Finally biting the bullet and ditching razors forever! I’m 40, pretty pale, with medium-blonde head hairs and body hair that ranges from very blonde to medium brown. Today was my first treatment of at least 6. They will be 4 weeks apart for the first 3 then likely longer as the hair grows in slower.
Legs: My thighs have fine, thin, light blonde hairs that I don’t usually shave. I was told the laser won’t work on those hairs anyway so I skipped that bit. I got my knees on down plus my big toes done.
Armpits: nothing exciting to say there. Don’t wear deodorant.
Brazilian: I left the hair on the mons pubis but removed everything on the labia all the way around the backside.
The clinic me shave everything before I came in and let me tell you do NOT leave stragglers! She wiped each area down with alcohol and then spread ultrasound gel. The laser was a ~1” circle. It pulsed quickly, maybe twice a second, and it only took 13 seconds for her to do one straight line from my knee to my ankle. She overlapped the passes by 20%. Where the hairs were lighter, I didn’t feel anything. Where they were darker, it was like rubber band snaps but it subsided quickly. Where there were hairs I missed shaving, it stung the most. I expected the most pain during the Brazilian. The front really wasn’t bad at all but near my anus was the worst of all. That very last snap right on it made me yelp then laugh! It’s a different type of feeling, but it’s certainly no worse than waxing and the sting fades much quicker. She did one pulse at a time on the more sensitive parts, not the rapid succession like on the bulk of my legs. All I felt after I left was some slight stinging still on my anus and now (11 hours later) very slight itching all over. My skin wasn’t discolored or anything and I was given no restrictions.
She was very thorough and made sure to ask me lots of questions along the way about exactly what I wanted. 5 more appointments to go!
Pivoted taken before I shaved. Armpits with about 48 hours of growth, legs and pubic area about a month of growth.
Updated on 14 Aug 2020:
The leg stubble is weird! Instead of standing straight up, they’re laying down at funny angles and come right out when gently tugged with tweezers. Definitely the last gasps of dead follicles! Yes!
Pubic stubble looks the same but then tugged, a good number are anchored in well and several come out.
Armpit is harder to gauge as I have continued to shave there daily. Stubble appears to be growing a little slower at least.
I was instructed not to tweeze or wax anything, I just tested a little because I was curious.
Updated on 23 Aug 2020:
Legs and pubic area I have plenty of stubble which is to be expected. Armpits are doing fantastic though! Took this picture this morning and I haven’t shaved in five days. While you can see a tiny bit of stubble in the photo, there’s nothing you can feel.
Updated on 30 Aug 2020:
Armpits: absolutely thrilled so far. I haven’t shaved them in 10 days and this picture is the result. Barely any peach fuzz.
Legs: definitely a major difference. Two weeks no shaving in this picture. There’s definitely patches where there’s hair and patches where there’s no hair. All the hairs there now are anchored well, not the ones I can pull out easily. I took a sideview also so you could see lighter, finer hairs poking out from my shin.
Pubic area: no difference so far. This picture is no shaving since the last treatment and looks the same as it did before. Added a bikini line pic.
Updated on 9 Sep 2020:
It has been 5 weeks since my first treatment. I was supposed to go in last week, but they had a technician cancel at the last minute so I rescheduled to today. Today’s appointment was exactly the same as the first one as far as duration, pain level, and all that. Not much else to report, the next appointment is in four weeks.
Updated on 9 Sep 2020:
Someone messaged me and asked about recovery so I thought I would cover that. There is none! The sting of the laser fades immediately and that’s it. No skin irritation or redness or anything. As soon as she’s done, I get dressed and go on with my life. They did say to stay out of the sun for two weeks post treatment to avoid the possibility of hyperpigmentation.
Updated on 19 Sep 2020:
I shaved before treatment as required but I haven’t shaved at all since - for science!
Armpits: barely any hair at all and what is there is finer and lighter. I’m most thrilled with this area so far!
Legs: hair growing in slower and more sparse. The hairs there now do feel well anchored and I can’t pull them out easily (like dead ones).
Pubic area: still the most typical growth but I can see a difference between the lower half and the mons pubis which I shaved at the same time (11 days ago) but is not being treated. Lighter, softer, slower with no to very little hair growing on the outer edges by my thighs. No hairs are pulling out easily.
My 3rd treatment is 10/8, 4 weeks after the 2nd.
Updated on 14 Oct 2020:
10/7 was my 3rd treatment. These photos were taken the night before, no shaving at all for the last four weeks between treatments.
Similar to my last update, 100% thrilled about the armpits. Virtually no hairs there at all.
Legs are getting lighter each time. All the way until today, there have been hairs that are just tiny black dots that can be picked out.
Pubic area remains the most persistent but that’s to be expected. Bikini line is lovely and smooth, but the main part still has significant growth. I can tell a moderate difference between the mons pubis which has had no treatment and the lower area which is being treated.
My next pubic treatment is in four weeks. I can do my legs then if I feel they’re ready. Next armpit treatment is in eight weeks.
Updated on 17 Jan 2022:
I’ve done 8 or 9 treatments on each area now. My legs and armpits are essentially done but I’ve got a few more left on my second package. There’s really just light blonde or almost blonde hair left. I will keep those on file for future touch ups as they don’t expire.
Pubic area is coming along but definitely still a work in progress. I’m still very happy with it as the hair is far fewer, finer, an slower to grow.
Pic was taken today. I don’t shave at all anymore unless I’m going in for a treatment, the latest of which was at least 6 weeks ago.