Afrobella Around the Web
You know I stay busy! Here are some of the latest beauty and hair posts I’ve worked on around the web.
Over at Vogue Black, I wrote an homage to the timeless beauty of Tina Turner — complete with skincare recommendations to help us all age as fine as she has. Longer review to come about that new Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate – so far, so great, let me tell ya!
I know many of you beautiful bellas wear your hair in a variety of natural hairstyles, including locs! And I certainly don’t mean to neglect your beauty. On BVHairTalk.com I gave a shout out to the online Loc Goddesses, including Toshia of On the Road to Queendom, Camille Reed of Noire Design Concepts, and Chescaleigh. I think her videos are so creative and fun! Look out for upcoming interviews with these ladies right here on Afrobella. If you’ve got any questions you’d like me to ask them, please let me know in the comments!
I did a detailed interview with Trinidadian-born, New York based laser hair removal specialist Jennifer Kandemir for BVHairTalk.com Her center, Advanced Derma Laser Tech, specializes in laser hair removal for all skin types – and she completely calmed my fears about potentially getting this procedure. Jennifer hasn’t shaved or waxed in six years, and she described her skin as baby soft. ” “If every single girl who is as hairy as I am could feel the way I feel now, that would be amazing. I think it makes you feel feminine and better about yourself,” she said.
Have you had laser hair removal? I’m interested in hearing about your experience!
If you’d like to see me follow up on any of these posts here, let me know!
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I just tried lasar hair removal for the first time on my upper lip (Bella don’t you tell anyone!). I have been waxing my ‘stache for years and I can’t handle it anymore. I made an appointment at a skin spa in Oakland, CA.
It kind of hurt, many people say it feels like a rubberband. But they are liars…It feels like ten rubberbands hitting your face at once.
After all was said and done, I was skeptical that it would work. I didn’t expect to see results right away and the next day, my hair on my face grew right back, which freaked me out, not because I had spent $80 on the procedure, but because they make you shave with a razor.
I was really mad until this week, when I became glad that I didn’t send a nasty letter or write a bad Yelp review. Apparentally your hair goes through growth stages and it was at the end and starts a new one. When getting lasared, you kill the hair so it won’t grow??? Either way, I have realized that this week, my hair is half gone after one treatment (they say you wont see results until about 6 treatments). It is growing in a lot less often and more fine.
My esthologist used the similar procedure to what you are talking about, it is a newer machine because I think back in the day only one skin type could get lasar removal.
So far, I am a huge fan and think any investment would be worth it.
I’m a PA
(physician assistant) and my first job was as doing laser hair removal for a VERY popular and elite company here in Miami. Our customers were 99% caucasion although we did have quite a few AA. I could do it for free since I worked there but I chose to only do my underarms. Why? THAT ISH HURTS. Carol is right, about the pain and I would never do a large area because its too painful. And getting locked in a contract, UGH! For blacks, it doesn’t work as well although there are machine settings for our color. The optimal candidate is very pale skin with very dark hair but you can do all skin colors,even very dark skin, but it the laser intensity is lower so it may take longer. I did like 6 tx on my u/a it does grow back now a year later, just much slower and thinner. I could have done more tx and it will have worked better. But I had pts going there for years and still had hair growth. and honestly even if it stops for some years it usu grows back down the line years later. I personally dont think its worth the money, unless I had ALOT of facial hair and it messed with me mentally, then I may think its worth it.
You know what makeup Tina wears right? Her assistant calls in her orders to the office.
I wanted laser hair removal my friend got it and loved it, but she is very pale with black hair, they said if you get keloids it may not be a good thin to get and I am very dark so I was very concered about getting laser hair removal, but this was 3 years ago, and maybe with advances in technology they skin color has been looked into. I would love to ever have to shave again in life, I don’t think you can put a price on this? if they have solved or decreased greatly the keloid issue I am all for it.
In Nov. 2009 I won a $400 discount on services at American Laser Centers. After attending a personal consultation at ALC I decided to get laser hair removal on my underarms and bikini area (Brazilian style). I’m African American with a light brown skin tone and dark hair and so far I’ve completed 2 of 6 scheduled treatments. The treatments are painful, but not as painful as waxing, in my opinion. It is more painful in areas where my hair growth is most dense.
Prior to starting my treatments, I expressed my concern with results because I’ve heard that laser hair removal doesn’t work well on African Americans. During my consultation, I was assured that this is not true. The laser setting used on me is a lower setting which means that it may take more than 6 treatments for me to see the results I want. This is alright because ALC gives a two-year guarantee that after six sessions are complete they will continue to give treatments, free of charge, if you see any hair growth in treated areas. So, far I have seen about 20% less hair growth in the areas that I’ve had treated.
Again, the treatments are painful, but I try to minimize the pain by taking Ibuprofen 30 minutes before treatments and not drinking caffeinated drinks 24 hours before treatments.
So far so good for me
I did it last summer into fall. Did 6+ treatments and had the right setting for darker skin. Well 70% of my hair is back. They said prior to the treatment that hormone changes eg. pregnancy can cause hair to grow back. That wasn’t the case for me. The re-growth is lighter bur still present. I can get a discount for a redo the procedure but I’m gonna pass. Way too expensive. There’s a new product out that I’m planning on asking my dermatologist about.
i’ve had laser hair removal on my bikini area, labia and peri-anal. tru enough it hurts like hell. i havent had problems with scaring our keloiding. i peeled once after a treatment but i think it could have been bc my skin wasnt completely dry or i didnt shave well enough prior to the session. they did prescribe me lidocaine cream and it helps tremendously! i couldnt do a whole session without it. so far i am satisfied bc my old razor bump scars are fading, the area is very smooth and i’m looking forward to not waxing for shaving in the future. i’m considering doing my underarms as well.
I’m currently in the process of removing my facial hair (sparse but thick chin hairs that have been growing for years.) I am dark skinned. This will be my 4th treatment in NYC (Laser Cosmetica 57th St.). My technician is African American. Laser treatment has worked for me, although the hair is not completely gone. The growth is much slower and lighter. But as another commenter said, you have to be patient. Hair grows and cycles in and out of active and dormant stages. And hormonal hair growth (like facial hair) takes a bit longer to eliminate. Also, if you have gray hairs creeping up, I’d suggest you do not wait. Gray hairs do not respond to laser treatment. I am learning this now, as some of my chin hairs were gray. I should’ve done this years ago when I was younger. As for the pain – for me there has been very little. I guess because I am only getting a small area done and the area does not have dense hair growth. There is only a tingle where there are hair follicles. For the remaining gray hairs that do not die, I am considering electrolysis by Lucy Peters once my laser treatments are done. Electrolysis can eliminate grays.