Laser hair removal on your scalp

[Switchy]

I personally like to keep things simple as I can and in what I can .  I shave my head and I do have a shadow , so what .  I enjoy shaving, that is my time of the day , and no matter what I feel like after a good shave I feel great. 

Well said, Switchblade.

Thank you Mr Jules, it is what it is jako !  Keep it simple and enjoy , spend the bucks on shaving items 

[cmarmor]

Hey guys, I had laser hair removal on my scalp done two years ago so I thought I'd chime in with my thoughts on my whole experience.

First off, my shaving technique. I use a Mach 3 razor, treat my scalp with a couple drops of shaving secret (available at walmart), and then use Billy Jealously Hydroplane shaving cream while shaving in the shower. I've tried tons of other products and razors, and this works best for me.

Second, I had been shaving my head for about 3 years before I decided on the laser treatments. I still had most of my hair at that point, with a very thin and noticable bald spot, receding hairline with pronounced widows peak. I have strong dark hair, and even after a fresh shave I had a noticable shadow and stubble. After three years of shaving my head, here is what I found.

1. I liked the bald look.
2. I did not like the stubble or shadow.
3. With my strong, thick hair, shaving my head every day often made my scalp sore, making the shadow even more pronounced.

This led me try laser hair removal, so here are some things to think about.

1. I won't lie or sugar coat here, it hurts. Quite a bit. They tell you it feels like being snapped by a rubber band, and this is a good analogy. It feels a lot like that. However that does not capture the feeling of being snapped 500 times in succession in very close proximity.  Be prepared, it hurts. The good thing is the whole process took only about 5-10 minutes and it only took that long because he had to stop and clean the laser midway. Afterword it feels like a moderate sunburn on your head.

2. The soreness goes away quickly, much like a sunburn. I used aloe vera stored in my fridge to treat my scalp, and it worked and felt great.

3. Be prepared for a patchy look for months. I had one treatment every 6 weeks, and I didn't start losing the "patchy" look until after the 5 treatment or so. I had a total of 8 treatments, with a total cost of $1500.

4. It took awhile to find a place that would treat the scalp. I was told by numerous facilities that laser hair removal does not work on the scalp. I am here to tell you it does. Keep looking for a good provider.

5. Laser hair removal does not kill all hair, only hair that has pigment.  I still have to shave my head of the fine, light colored (and gray) hair. However, I can skip shaving days and still "look" smooth since I have no dark hair left. Also, when I shave now I get a completely smooth feel, no stubble at all and no shadow.

Finally, overall I am very pleased with the result and very happy I had it done. I'll probably continue to get a touch-up treatment once a year or every other year. This generally would cost about $200, but my provider does all touchups for $100.

Good luck,
Chris

[VoodooSyxx]

Thanks for the info, Chris. Might be something I look into in the future. It would be nice to shave and not have rough spots and shadow after less than eight hours.

[Lynchy]

Thanks Chris!

Sounds intense, hope you are happy with it!

[cmarmor]

Oh yeah, I should also add that each treatment is less painful than the previous. What makes the process painful is when the dark hair gets zapped. The more dark hair you have, the more painful. After each treatment you'll be left with less hair, making the next treatment less painful.  So it does get better. My touchups have very little pain  - nothing like that first visit.

So if you take the plunge, don't let that first visit get you down - it gets better.

Chris

[San Cisco]

Last session, my power settings were increased to 18, and I really want to share this.

When it finished, I felt like a freakin HERO!
God, It hurts like hell! Its hurst really, really bad.

Anyway, right now I can go 3 days without shaving.. WITHOUT ANY SHADOW!!
I am really gald I had the courage to start this treatment.

2 more sessions to go. 

[pliskin3]

I've been following this thread and a few posts as a lurker, but wanted to share my experience so far with laser hair removal on the scalp.

Why laser?
First, I see the "ritual" comment about shaving all the time and it drives me insane.  For those of us with coarse, thick hair, my shaving "ritual" is going through a $3 cartridge with one shave.  Being forced to put a hand towel over my pillow at night to keep the blood at vaseline or cortisone ointment from getting on my pillow.  Dealing with pimples, redness, ingrown hairs, and other blemishes all over the side and back of my head.  I didn't give a crap about my "shadow".  I wanted to be free from embarrassment and not being only able to shave my head once per week or deal with the above consequences.

Next, the whole "go with the grain" comment is hilarious.  If I go with the grain on thick, coarse hair, it is no different than combing it.  It will not come out unless I go against the grain, no matter what I do.

For these reasons, I chose to get laser.  I admittedly did not do my research, but as I am typing the above parargaphs, I don't regret it.  I just want it to be over soon.

Which lasers?
I finished treatment 4 exactly one week ago.  I went to two different clinics.  My primary uses a "Gentle" something and my secondary uses a Soprano diode.  I feel like the most recent treatment was the most effective.  She was on 18/25 on the Gentle laser and did two passes over my main area.  The Soprano (treatment 3) didn't seem to be effective on setting 8/10 with a new Sapphire.  The "painless" ones are B.S.  You feel extreme heat hitting your scalp like it is on fire.  I prefer the snapping of the Gentle and she takes more time with it (50 minutes), versus the wham bam 15 minutes of the Sporano.

