Type 3 skin. Why is not working the treatment with Alexandrite laser?

Question

I had been getting laser treatments on my legs, bikini and armpits and the techs used the alexandrite laser (type 3 skin). I am now on my ten treatment but the hairs are still growing back. Few days before treatment the hairs falls, but after 2 months they tend to grow back out very thick and dark. Why is not working the treatment? I have the same amount of hairs as at the beginning.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

This needs an in-person evaluation. Diode, alexandrite and yag lasers work best. It will take a series of treatments to get improvement and some people need treatments to maintain. See an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Jayanthy Ravindran, MS, DNB, MRCS · Answer

Hey there,There are three common reasons for the failure of the laser hair removal treatment:  1. Wrong selection of laser for your hair and skin type.  
  
2. Inadequate energy settings 
  
3. Incompetent therapist
  
Laser hair removal usually works well on dark, coarse terminal hairs and it’s not suited for vellus hairs. So, it’s better if you can get back to your therapist and discuss what went wrong in your case. 
Hope this helps.

Sheryl D. Clark, MD, FAAD · Answer

Dear andre38:
Don’t despair! Hair removal needs to be performed with lasers rather than light devices, and the highest tolerable settings need to be chosen with the very first treatment. Otherwise, hairs will only be stunned and smaller rather than permanently eliminated, and with subsequent treatments, more difficult to eradicate.  The timing between treatments is also critical, as the hairs that are growing in after a prior treatment are in the early growing phase and have the most melanin, the target for the laser. If you feel you have not achieved more than, say, 70% reduction after several treatments, it may be because you are being treated with light or one of the less expensive but less effective devices, and/or you are having treatment at a spa or without a physician’s supervision. (The newest, most powerful and most expensive device, the Cutera HR, costs about $135,000 so you can imagine a spa would not be able to afford a great device.) In these situations, either too low or ineffective settings are used, often to prevent the possibility of burning, discoloration or blistering. This results in smaller finer hairs temporarily and return of most of the hairs after treatment is discontinued.
You might consider getting a second opinion with a dermatologist who can request your treatment records and help you to understand why you have not seen better results. 
All the best,  Dr. Clark

Type 3 skin. Why is not working the treatment with Alexandrite laser?

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