Four years ago, Sara decided to have several areas of her body permanently waxed using the laser technique. After her last session, the young woman went home with burnt thighs and calves. It reveals the physical, moral and financial consequences of this misadventure.
- The institute reimbursed only the last session following which Sara found herself with burnt legs.
- There are several methods to remove hair: razor, epilator, wax, depilatory cream…
“I turned to laser hair removal to get rid of a complex, and in the end, I found myself with another physical defect”, says 26-year-old Sara. In 2019, more precisely in the spring, she chose to permanently get rid of her hair, located in the armpits, bikini area and legs, using the laser technique. “Ever since I was little, I have hated body hair. When I was 10 or 11, I started shaving my whole body behind my parents’ back. Unlike my girlfriends who were blonde, I had very dark. At school, I managed to hide my arms”remembers the young brunette.
She signs a document stating the risks and side effects of laser hair removal
After waxing for several years, she saw her down on her thighs, for example, turn into thick, coarse hair. “I also developed the ‘strawberry legs’ effect. Clearly, I had small inflamed blackheads. It was not pretty, I was even more complexed by my legs. Suddenly, I did not go out more in dresses or shorts. At the age of 23, I received my first salaries. After reading articles and opinions on the Internet, I decided to take the plunge and do permanent hair removal”, says the editorial communication consultant.
The patient chose a center based on two criteria. “I didn’t want to have my hair removed using pulsed light at a beautician, and above all, I didn’t want to spend a lot of money”, Sara details. After several searches, she turned to a specialized institute, which is located in Ivry-sur-Seine. During the first appointment, the experts analyzed the condition and color of his skin and hair. Then, the twenty-something had to sign a document in which was mentioned all the risks and side effects associated with laser hair removal, which is “presented as semi-permanent due to hormonal changes that can promote hair regrowth”.
Laser hair removal: “the impression of having your legs on fire”
In total, the Francilienne made “8 or 10 sessions”. The first ones went well. On the other hand, during the last appointment, nothing went as planned. “The practitioner warned me that she was going to increase the intensity of the laser. During the session, which lasted about 20 minutes, my legs were very painful. Usually, I did not feel any pain. At the end of surgery, the expert applied a thick layer of Biafine on my thighs and calves, because she noticed that my skin was swollen. I didn’t think it was going to be a disaster an hour later”, Sarah says.
On her drive home, the editorial communications consultant had “the impression of having the legs on fire”. “When I get home, I realize that my limbs have been burned. I have large red spots, which have turned brown, on my thighs and calves. I was in severe pain. So I immediately called the center. The practitioners sent me a prescription so that I could pick up Locoid, a corticosteroid cream”, explains the young patient. She applies the treatment every morning and evening for five days. Problem: it doesn’t work.
“I was afraid of not finding even skin”
After scabs have formed and fallen off, Sara calls center back. “In July, I explain to them that the spots, caused by the burns, have turned white. The experts tell me to expose myself to the sun during my holidays so that my skin becomes uniform again. I follow their advice which seems to work. But in September, my tan went away and the spots came back. They called me the Dalmatian because of my burns on my legs.”, says the twenty-something. She then made the decision to consult a dermatologist.
For a year and a half, the Francilienne had to avoid all exposure to the sun and undergo treatment “expensive”. His doctor, who took care of him several months after his burns developed, prescribed him a cream to repair his skin in depth and a depigmenting serum. “I was afraid of not finding an even skin, but I wanted to believe it. I did well! Today, I can expose myself to the sun and I have no sequelae. Despite this misadventure, I don’t not regret having had laser hair removal.” However, so far, no one has been able to confirm Sara’s guess that the practitioner failed to adjust the intensity of her laser. “To date, the center does not assume its share of responsibility!”