Pain
Unrelated, but I have had agonizing TMJ and cluster headaches for years.  Comparatively, I don't find this to be painful at all, although I admittedly pop a Percocet 10 before going in and have numbing cream.  My technician says I am the only person to get this far into scalp treatments.   Most men walk after or during the first treatment.  I want my technician to go to a 20/25 or 22/25 next time, but want to avoid scarring.

Results
Here is where I have had problems.  After treatment 2, my sides were 100% gone.  The base of my neck gone.  Top gone.  I have been left with a bizarre horseshoe on the back of my head that looks like a crazy tattoo almost.  It has been embarrassing to go in public with it.  I can't wear a hat to work, so I use concealer makeup to mitigate some of the "design".  My technicial assures me that it will go away, but the shadow is just so dark.

The good news is that all of my ingrowns and problems were on the sides of my head and on the rear where the hair is gone.  Primary issue gone, but now I am stuck shaving EVERY day.  I now wake up extra early in the morning to shave and shower, let the scalp have time to "calm down, and then apply makeup.  If I don't shave it every day, it is obvious.

After treatments, I'm stuck wearing a hat for 5 days.  The follicles are so raised that shaving is completely ineffective.  Makeup helps, but it loos funny with all of the bumps.  I have to wear a hat, so I work my schedule around my ability to miss 2 days of work due to treatment and then be able to wear a hat for 5+ days after that.

Advice/summary
1.  Do your research and be prepared for an extended period of time looking weird.  I am in a profession that this isn't really an option, which has hurt.
2.  Don't sweat the pain.  It hasn't been an issue yet.  My vasectomy hurt more and guys always say how easy that was.
3.  Don't do this if you are only dealing with shadow, but are able to shave regularly.  My skin was getting shredded by razors.
4.  Don't be ashamed to use makeup and try different types.  I've gotten good at the art of cover up.
5.  Be patient.  I suspect I am going to need 10 treatments total.  At ever 6 weeks, this is going to take time.  The end result will be great, but being self conscious about people staring at your head isn't fun.

Pics attached to describe what I have left.  These are both 24 hours of regrowth.  I need to stay on top of it and shave in the AM to make it through the day.

[Lynchy]

Welcome mate,

Thanks for sharing your journey with us!

Wow! You can really see where it's doing its thing.

So one your done with the lasers will you have to shave at all or there won't be any growth?

Good luck!

[pliskin3]

So one your done with the lasers will you have to shave at all or there won't be any growth?

There is still going to be growth, but that shadow in the back should hopefully be gone.  Apparently everyone has really light hairs that no one can see.  It is actually fun shaving those off on the sides of my head because they shave off very easily.  I imagine that's what a lot of the "ritual" guys experience.  No irritation, no bleeding.  You can't even see the light hairs on the blade.  I could probably even use that Headblade on them, which was almost completely ineffective before I started laser.

[cmarmor]

Hey Pliskin3,

Your reason for going with laser was also one of mine. With my thick course hair, my head would get very sore if I shaved every day, not to mention an increased likelihood of nicks and cuts. I also found myself going through expensive cartridges with only one or two shaves. Unlike you, I found the treatments (at least the early ones) quite painful (though tolerable).

Your picture shows a classic example of what I called the "patchy" look. You have the "horseshoe" shape because the hair on the crown of your head was probably thinner, and took the treatments better. I looked exactly the same. As I said earlier, be prepared to endure this look for months. I had a total of 8 treatments, and didn't loose the "patches" until I was on treatment 5 or so, though it gradually gets better through the whole process as more hair is killed off.

Good luck,
Chris

[Baldnbald]

Hello all,

I have been on and off this site for a few years.  This post in particular.  I guess I am wondering if there is a specific laser I should pursue when shopping around.  I have fair skin and have/had dirty blonde hair. 

I'm in the Chicago area if any of you wanna recommend a place feel free to PM me.

BaldnBald

[San Cisco]

Guys, I had my 6 th treatment (5 days ago) and have returned to the patchy look!

I really need your help here!

How can I get rid of these circles? I didnt have them before the treatment, just an overall very weakened and thin hair.. Now it looks like I have burned circles and stripes all over the head again (like after my 3 rd treatment).

Are they missed spots? Or just burned follicles?
Please give me a hand here.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/13/photo1cdo.jpg

[Itall]

Just keep going and it gets better. Just be patient.

[San Cisco]

Hey Itall,

Yeah, I guess its all about patience right now.

Anyway, what do you guys recomend for removing the dead hairs that get stuck?
Any exfoliating procedure?

Thanks once again!

[Baldnbald]

Hello All,
So I got a consultation today from a Laser place, won't mention where not important.  I have a few questions.
It was obvious that the technician hadn't done procedure many times on men's scalps.  I have read a lot about the different lasers.  The one they have is newer they said, called a PALOMAR VECTUS and it apparantly auto adjusts strength settings to hair and skin.  Price point is good cause they want to use my before and after pics to start a portfolio.  This makes me very nervous, as it should.  She said she had done a few men's scalps and wanted to start marketing this to more.  The upside is free unlimited touchups for 2 years after the last of my 6 prepaid sessions.  And she's gonna do my neck down to my shirt line for free after I mentioned the ingrown hairs from shaving. 


1.  DOES IT MATTER she hasn't done many men's scalp?

2.  PALOMAR VECTUS laser, any good? 

I have read a lot about the leopard pattern a lot of guys experience, and this laser they use just rolls across, its not like the videos I have seen where its down and shoot, then up and down again and shoot and repeat etc......  This one just glides over area and laser pulses.   

Thanks for comments