P.C., Los Angeles

I am a 41 year old black female. My parents are both from Belize, Central America, which means that we are a mixture of different nationalities. My father has very fair skin & is hairy as h!%*!!! Unfortunately, so are his female children. We range from ages 24-41.
If you are thinking about trying laser as a permanent hair removal method, let me share my experiences with you first!
Most of my unwanted hair growth is on my cheeks,upper lip & chin area. I always had “fuzz” on my face but was able to lighten it with facial hair bleach and it was cool. However, into my late 20’s, the fuzz on my chin & under my neck became coarse, increased in amount and eventually changed on my cheeks as well. Needless to say, that created a lot of ingrown hairs and dark marks in those areas of my face. The more I plucked, the worse it all got. The texture of my skin under my chin & neck area started to change too. It started to look like a man’s neck after shaving!!! I was referred to a dermatologist that swore laser was the answer. He gave me some fancy name for the type of laser he would used and he assured me that within about 7 treatments, I would probably only require follow up treatments once or twice a year. That was all I needed to hear, I was in! I started treatment immediately. The treatments cost $200 per session. I had 1 session every six weeks for 6-7 months. The treatments seemed to be working until I was unable to afford sessions consistently and within a few months of missing treatment, I was right back where I started. About a year or two later, I went to another dermatologist just to have this doctor promised that his laser was specific for African American’s darker skin and promised similar results. I fell for the hoopla once again. I ended up with the same temporary results, but never did my facial hair become wispy like both doctors described during my initial consultations. Out of frustration & lack of finances I went back to plucking the hairs for about 5 years but it just got worse. I ended up trying laser one more time at some treatment center I heard advertised on the radio. It was all the same empty promises BUT this time I was forced to pay for the amount of sessions they were recommending, in full. That turned out to be $1,600.00 for 7 sessions. Not only did I see NO RESULTS with this laser, the technician was a different person each time and on my 3rd visit, this particular tech burned me and I had tiny blisters on my face by the time I made it home. I guess I’m glutton for punishment because I still went back for another session. This session went ok, but within a few weeks I notices light spots around my upper lip. Finally I decided that I had, had enough! I didn’t return for the remaining sessions. I am now trying electrolysis. It’s a costly and lengthy method, but the best one so far. I’m happy with the results I’m seeing. I really hope this helps anyone who is trying to make an informed decision as to what really works.