Hi Cirrus,
I have been having laser hair removal for a few years now and highly recommened it, but you do need to do your research first!
I have been to 4 different places to have it done (which does not sound good I know!) They were all for IPL and now i'm going to have actual Laser done.
I don't own a machine but it seems to me that the therapist seems to gain your trust and then change the heat settings over time
Meaning that my first couple of treatments with each therapist I had very good results - the treatment (heat or whatever, sorry I don't know the terminology!) was set on high - I could feel it or it was a little painful - but this achieved the best results.
Over time, the heat seems to be changed - high, low, medium, low, low, medium etc. I once asked why it hurt less at one treatment and the therapist told me it was due to the fact that I now had less hair. Obviously in the next treatment she had forgotten and placed the heat a little higher and this time results were better!
This has happened to me too many times now and I have just joined a new clinic the other day. It is for a new laser system called Soprano Blue and the test patch was wonderfully painless. They offered me a monthly payment plan for 6 treatments and guaranteed an 80-90% reduction. They said they would always do an extra treatment at the end if needed free of charge. These questions need to be asked, if they tell you it's too varied, I just would not trust them.
Now you have pcos, my cousin has battled with this for years, we're asian but she has very very fair skin. She lives 200 miles away, and like me seems to have suffered with therapists wanting to leech every penny. She has been doing it for years on her face but it has eventually shown very good results for her. Also her arms and legs.
I have had my legs done with IPL twice only and the results were very good. I easily had 40-50% reduction. My face seems to be another matter and seems to have taken years with little results and my therapists raising and lowering the heat. (If there is a genuine reason for this, I do apologise, but you think my therapists would have told me!)
Now because of your pcos, I would be very careful where you choose to go, all well trained therapists can be sympathetic, but you and the therapist need to understand it may be a longer process becuase of it. There's no point having it done 3, 4, 5 treatments down the line with little results - even with pcos you should see something with the right therapist and machine!
Sorry I have gone on! I do hope this helps though, I wish someone had told me at the beginning what to expect! Don't worry if you have any more questions!
