This is a thread that was started in our old BlissWeddings.com forums by bebe0315 on 4/21/05. Feel free to add your comments by pressing Post Reply.
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posted by bebe0315
Afternoon ladies!
My co-worker and I were talking about laser hair removal this afternoon. We both really want to get it, but neither one of us knows anyone personally has done it. We were both thinking for underarms and bikini lines. I currently wax legs and eyebrows, and have done a bikini wax before, but the bikini wax almost sent me thru the roof! Unholy mind-bending searing pain that I never want to go thru again! I was thinking with the tropical honeymoon coming up, now would be a good time to do it, if ever. I am actually cool with the leg and brow waxing, I would just want to do the bikini area and maybe the underarms. Any thoughts?
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posted by Shaks18
My coworker just started doing laser on her bikini area, not sure if its just bikini line or uhm...brazilian (didnt care to know details) but she says she absolutely loves it and is going to go back to do her arms once she gets the $.
She says all you feel is like little needles poking but its not really painful, its tolerable. Each session i think is for like 15 minutes and she says afterwards youre fine. You feel some tingly feeling, but it goes away after 15-20 minutes. She says the results were great and she only had to go back for touch ups 2-3 times and nothing grows back. If i get enough $ saved up, ill probably go too
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posted by labeadel
I know people that are doing it as well and like it very much. You have to go for about 3-4 times at first and then just come back for a couple touch ups, and the touch ups usually cost less. You should definitely do it! I would if I had the money. I'll just have to stick with the bikini waxes for now. I would do legs, but mine are just so sensitive that I don't think I should even try. Armpits would be great too!
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posted by bebe0315
Any ideas on approx cost? YIKES! So not going for the Brazilian! Bikini line is fine with me! Sorry if that's TMI, lol! labeadel, I use the press em' on and yank em' off strips on my legs and eyebrows, not hot wax. Sally Hansen and Vonel stuff you can buy at the drugstore. I wonder if that would make a difference in sensitivity? I just can't see going to a salon to have my legs done when I can just do it myself at home in front of the TV. And as far as the bikini area - I feel lame spending a lot of money on something like that, but shaving gives me a RASH (again, TMI I am sure... sorry!) and the last thing I want to be thinking about on my honeymoon is razor bumps!
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posted by Shaks18
actually, my coworker has really sensitive skin too and she was fine with it. No redness, no irritation and her skin is very fair.
Approx. cost... she gets a discount cuz her mom got some work done (tummy tuck and brow lift, i think) so she only pays about $50 per visit. and she said that usually youre fine with 3-4 visits, but some people are hairfree after the 2nd visit, so it all depends on your hair growth. Also, the place she's going to is giving her a buy "3 days get 4th day free" so she's taking full advantage of that.
I'll probably go in just to do my underarms soon, so i'll report to you guys on the process and pain factor.
Oh and this is from a place in Beverly Hills, so i'm assuming and average persons cost (without discount) would probably be about $75 maybe?
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posted by Shaks18
Oh, i also forgot to mention that they have certain, i guess 'voltages' that they use. They start you off with the lowest and determine whats good from there, depending on the thickness of your hair.
The first time she went, it was okay, the 2nd time, thats when she felt the needle-y feeling, only because the lady raised to voltage so the root will completely be gone. So i guess if its too painful, you can tell them to turn it down a notch. But i know my coworker is really really sensitive to this kind of stuff and she was able to handle it.
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posted by clairon13
just so everyone knows, the fairer your skin and the darker your hair, the better candidate you are for laser hair removal. the darker you are and either fairer your hair or even darker your hair, it's harder to pinpoint the exact hair follicles (sp?). my sis used to date a cosmetic laser surgeon, you learn things as you go!!!
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posted by HeatherR
If anyone watched Primetime Live last night, there was a story on this. Be VERY careful if you have your legs done, or any large area. Apparently the salon provides you with a cream to put on, and then you wrap your legs in celophane. This cream is not approved by the FDA and several women have gone into comas & then passed away. The cream is a combination of lidocain & steracain. I just had lidocain injected into my lower back on Wed. in an epidural so I paid close attention. I'm not sure if that's how you spell steracain.
Anyway, separately, these drugs are fine if handled by a doctor, but together (combined) they can be deadly on large areas. The pharamacies that are doing this (combining medications) are NOT regulated at the Federal level, some are regulated at the state level.
Please do your research on this - b/c as of right now, there are no warnings on the labels either.
Heather
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posted by bebe0315
Holy crap! Wow, thanks Heather for the info. I wasn't planning on having my legs or any large areas done, but this is still really good info to know when researching laser centers. It will help me ask some more informed questions.
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posted by labeadel
I saw the primetime Live thing last night too and totally thought about writing it on here! Be careful with that cream, ladies!
Shaks, where is the place that you hear is $75? I have a friend that is thinking she's getting a GREAT deal at this one place that is charging $120 for 15 minutes, which I guess is the average visit time. (?) I would love to tell her to go somewhere cheaper! Remember, I'm in LA too! Thanks!
And regarding the bikini area, I'm a big fan of the professional wax. WARNING, TMI COMING: Especially the Brazillian. I'm telling you guys, I love it. You really should try it if you do regular bikini waxes. hee hee If you can't talk to your "forum girlfriends" about this stuff, then who can you talk to?
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posted by NovemberGal
I've had my bikini line done; I was a good candidate because I'm quite fair skinned with dark hair. I had it done by the dermatologist both my mother and I have seen for several years; I didn't shop around at all because I liked her and trusted her. She's a little more expensive, but it was worth it to me (and it was a gift from my mom, who knew how embarrassed I was by the problem).
The doc gave me a topical numbing cream. I can't remember the name, but it is approved, it was a prescription that I had to get filled, all above-board. It has warnings on it like others were talking about--not to use it on too large an area or on babies. I asked the doc what they do for legs, arms, etc. which are larger areas. She has patients do only part of a larger area at a time; like, right leg below the knee, but not left, etc.
The first time I went in for consultation, she went ahead and did the first treatment, so I couldn't use the cream (it's applied an hour beforehand). It hurt a little--sort of needley, as someone else described it. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain, so she was able to use a somewhat higher setting, though. Later treatments, with the cream--no pain. The cream works great; there's just some pressure. After effects: I had some redness and tiny bumps (sort of like razorburn) for a day after, and it was a little itchy (because of the healing). I had three full treatments (about 4-6 weeks apart, to give hair time to grow in between), and one follow-up appointment almost a year later that was half-price.
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posted by Shaks18
oo ill ask my coworker if they gave her any type of cream or told her to follow any kind of procedure (cellophane).
Labeadel: ill ask my coworker again for the exact price they charge regular customers, but i know the more you refer, the more discount they give, so if anything, ill see what discount they'll offer me, and ill refer your friend and have her get a discount. I'll keep you posed and ill try to get some info on the doctor she goes to.
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