Question:
For about six years, I have been collecting consumer reports from TS women
regarding effectiveness of various types of hair removal. Of particular
interest has been laser hair removal, because it was rushed to market
without adequate testing, and consumers are basically paying to be guinea
pigs.
Some women with light skin and black or brown hair have sent me anecdotal
reports of satisfaction with various types of laser, while others were led
to believe theyıd have better results than they did. A few have claimed
permanent hair removal, but when questioned further, they were actually
supplementing laser with another method, or they hadnıt completed treatment
and werenıt qualified to make an assessment yet. A couple of people claiming
laser permanence turned out to be repeating erroneous second-hand
information or (even worse) were promoters for laser practitioners.
Well, I am very pleased to announce that Iıve just been able to confirm a
report that meets my arbitrary benchmark for permanent hair removal using
laser only. A TS woman has provided a report that she has gone over one year
after final treatment without using any other method to remove or conceal
facial hair.
The basics are this: she was an ideal laser candidate with light skin and
black hair. She also transitioned early (SRS at 22) and is now living
stealth. She spent a total of $2000 on two longer ruby laser sessions and
three shorter follow-ups, and she has now been hair-free for several years.
She writes, "My skin is absolutely smooth like a genetic female now [S] As
far as hair removal now, I have none to remove. No bleaching, waxing,
plucking... anything!"
My report is not ideal, because I canıt confirm certain information. The
doctor who performed the procedure is no longer practicing, so I could not
confirm information with him. My correspondent couldnıt recall for certain
which model of ruby laser she was using, although she knew it was made by
Palomar. This woman is very stealth, so I canıt divulge any personal
information or provide contact information for others to confirm her report.
However, we have spoken by telephone, and her story checked out to my
satisfaction. Unfortunately, youıll have to take my word for this, which is
not the way I usually like to report things.
What does this report mean for those considering what method of hair removal
to use?
As I have stated before, some TS women with light skin and dark hair have
reported satisfactory results from a few laser treatment. Experts suggest
that after 3 or 4 treatments, youıve probably received about as much benefit
as youıll get. Itıs important to note that this womanıs report is the first
complete success, even among other ideal candidates.
Ruby lasers of the type she used have the most available clinical data and
have been on the market the longest of the types allowed to claim permanent
hair reduction. The picture from this data suggests that on average,
consumers with relatively light skin and dark hair receiving three or four
treatments have an average of about half to two-thirds of their hair reduced
at 6 months or more. However, researchers note uneven outcomes and
non-response rates of almost 30% in some studies. The reason some ideal
candidates do not respond to treatment is not known. For details on
published ruby laser clinical data, please see:
http://www.hairfacts.com/medpubs/rubymed.html
My correspondent had some electrolysis with unsatisfactory levels of
regrowth and skin damage. She lives in one of the 16 states where the
practice of electrolysis is not regulated, which means itıs even harder to
find someone competent, especially competent enough to successfully remove
androgen-induced facial hair. She wrote, "Electrolysis was a failure for me.
Less than 20 hours left my face scarred and the hair returned. I wasn't sure
if laser would be permanent, but I figured a lifetime of touchups was a far
better deal than a permanently scarred face."
This underscores the importance of finding competent practitioners. Facial
hair removal is an investment, and everyone will see the results of that
investment every day. I believe that scarring from electrolysis can
sometimes hinder those whose desire is to assimilate into mainstream
society.
Bottom line
She concludes, "I don't know how the other skin/hair colors fare, as I can
only speak for myself. But in my experience it is very, very effective."
Will it be this effective in all cases? No. Those with gray, blonde or red
hair will probably see little or no permanent benefit from laser. Those with
darker skin must be very aware about the risks of skin discoloration. Even
those with light skin and dark hair need to weigh the risks of electrolysis
and laser and decide what is the best option under their own circumstances.
If you have light skin and dark hair, you might kick-start things with a few
laser treatments, but only after determining if you can afford it if it
doesnıt work. Should you spend a few thousand on laser in hopes of saving a
few thousand on electrolysis? Only you can decide. It could pay off, but
then again it might not. Thereıs still not enough published data to say for
sure what your chances are.
However, itıs heartening to know that there is at least one case where laser
has been a complete success, and I hope this report is the first of many!
Answer:
Hi I have had 5 sessions, with the newest laser on the market, supposedly
the only FDA approved one for permanent removeal, and the results are
remarkable. I am a lil dark complicted and have dark hair,(used too) the
sessions were 30 minutes each, and results were immediate, slight reddening
of the face for a few hours, but was able to apply make up the following
day.. i goto the laser an vien institute of saint petersburg,Fl.. i forget
the type of laser used . it was lil painful at first but as youre hair
thins, the pain lessens considerably. after the 5th session, its considerd
maintanence and the price is half of the original. i have had 10 hours
of electro in the beginning, a very tedious time consuming task, for dark
hair people i would recommend laser treatment
