Two weeks ago i had my first IPL session on the low setting and it hurt soooo bad, where as my mum had it on the highest setting and didnt have a single complaint. I have a low pain intolerance but usually can bare certain pains. My mum brought me a voucher for my sixteenth and she will be so sad if i dont use it. Its also expensive so i dont want to waste all that money on nothing.
Numbing creams wouldn’t work probably because she puts on another gel on the top for the zapper.
My nurse says some people pop vicodin before the treatment, some people use the numbing cream, some people come in drunk (like with tattoos) and one woman even brought a flask and excused herself a few times to have a drink from it, lol
Okay… science answer:
You grow in at least 80% of your hair during puberty. When you have laser hair removal the hairs it kills will never grow again. But you still have up to 20% of your normal thickness that will grow in throughout the rest of your life. So people get touch up sessions every 3-5 years after their big 6 treatments. You need about 6 treatments, one each 2 months for a year, because the hair grows in different stages and it can only kill hair in the active growth stage. The laser works by targeting dark color (the hair follicle) and passing through light color (the skin) the hair and skin have to be very different shades of color for the hair to work. The darker and coarser the hair and lighter the skin, the better results you will have.
Okay… Personal Experience:
I’ve had 2 out of my 6 treatments so far. It HURTS! It’s like being poked with a sewing needle over and over, but it’s not as painful as a tattoo, and that’s not as painful as childbirth, maybe that can put the pain in perspective for you =) I’ve had my legs, underarms, and bikini area done. When you get your bikini area done they do ALL of it! Including spreading your butt and vaginal lips apart to laser all the cracks… It’s sorta awkward. After the 2 treatments I’ve had so far I’ve lost about 60% of leg hair, 40% bikini hair, and 25% underarms hair. It’s because the underarms hair is the thinnest and the leg hair is the coarsest. But the legs are the most painful. The more it hurts the better it works.
I spent this much for 6 treatments in each area:
Bikini-$750
Underarms-$750
Legs (toes to bikini)-$2,500
My mom does Laser Hair Removal for a living and so I know a bit about it. I have only had it done once or twice. I don’t benefit from it because my hair is light brown and the texture is on the thin side. But as far as the pain goes, I think you can take Tylenol or Ibprofen to help. If I were you, call the place or person and see which is more beneficial to take. I think it’s Tylenol that you can take.