Skin discoloration after laser hair removal

A fair number of women who undergo laser to get rid of their hair develop excessive whitening of their skin (hypopigmentation). The whitening of skin occurs in a round patch and does not cause any symptoms but can create an aesthetic problem. White discoloration after laser is a common problem in dark skinned individuals and is not rare at all. While the exact number of individuals who develop this problem after laser is not known, judging from the complaints over the internet, the numbers are quite high.

For most individuals with this problem, if any recovery is going to happen it usually occurs in the first 1-2 months after treatment. After this time period, if the skin is still discolored, it is unlikely to become normal again. This is something the physicians never tell you when you first see them. Unfortunately, there is no treatment of hypopigmented skin that occurs after laser. The only remedy is to wear camouflage creams or cover the area with a garment.

The best advice for all individuals who have had this complication is to stay away from future laser treatments- or better still, keep away from physicians who offer laser therapy. Mucking around with nature almost never pays.

Laser Hair Removal-costs Part 2

Not a single clinic, spa, or physician ever tells you that you will only need one session for laser hair removal. Each and every one of them will ask you to make multiple appointments- another big scam. And rest assured, the majority of the them will offer you discount packages- like $50 off or free hair removal from your nose or some crap like that. Think, if laser was that great why give away a discount? And do not think a $50-$100 discount is lot (wait till you see the final price below).

In most cases you will have to go anywhere from 4-10 times (enough times to leave a big cash deposit for the health care worker to put down his/her BMW).

Laser removal for a few hairs on the upper lip may not take long but you will still pay a fair amount. On average, when you walk into a salon or spa to get your hair removed by laser, be prepared to pay anywhere from $400-$800 per session. Moreover, for about 6-8 treatments, that can cost anywhere from $3,000-$, 5000.

That is an awful lot of money to spend on a treatment that is painful, not permanent, and not guaranteed to work. Go online and read testimonials about laser and hair removal. The majority are negative- so become a wise consumer.

Laser hair removal is considered cosmetic and NEVER covered by Medicare or any other health insurance plan (do not listen to the hogwash by doctors who say it is)

Please consumers, be wise. The current economy is tough. Save your hard earned money for a hair removal treatment which is cheaper, less painful and that always works. Razors and waxes may not sound romantic but they work.

Costs of Laser Hair Removal- The Facts

The FACTS for the consumer

For example if I had a product that was damn good and did all the wonderful things like the doctors claim, Why not give out a price and let the consumer know the facts? If it works great and is safe, consumers will come even if it is expensive. Anytime you see a website on cosmetics with no price, think twice before you get any treatments. These places are guaranteed to be expensive.

For the consumer Fact 2- anytime you go to a website and there is no price given out, just go elsewhere. Would you ever walk into a car room and buy an automobile with no price listed? Would you shop your groceries in a store if there were no price listed? Cosmetic surgery deals with your body and health and there are risks with lasers- while the complications are rare, they are irreversible and you do not get your money back.

All these websites (esp the health care workers including doctors) give some bullshit reason as to why the price varies and some wishy-washy answer why the price cannot be listed. All nonsense.

Now that we got the facts out of the way, let us get to the price of laser hair removal.

Intense photo light therapy to remove hair- another fad? Part 3

Does IPL hurt?

Again, the physicians say it only feels like a snap of a rubber band. Patients say yikes, that hurt. Sure, it hurts. It is more like a sharp needle prick. That is why all physicians use a cooling gel to numb the pan

Can everyone undergo IPL?

No, certain individual will not improve with IPL. These includes individuals:

- with blonde or white hairs
- with dark skin like Orientals, Asians and middle easterners
- who have a recent sun tan
- who have a history of extreme sensitivity to light treatments
- with a recent skin infection
- who have been using accutane recently
- Pregnant women

Are there any testimonials on IPL?

Sure, there are a lot of testimonials on cyberspace. The majority of individuals have only negative things to say about IPL. Some claim that is does work initially but the hair comes back. The majority claim that it does diddly squat and hurts like hell.

Is IPL covered by insurance?

No, Both Medicare and private medical insurance carriers do not cover for treatment which is considered cosmetic

What is the cost of treatment?

Not cheap. A single session of IPL can range anywhere from $350-$700. Also know there are no refunds and if something goes wrong, you have to pay additional money to fix it.

Is IPL hair removal permanent?

Definitely not- hair will come back. The hair free period may range from a few weeks to a few months. most individuals claim that hair does come back in a few months.

Is there a different between IPL and Laser hair removal?

The only major difference is how they are spelled. However, they both have three things in common- both work similarly, are expensive and not permanent (in other words not worth the money- or in other words—too much hype about nothing)

Final Note

For the consumer- the fact that there are so many queries and treatments for hair removal should immediately indicate that there is no ideal hair removal method. Except for electrolysis, there is no hair removal method which lasts more than a few months. IPL is just another cosmetic fad going passing through, more designed to make money for the health care workers rather than of any significant benefit to patients.

