Originally Posted by
begov94
Yes you have to shave beforehand, otherwise the laser won't penetrate into the roots and the hair follicle won't get destroyed. Most shops will charge you a "shaving fee" if you turn up unshaven.
Doing it the first time you'll see some stubble "growing" out as if it was a fail, but if you leave it for at least 3-4 days you'll notice some of the hairs falling off on its own. This is basically your pores getting rid of the dead hair, and depending on how deep your follicles are it can shed either faster or longer but generally you'll see them fall off within a week after your session.
Weeks later new hairs might grow back but it'll be thinner. The more sessions you do the thinner it gets to the point where it's almost unnoticeable.
First visit and stripping down is awkward as you're reminding yourself that you're not there to receive HJ. After a few sessions you get used to it. My regular tech was not my type so I had no problem but one time I had a cute Aussie girl for that one day, it was much more awkward for her than myself as it seems that I was her first male customer. My regular tech seems like she's done many males in the past so she's unhinged.
Nope. I think the complications only affects those with darker skin (African/Aboriginal) or those with tattoos. Also you need to clean the area before the session (no oils, lotions, sunscreen, perfume) so best to hop into the shower and shave before the session. You don't want the technician to turn you away because of your hygiene, and the reason why you should keep your treatment area product free is because the product may affect the efficacy of the laser. Oh and if you're on mandatory antibiotics for whatever ailments then stay away from laser for a few weeks.
On your first four session they tend to zap you with a mild to moderate power which feels almost nothing. The laser point also blows cool air so it cools the area down immediately after being zapped. On your fifth and subsequent sessions they'll increase the power and you'll feel something. The strongest pain I've experienced is similar to getting zapped by static electricity. Most painful treatment areas is obviously the pubes as my hairs are usually thick.
If you're doing facial hair with typical East Asian consistency then you should be fine. The skin on the face is much more delicate so I reckon they'll keep it at mild or moderate power.