My Laser Hair Removal Experience

Only a few things are more satisfying than head tilted in front of a mirror, tweezer in hand and successfully pulling out a strand of hair on your chin you have not been able to take your hands off all day (okay maybe I’m the only one that’s weird). I doubt I would be wrong to say body hair is what a lot of women struggle with, especially facial hair! My battle with facial hair began about 2004. I won’t say I am king kong but I do have a bit of body hair and the one on my chin gives me the most concern. I noticed a few strands on my chin back then and I freaked out. Typically, I reached for my tweezers and plucked the offending strands as you would pluck feathers from a chicken. LOL…This of course led to more hair and bumps from plucking. Fast forward to 2007, I found myself in London and tried waxing my chin (I honestly don’t know what I was thinking). The reaction was out of this world!! The bumps came out angry and ready to conquer my entire jaw area. I used a product which promised to ‘banish ingrown hair’ to dry out the bumps but the spots the bumps left behind …..no be here…sigh! Apparently, I reacted to the wax and when I went back to complain, I met another customer who also got a bad reaction and ended up suing the salon.

I tried all sorts of products to stop the bumps and treat the spots but nothing seemed to work. I got fed up and started to hide the bumps with foundation. Turns out I was treating the effect(bumps and spots) and not the cause (ingrown hairs)

Sometime in 2012, I read about laser hair removal but was not sure if it was a service offered in Lagos and I had erroneously assumed it didn’t work on black skin. Then I stumbled on an advert on a blog (see why you should read my blog…) about a laser hair removal place called Laserderm and decided to try them. I called to book an appointment for the following day and went in. The doctor was so pleasant and made me feel comfortable. She also explained the procedure in detail and assured me of results which was hair reduction not permanent hair removal. I was given a bill and though it seemed high at the time, I was tired and ready to pay. I paid for 6 sessions and got one free (yay!)

My Treatment

I did a patch test on my jawline and returned two weeks later to get a full treatment since I didn’t react adversely to the patch test. The whole procedure was about 30 minutes and I won’t say it was painful, just a sensation of heat and the doctor paused often to cool the treated area. Aloe vera gel and hydrocortisone cream were applied after treatment as well as sunscreen. A week before my first treatment, I was advised on prepping for treatment, what to expect and post treatment care. 

A month later, I went in for my second treatment and a month after that the third. To be honest by the 3rd treatment I felt I had wasted my money and I would be back to square one. I didn’t give up. I went for the fourth treatment and lo n behold four weeks later the hair was still no where to be seen!!! The laser clinic called to remind me of my appointment and I told them there was no hair growth yet. The hair didn’t grow till about 2 months post treatment. Then I went in for the 5th session and so on till I had done 7 sessions

 After my 7th session I probably didn’t go in for like 6 months but in between treatments I would shave off the hair (with aloe vera gel)and not get bumps. I also noticed that the spots were getting lighter and I could get away with wearing powder alone.

The laser treatment and a different approach to skincare have improved my skin a great deal and laser hair removal is something I would always do even if its once a year to keep things ‘tidy’. My next appointment is probably my 11th or 12th session but you may want to know that I am not completely hair free as hair texture and skin type as well as other factors play a role in results but I no longer have bumps at any time or as many spots as I used to.

If ingrown hair bothers you, I would strongly recommend laser hair removal. You won’t regret it

Has anyone tried laser or considering booking an appointment for one? It is totally worth it I can assure you. Make sure you go to a qualified and experienced doctor to get it done.

Let me know your experience with laser hair removal in the comment section.

Update: I slacked on my treatment and it grew back. Know that laser does not permanently get rid of the hair which is why I am going to try electrolysis next. Will keep you posted.

Cheers

Spread the word

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ABOUT ME

Hi Everyone
 
Thank you for visiting my blog
 
Those who know me personally or follow me on Instagram can attest to the fact that I love skincare. Thanks to my mum and aunt, I have been very interested in skincare since I was a teenager and would try all sorts of products on my face. Luckily I didn’t get acne as a teen but age happened and my skin went crazy.
 

ARCHIVES

Newsletter

TAGS

Recent Posts

INSTAGRAM PHOTOS

Search

Archives