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A
patient's diary to comparison wax, electrolysis,
laser hair removal, shaving and cream - 1
Editor : hairlaserremoval.co.uk
Laser Hair Removal Procedure Diary by Patient
I have never shaved my legs before, but the soft,
curly red hair that prompted my family to start
calling me hobbit-legs, helped me want to shave (see
picture of right). So I decided to learn about the
different methods of hair removal. I planned to
first compare the various methods based on pain,
cost and effectiveness (how long the hair stayed
gone). Then, I would research each independently,
and finally, I would speak to the people who do the
different procedures at salons and clinics. However,
I was so surprised by the interest that my friends
showed in the article that I decided to actually try
each of the methods.
. Hair
Removal Options
I decided to try seven different methods:
I divided each of my legs into three or four different sections using a permanent marker (see photo right) and planned to apply each of the methods to one section of my legs. I figured this would give me a first-hand experience of the pain and cost, as well as allow me to compare how long it took for hair removed with each method to grow back.
. The
Treatment of Each Hair Removal Methods
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Laser hair removal
To start my process, I called a salon, a laser treatment facility and an electrologist. The first to call me back was Cindy Greene, and I set up an appointment with her for the upcoming Friday afternoon. The next to call me back was the Berman Skin Institute.I also set up a time to do a consult with them. The salon also called me back. However, they would not do the section of my leg reserved for the hot salon wax because they only treated whole legs. Two days later, we went to Longs and bought cold wax strips, hot wax, Nair, shaving cream and a razor (my mom loves these experiments).
I got to the Berman Skin Institute at 10:15 a.m. and was given some paperwork to fill out. After, I was taken to a room with a round table. I spoke with a nurse named Annabel and asked her some questions about laser hair reduction. She said that it was called reduction because the laser targets the dark pigments found in hair follicles, but doesn't completely get rid of it. Even if the majority of the hair doesn't come back, some new hair does grow, and so at least five treatments are necessary.
She said that she didn't recommend laser hair reduction for anyone under 16; however, they had done the treatment on 14- and 15-year-olds teens before. Annabel also said that when you come in for laser treatments, you should have shaved the area you are treating because otherwise, the hair burns and could damage the skin.
They use two lasers: one for people with lighter skin and one for people with darker skin. Because the laser can hurt, they use a cream that numbs the skin. Even so, there can still be burning and possibly blistering. She treated a small portion of my leg (near my ankle). It felt a little like a rubber band was snapping against my skin every once in a while, it was not that painful overall.
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Hot wax at a salon
Next, I went to the electrologist's office, but I had to reschedule for another day, which I did. My mom and I stopped by another salon called NTT Skin (on Cambridge Avenue), and the lady there, Nellie, did a hot wax strip on my leg. It didn't really hurt much, but I was shocked when she pulled the wax off because I didn't expect it. -
Cold wax at home
When I got home, my mom, little sister
and I completed the different at-home processes to remove the hair on my
legs. First we did the cold wax strips, which made me jump with every strip
causing my little sister to laugh gleefully each time. The strips also
missed some hairs, so we had to redo several spots. It was pretty cheap,
about $7, but you would need about 12 boxes to do both of your legs
completely. Also, in the days that followed, I had ingrown hairs on this
section of my leg. Ingrown hairs are little zit-like bumps that hurt.
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Warm wax at home
The at-home hot wax really hurt when I peeled it off, and a lot of the wax was left over. There was a lot of hair left behind and my legs were sticky. The wax was tough to get off and the process was a little painful. After we waxed my leg with the hot wax, it was red and hurt a lot. There were also a lot of red bumps that annoyed me. The kit was about $10 and would have done both of my lower legs. Waxing is supposed to last a long time, so it might be worth it, but I couldn't do it again because it really hurt. Also, in the places where my skin rubbed against other skin, I got ingrown hairs.
