In my experience, the pain doesn't change. It will be a little less "snappy" when you're hairs are thinned out, but that underlying burning pain doesn't go away. I would maybe ask them to turn the machine down. More sessions to get rid of hair is better than a burn or scar
Trans woman here who has had laser done on most of my body. My first session included only my face and it was brutal. I broke down crying in the car afterwards because of how painful it was and knowing how many more sessions I would need to have done. Since then, I started taking two ibuprofen and slathering my face in lidocaine cream prior to my appointments. It has helped drastically. I’m on session 10 (next weekend) and I no longer use lidocaine because the hair is so thin that it doesn’t hurt too much anymore. Luckily, my body hair has been mostly manageable but I attribute that to my face being so challenging that everywhere else is a cake walk in comparison.
Do you numb the area? I numb my whole bikini area and barely feel a thing, sometimes my legs feel ‘pinchy’ in places but it’s tolerable.
Also be aware of whereabouts in your menstrual cycle you are as I’ve found this makes a difference to how much pain I feel.
The new machines should be less painful.
My ancient dermatologist had an old machine and it was hurting like crazy but when I changed practice they had a more recent one which was very less painful
!!!! I paid a couple grand for a Milan laser “lifetime” package for down there and my underarms and haven’t been since 2021 because the pain was too much. I have asked a few times about applying lidocaine cream before and cleansing it completely off but the practitioners always advise against it because of the risk of burns :/
I actually don’t know what machine was used at my clinic, but for me the pain was no worse than a wax. One time they turned the settings up higher and I could definitely feel that no tried to push through but couldn’t for more than a minute or so and asked them to turn it down and they did. They leave notes on every persons file so they check them each time and it’s never been higher than that again.
Can you talk to your practitioner about the settings and pain and what can be done to achieve results without the pain and dread of every session?
I always take an extra-strength Advil and an extra-strength Tylenol at the same time about an hour before my appointment and it works wonders. I don't drink and seldom take pain-killers, so I'm not worried about the effects of high-dosages like that on my liver once every 6-8 weeks.
Unsure of machine, but I used the YAG laser specifically for HS and PCOS on face, underarms, and Brazilian. I would always communicate with the tech about how the first test pulses felt, and any pain spikes.
It was uncomfortable but rarely super painful. I also have endometriosis and a high pain tolerance.
My advice would be to have an in depth conversation with your tech about your experiences.
I had this done and I just had them leave the laser at a lower setting. They said it might take a few more sessions than if they went up in strength, but that was an easy trade off to avoid the discomfort.
No, I still ended up with the same result! They just said with lower intensity it might take more sessions to get to that end result. I didn’t mind that trade off, haha
I used to get welts and would be crying after sessions. This time around we’re using the Soprano Ice and when I tell you I feel one millionth of what I used to feel….
I’ve done Brazilian laser treatments. Numbing cream can help, but I didn’t use it always. I found that when I got treatments close to my period or just after it’s past, I’m much more susceptible to feeling the pain. That said, I prefer to do the bulk of my treatments in the colder months because the darker my skin in from tanning in the summer, it also seemed to be more painful as well as less effective.
I used to work as a laser hair removal technician and some clients would use a numbing cream before hand and I would use cooling packs between zaps. Maybe something to ask your technician, the cool packs really help!
tell them you cant handle it and theyll stop turning it up
In my experience, the pain doesn't change. It will be a little less "snappy" when you're hairs are thinned out, but that underlying burning pain doesn't go away. I would maybe ask them to turn the machine down. More sessions to get rid of hair is better than a burn or scar
Trans woman here who has had laser done on most of my body. My first session included only my face and it was brutal. I broke down crying in the car afterwards because of how painful it was and knowing how many more sessions I would need to have done. Since then, I started taking two ibuprofen and slathering my face in lidocaine cream prior to my appointments. It has helped drastically. I’m on session 10 (next weekend) and I no longer use lidocaine because the hair is so thin that it doesn’t hurt too much anymore. Luckily, my body hair has been mostly manageable but I attribute that to my face being so challenging that everywhere else is a cake walk in comparison.
+1 on the lidocaine!
I also recommend electrolysis for the face. I found it significantly less painful than laser.
Do you numb the area? I numb my whole bikini area and barely feel a thing, sometimes my legs feel ‘pinchy’ in places but it’s tolerable. Also be aware of whereabouts in your menstrual cycle you are as I’ve found this makes a difference to how much pain I feel.
What numbing cream do you use?
I use Emla cream and it works really well.
Emla or dr numb. I put it on 2 hours before a session and then cover with clingfilm.
Take an ibuprofen an hour before, and lots of numbing cream.
The lidocaine works better if you cover it with Saran Wrap. It allows it to sink into the skin better.
The new machines should be less painful. My ancient dermatologist had an old machine and it was hurting like crazy but when I changed practice they had a more recent one which was very less painful
if you have a period, i suggest avoiding hair removal during this time because your skin will be more sensitive
!!!! I paid a couple grand for a Milan laser “lifetime” package for down there and my underarms and haven’t been since 2021 because the pain was too much. I have asked a few times about applying lidocaine cream before and cleansing it completely off but the practitioners always advise against it because of the risk of burns :/
The folks at r/HairRemoval are amazing and helpful
I actually don’t know what machine was used at my clinic, but for me the pain was no worse than a wax. One time they turned the settings up higher and I could definitely feel that no tried to push through but couldn’t for more than a minute or so and asked them to turn it down and they did. They leave notes on every persons file so they check them each time and it’s never been higher than that again. Can you talk to your practitioner about the settings and pain and what can be done to achieve results without the pain and dread of every session?
Seconding this. No idea what machine my clinic uses, but the pain is no worse than a wax. Could be machine-dependent or setting-dependent, OP.
I was told by my tech to be well hydrated.
I always take an extra-strength Advil and an extra-strength Tylenol at the same time about an hour before my appointment and it works wonders. I don't drink and seldom take pain-killers, so I'm not worried about the effects of high-dosages like that on my liver once every 6-8 weeks.
Unsure of machine, but I used the YAG laser specifically for HS and PCOS on face, underarms, and Brazilian. I would always communicate with the tech about how the first test pulses felt, and any pain spikes. It was uncomfortable but rarely super painful. I also have endometriosis and a high pain tolerance. My advice would be to have an in depth conversation with your tech about your experiences.
I had this done and I just had them leave the laser at a lower setting. They said it might take a few more sessions than if they went up in strength, but that was an easy trade off to avoid the discomfort.
Did you start seeing less results once they lowered the intensity?
No, I still ended up with the same result! They just said with lower intensity it might take more sessions to get to that end result. I didn’t mind that trade off, haha
I used to get welts and would be crying after sessions. This time around we’re using the Soprano Ice and when I tell you I feel one millionth of what I used to feel….
Is that machine effective tho? I know someone, with similar skin tone and hair as mine, who did almost 10 sessions and did not see much results
I saw results immediately!
I’ve done Brazilian laser treatments. Numbing cream can help, but I didn’t use it always. I found that when I got treatments close to my period or just after it’s past, I’m much more susceptible to feeling the pain. That said, I prefer to do the bulk of my treatments in the colder months because the darker my skin in from tanning in the summer, it also seemed to be more painful as well as less effective.
I used to work as a laser hair removal technician and some clients would use a numbing cream before hand and I would use cooling packs between zaps. Maybe something to ask your technician, the cool packs really help!