never got rid of it all.

It hasn’t been particularly successful on my face and if anything has contributed to melasma forming

I couldn’t tell you what type of laser I had used.