Laser hair treatment (face)

[Sandygran]

I'm hoping there may be some beauticians out there who can help me. I am a 66 year old lady and I have heavy hair growth on my chin. It is so bad that I have to shave every morning! Over the past 12 years, I have had four courses of laser hair removal treatment. It worked brilliantly on my upper lip, but my chin hairs just seem to be super-resilient! Each time I go, (to different salons), I am assured that the treatment has now improved, and will work, but it never has. What I would like to know, is, are there any new, or 'stronger' treatments that I could try that would really work? The hairs are still black, and I know the laser treatment won't work on white hairs, so I would like to get it done once and for all!

Try Vaniqa cream (prescription only) with or without laser hair removal. I hope it helps

Placemarking, and came to suggest electrolysis - this I something I’ve been looking into - but it doesn’t seem as available as laser hair removal. I think there are different strengths of laser too? IPL for instance is not as strong as laser (this is my understanding anyway).
Did you have any side effects to having to laser on your face or was it straight forward for you? (No rashes? Etc).
Hoping someone will reply with more insight for you OP.

Thanks for the help so far! No coffeetea123, I had no problems at all after the laser treatment.

I found a couple of years using the Phillips Lumea really helped, though I went from feeling I needed to shave twice a day to never more than once a day, so I don’t know how you’d view that. The hairs definitely got less thickly spread, and there were a few patches that went for good. I stopped using it from laziness and should go back to it. I just think there are so many follicles all over the face and throat that any treatment takes forever.

I have a friend who went the electrolysis route and again had to invest years, though the results were good and I think eventually permanent. I hate the feeling though, and the inconvenience.

Just giving this a bit of a bump to try and get some more help! I'm wondering about electrolysis - might that be the answer? Does anyone have any experience?

I have a home IPL machine that I use on face, pits, legs etc and its been great. You can use it more often than salon appointments so you can catch the hairs at all growth stages. I have olive skin and black hair (although a couple of hairs I’ve missed are now white so I missed my chance with them!)

My machine is Smoothskin Gold which was much cheaper than Phillips Lumea but has been my best ever investment.

I’ve tried to look into electrolysis recently - I called a clinic local to me that offers it. The woman providing treatment told me that she couldn’t really say how many sessions (or how frequently) someone might need without consultation. I’ve read online that sometimes it can take a year or so for results.

I would love it if someone who has had this treatment could advise, I haven’t met anyone who’s had this done.

I saw good reviews for home IPL (like lumea) - it’s great to read from PP that they’ve had good results too. I’m worried about the issue becoming worse? I saw some people mention something called Hypertrichosis (which apparently is when there is an increased hair growth from IPL) but I think this is rare.

How long was the 'course' of treatments and did you stick it out - Did you have back to back courses over like 2.5 years or large gaps between courses?

It's got a lot to do with hormones as well.
Unwanted hair is linked to stress levels / hormone imbalance. And other underlying women's issues.
Laser practioners will say they can't legally claim it will eliminate hair to face as if your hormones change/ get triggered into stress response the hair will come come back.
Have heard of people balancing hormones and hair fucking off.

The laser or even at home ilp will work if you keep at it. Just takes a long time/expensive in clinic and painful.

Numbing cream from boots should be standard practice.

I had upperlip and chin done. Laser not electrolysis.
I don't remember how many times I went but Over 2.5ish years. it worked on chin but took a really long time. Was fine for a few years but now come back a little bit.
Uperlip still has some light hairs but massive massive reduction and more 'managable'

Will say that the laser is very painful in the moment and I don't think a good experience for your body at large - maybe harmful just on a nervous system level and numbing cream should be standard but wasn't where I went.
I went to boots, and it was less hellish.

Have bought ilp secound hand off ebay. I'll be using the numbing cream with that aswell, and even if I wax ill be cracking opening the numbing cream.

I've had electrolysis a couple of years ago to treat upper lip and chin areas. It took about 3-4 sessions. I hardly have dark hair now. Probably need a top-up soon but otherwise it worked wonders for me.

I have had 2 years of electrolysis for chin and lip it’s all gone now! Highly recommend