Laser Hair Removal for Thinning Neck Hair

I've recently started Laser Hair Removal treatment on my neck. I don't want to completely remove the hair. It's very difficult to get the hair completely gone anyway. I just want to thin the hair enough so that when I shave, I won't suffer from as many razor bumps and ingrown hairs.

I have dark skin so I looked up the proper laser to suit my skin color. The person that actually did it is a Registered Nurse with a Day Spa business. Therefore I trusted she would know her stuff. It's only a 15 minute procedure but the laser makes your neck so hot that by the 15th minute your whole head feels like it's on fire. My neck was swollen and I had burnt skin that literally fell off. I was a little worried. Within 48 hours though, my skin looked normal again. The heat kills many skin cells as well so you're skin is rough with a layer dead cells. Shaving is a natural exfoliator so that was quickly resolved.

I decided to shave 3 days after and I know it's only been one procedure but man, this thing is great. Before, I'd have to be perfect to get little to no irritation. I purposely shaved with little care and I have had very little irritation. I've repeated this two more times and I'm still good. I'm going to get the procedure done 2-3 more times and that's it. It's only done once every seven weeks so I have plenty of time to gauge its efficacy.

It costs $125 for the 15 minute procedure. I consider this okay since after 3-4 treatments, the effect is (semi) permanent (everyone's hair genetics is obviously different). Besides, there is no price for clear skin. I'll keep you posted over the next treatments.

TstebinsB said:

It costs $125 for the 15 minute procedure... Besides, there is no price for clear skin.

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Exactly... Priceless. For everything else, there's MasterCard.

Now you will be screwed when the Neo-Victorian movement of 2010 comes about, and neck beards are in fashion Just kidding. I think chances are better pigs will fly first.

I'm not hugely into permanent body alternations though, for cosmetic reasons. Besides, clearasil does a good job for me stopping ingrown hairs.

Magnulus said:

I'm not hugely into permanent body alternations though, for cosmetic reasons. Besides, clearasil does a good job for me stopping ingrown hairs.

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It's not going to permanently remove all the hair but it will permanently make less hair grow. I didn't know Clearasil could help with ingrown hairs. I do know it's a whole lot cheaper than what I'm doing..

Clearasil has salicylic acid which unplugs hair folicles, shedding dead skin cells so the hairs don't get trapped if you shave very close. Salicylic acid will also reduce inflammation of any ingrown hairs that do develope. Salicylic acid is a common ingredient in ingrown hair treatments. Unlike the laser hair removal, it is not permanent, and has to be used regularly to work.

Not all Clearasil and Oxy products actually have salicylic acid. Benzoyl Peroxide is also effective on ingrown hairs for similar reasons but is not as well tolerated, it forms hydrogen peroxide in the skin and tends to cause dead skins cells to shed (as well as killing germs), but it causes alot of dryness and irritation, too. Salicylic acid is oil soluble and penetrates deeper into pores in the skin.

I admire you - you’re a trail-blazer! I pluck troublesome whiskers out with tweezers. It started when I used to suffer from ingrowing hairs and acne (2 things which feed each other) and a dermatoligist friend of my mother (I don’t think she’d ever dealt with men) plucked some whiskers out of an area on my chin which had really thick growth, plus spots/ingrowing hairs. The acne’s gone these days, but the ingrowing hairs still come up every now and again, and I’ve learnt to spot whiskers which are potential trouble-makers, and pluck them – like when there are 2 hairs growing out of one follicle. Sometimes it's painful, but it’s so localised and short-lived, and it’s satisfying taking out the ‘baddies’.

Maybe I should look into slowly thinning out my neck hairs in general by just plucking random whiskers out, a couple a day. Cheaper and more pleasant than this electrolisis sounds, plus you're really on top of the whole process. That Clearsil/salyic acid sounds interesting too - I didn't know about that either.

jjw said:

I admire you - you’re a trail-blazer! I pluck troublesome whiskers out with tweezers. It started when I used to suffer from ingrowing hairs and acne (2 things which feed each other) and a dermatoligist friend of my mother (I don’t think she’d ever dealt with men) plucked some whiskers out of an area on my chin which had really thick growth, plus spots/ingrowing hairs. The acne’s gone these days, but the ingrowing hairs still come up every now and again, and I’ve learnt to spot whiskers which are potential trouble-makers, and pluck them – like when there are 2 hairs growing out of one follicle. Sometimes it's painful, but it’s so localised and short-lived, and it’s satisfying taking out the ‘baddies’.

Maybe I should look into slowly thinning out my neck hairs in general by just plucking random whiskers out, a couple a day. Cheaper and more pleasant than this electrolisis sounds, plus you're really on top of the whole process. That Clearsil/salyic acid sounds interesting too - I didn't know about that either.

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With my curly/wiry hair, the constant ingrown hairs were really effecting me. I'm a very outgoing, easygoing person. I was becoming self-conscious and even embarassed, that in turn made me reclusive. I don't do reclusive. To me, getting it done was a no-brainer.

I might get laser hair removal all over my whole face. This way I can still shave for fun without having to worry about ingrown hairs.

Seriously though, Telly, thanks for the post, a lot of deal with ingrowns and it's an ugly thing, this may be a real option for many shavers, who truly love to shave, but get frustrated with some results despite any preparation and technique training.

TimmyBoston said:

I might get laser hair removal all over my whole face. This way I can still shave for fun without having to worry about ingrown hairs.

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I thought about getting my face done just once. It's not really an issue on my face so I wouldn't need more than that. Still though, laser hair removal is VERY uncomfortable. I don't think I'd want to go through it.

I did this 8 years ago and have never looked back, it is one of the best things I have ever done for myself! I had a lot of trouble with ingrown hairs..

The doctor who did it had done it to himself also, he did his neck and cheeks only.. and when the beard did grow in and he didn't shave, it looked like he had tried really hard to get that look.. it was very nice!