Beauty under IPL

2 years ago I had electrolysis done on my upper lip. It took 2 years for it to be completely done. It was long but it was effective. I loved it! The only thing that I didn't like was on the first few months that I did it, it left black spots on my upper lip. It stayed for the first 8 months, then vanished right after.

Last week, I bought a coupon for IPL from one of those deal coupons available on the net.

But what is IPL? I didn't know what that is until last week..

"It is a method of hair removal from the body most commonly employed by medical practitioners and estheticians. It involves the use of a specially constructed xenon flash lamp and focusing optics.

IPL hair removal is cheaper and faster than laser hair removal. Although the precise effectiveness of IPL compared to laser epilation is debated by scientists, equipment manufacturers and practitioners, their results are generally accepted to be roughly equivalent. IPL can also be used as a skin treatment in a process known as photorejuvenation." (from Wikipedia)

I'm planning to have it done on my underarm. I'm just a little concerned because I have a very sensitive skin.. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Back from electrolysis

I'm back from my electrolysis rendezvous! I thought my appointment was at 11:00am, but Shahla, the aesthetician, said it was confirmed for 11:30, okay fine. Since I'm half an hour early, she asked me to put some topical anesthetics, the brand name was Amla. I checked the pharmacy, and they sell it for $42 CAD + tax per tube. I work in the same building so I spent my time chitchatting with my colleagues while waiting for my turn. I came in around 11:35ish, and then the treatment has started. When she was doing it, you could still feel it even though I was numb by the anesthetics, but it's not that bad. She spent 10 minutes poking(for lack of a better word) the hair in my upper lip. Then she put some aloe vera to make my skin relax a bit. After, she told me to expect a little sensitivity and redness on my skin. I was thinking of going shopping after the treatment, but when I looked at my face, I don't think I can go anywhere, it's so red!! To think that she only did the thicker ones. Electrolysis is permanent, but the downside is that it takes several visits to make it successful. I scheduled my next appointment in the next 3 weeks. Oh the price that she gave me was $20 for 10 minutes, not bad eh?

Electrolysis

I have an appointment with my aesthetician today at 11am. It's for my electrolysis on my upper lip. You know, I'm one of those unlucky girls who has a mustache. I used to wax it but they started growing unevenly so I've decided to do something else. I asked the aesthetician about laser, but she said with the type of hair that I have and my skin type, it's not going to be very successful. So she advised me to do electrolysis instead. I'm a little bit anxious because I don't know what to expect. Is it going to be painful? Is she going to put some topical anesthetics? I have no idea.

But what in the world is electrolysis?

Electrolysis is a more guaranteed form of hair removal and works on dark AND light hair.

How it works The aesthetician inserts a sterile needle into every hair follicle. A low-level electrical current kills the follicle. Because electrolysis focuses on one hair at a time, it can be a tedious process, which makes it ideal for small areas like the brows, upper lip and chin.

The pain factor The pain from electrolysis is greater than laser and it may feel like 20 pricks to your one for laser hair removal. Cost is about $60 for a typical 30-minute session, but the con is you need about 15-30 visits to see the best results (ouch!)

Are results guaranteed? Yes. Unlike laser and pulsed lights, electrolysis kills every follicle the aesthetician treats.
Source: about.com

I hope everything works out well. *fingers crossed*