Besides being painful, temporary, and terribly expensive, this is definitely not a recommended therapy. For those who want hair removal, stick to the old-fashioned razor and or wax. These methods are cheap, have very few side effects and they work all the time as predicted-the same cannot be said of IPL

Intense photo light therapy to remove hair- another fad? Part 2

How many treatments of IPL does one require?

Well, there is nothing in all of cosmetic medicine that is ever cured in a single session. So all individuals require multiple session- usually anywhere from 6-12 and the richer you look, the more the sessions you will be prescribed or more cosmetic procedures will be recommended. For those with little money, few sessions can be arranged. For the individuals who undergo few sessions, it is claimed that IPL will gradually limit the amount of hair growing in future.

When do the repeat sessions take place?

Because hair grow in cycles, most physicians recommend that one wait 4-6 weeks to repeat the next cycle of IPL treatments

How long is each IPL session?

Generally, not long. The five hairs on the upper lip may only take 2-3 minutes but the groin or the leg can take an hour.

Does IPL have any side effects?

Yes, definitely. Most individuals do develop redness and swelling from where the hair was treated. These side effects are transient and disappear in a few hours. When the area treated is small, the individual can return back to work or their life style on the same day.

However, when large areas of body area are treated, one may develop a fair degree of discomfort and blistering. This may take a few days to resolve. So you stay at home for a 2-5 days.

Does IPL have any complications?

You bet. Some individuals do develop either excessive darkening or lightening of the skin. Some of these skin discolorations may return to normal but not in every case. Sometimes, these changes are permanent. Some dark skinned individuals also develop keloids which are worse looking the hair and even more difficult to treat.

Does IPL remove hair from all skin types?

Well, the physicians who perform the procedure say yes but many patients who have had the procedure say no

When does one see results after IPL treatment?

Some hair may fall off at the time of treatment but in most cases, the dead hair starts to fall in 7-14 days

Intense photo light therapy to remove hair- another fad?

Almost every single week there is an announcement that there is new a permanent method to remove hair. First, it was the razor, than it was wax;, followed by depilatory ointments, then laser and now we have IPL or intense pulse light therapy. Most spas, salons and even some physicians have gone on the bandwagon to advertise IPL as the best method to remove hair.

Just what is IPL?

IPL is just like a laser in that there is a beam of light, but the wavelength at which is light is emitted is broad. And what does all this mean? Well the IPL will have maximal effect and decrease the amount of injury to normal skin. The other benefit is that patients do not feel pain (well that is what the doctors say- see later).

So how does IPL work?

Well, IPL removes all the hair that you do not want in your body. In fact, it can remove hair from any part of your body. The light energy is focused on the hair and absorbed by the hair follicles. This destroys the hair follicle so that it will no longer grow. However, since hair does grow in cycles, new hair will be visible but these can be treated with multiple treatments later on. So far, all sounds good.

How is the procedure done?

All IPL treatments are done at a spa or a salon. When you get there, you will be made comfortable and the area of the body with hair will be exposed. The technician will apply a thin clear gel to cool the top of the skin layer. The IPL device is then switched on. The wavelength for the IPL is selected by a physician and is individualized based on skin texture and hair color.

Can IPL used everywhere on the body?

Sure, physicians claim it can be used on the upper lips, ears, nose, under arms, bikini, groin line and even around the anus (I sure would like to use the IPL on a physician’s arse and ask him how it feels!). The cosmetic physicians claim that hair can be removed without any discomfort

Does IPL work in men?

Sure, IPL always works when people pay money. However, hair removal in men is slightly difficult because the hair is more thick and coarse.

Ingrown hairs- prevention & treatment

Prevention

There is no real magic trick to preventing ingrown hairs.

- If you sit for long periods, start walking and avoid
pressure on the buttocks
- If you wear tight underpants which causes friction,
wear loose clothes

When shaving the following tips may help prevent ingrown hairs.

- When you shave, leave your hair slightly longer
- Avoid shaving against the direction of hair growth
- Do not repeatedly shave hair in the same area. If a
small stub is missed, leave it for the next time
- Use a sharp razor
- Try not to shave using just plain water. Use a shaving
lotion- this makes the strokes easier and creates less
friction
- After completing shaving, use a moisturizer

Treatment

The majority of individuals with ingrown hair usually require no treatment. Most ingrown hairs resolve on their own. One may be able to see the responsible ingrown hair and remove it with a tweezer. IF it is deeply buried, perhaps it may be pulled out with a fine needle. Those individuals who have an ingrown hair that is causing pain or redness may want to see a physician. If the ingrown hair has become infected, one may need an antibiotic and removal of the hair.

Use of chemical peels and exfoliative agent to treat ingrown hair is going overboard. So try the simple things at home and only see a health care professional when the home remedies fails. Even for a simple ingrown hair, physicians charge a lot of money.