Hidradenitis Suppurativa :: Laser Hair Removal As A Treatment
Mar 17, 2010
Just wondering if anyone has had any success with laser hair removal as a way of preventing this disease escalating from stage 1? I was just struck by a passing mention in a post by a doctor about antibiotics, and remembered that a few years ago, before my diagnosis, I used to have terrible problems with my upper thigh areas: I put it down to being sensitive to using razors and so invested in laser on that area. Now I don't get bumps there at all, but I do still in my groin and armpits. I would have thought that logically, if there are no hairs, that the area can't get so infected and sore. Laser hair removal is now widely available and relatively inexpensive.
View 1 Replies
Advertisement
Has anyone tried laser hair removal?
View 1 Replies
I've been suffering from HS for the last few years, I think it started in 2010/11, I am male in mid thirties. I have had various flare ups over the years both small and large in only the groin area. There have been times where it has disappeared for months but then reappeared at existing or new places.
I have three areas which have scared and still feel like a bump is under the skin, sometimes they weep, they have been there for some time. In one area the discharge absolutely stinks (to me), which is strange as all the other areas seem to be odourless.
Over the last couple of days I have had a couple of big new flare ups which have got me searching on google about HS again and in turn typing on this forum now for the first time. Before that I have been pretty comfortable for at least 4 or 5 months with nothing major going on.
I have been to the doctor and dermatologist various times. Have also visited a surgeon when the doctor gave me the option of surgery, however the surgeon advised me not to go under the knife if they weren’t effecting me that badly as it would put me out of work for six months (not good for self-employed) as well as having the risk of them coming back 10 times worse.
I have been reading up about laser surgery, particularly an article titled “Treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa with intense pulsed light: a prospective study” where they test it on 18 people and seem to have positive results. My question, is there anywhere available in the UK for this?
View 9 Replies
I need to have facial hair removal but have been told that having hemochromatosis, I may be a further risk towards possible skin damage, which could result in skin hypo/hyper-pigmentation.
My Haematologist told me that skin discolouration could occur from having hemochromatosis, which I was aware about (and this is only if your iron levels aren't controlled) but I don't know if by simply having hemochromatosis, destroying the follicles that produce hair, by laser, could result in unsightly skin damage that wouldn't otherwise happen if I didn't have hemochromatosis?
I've asked the hemochromatosis society and Christianos centre (laser clinic) but none of them have come back with any information based on people who have had laser hair removal, more a vague hypothesis on the matter at this stage involving detailed information I'm continuingly absorbing but being lead astray with as it's not an area I'm experienced with enough to gain a constructive enough opinion (biology). I'm transgender so need to have this done soon as poss.
View 9 Replies
I have RSD in my right leg, hip, & lower back. I hate the days that I have to shave my legs because it causes me a lot of pain and makes me extremely grumpy, especially since I always have hair on my legs again within 24 hrs. I am considering laser hair removal so that I don't have to go through this painful process, has anyone had it done?
View 2 Replies
I am going ahead with laser hair removal as a result of the ongoing problems i have had with pilonidal sinus and boils. Has anyone tried this and willing to share their experience? I'm not counting too much on it as i've read some people are unresponsive, but hopefully it will go well.
Also will it be a huge problem to have the laser hair removal while i have boils in that area. would they just go over the boils or not be able to use the device where there is a boil? When i get a one, it never tends to burst, it's just red and tender for a couple of weeks so i can never sit down with ease, but it will eventually go down.
View 1 Replies
I have been feeling really bad about the facial hair that I have. I am a young woman with black hair, and so the hair I have in my moustache area is also black and very noticeable. I do wax it but it always returns, and the waxing also leaves a red and bumpy area. I love the idea of getting laser hair removal. Does this procedure have any side effects?
View 1 Replies
I want to remove my bikini area pubic hair however I'm extremely embarrassed to go as I have large labia minora hanging down and they show while I'm standing and my legs are closed is that normal
View 2 Replies
Here are a couple of tips that can be used to help reduce the pain during laser hair removal.
Tips 1. Apply topical numbing creams
Topical numbing creams may be applied to the area prior to the laser treatment as they will not change the effectiveness of the treatment. Make sure to time the application appropriately as you don’t want it to wear off by the time the laser treatment starts and some may also take a while to kick in. Many numbing creams recommend applying 20 or 30 minutes prior but all creams are different. Be sure to read and follow the directions accordingly. This is by far the most popular method of preventing any laser hair removal pain.
Tips 2. Bring an icepack to a session
Bringing an icepack to a session and holding it on the area for about 5 - 10 minutes prior to the laser treatment can also help numb the area if you do not have any numbing cream.
Tips 3. Select laser type has a cold air attachment
Some hair removal laser types hair removal laser types come with air attachments that blow a stream of cold air directly onto your skin while the laser is in action. This is used to soothe the area and help reduce pain. If your selected laser type has a cold air attachment, a trick is to ask the technician to blow the cold air all over the area for a minute or two prior to the laser treatment to help number the area even more. If the area gets too cold, get them to stop and proceed with the laser treatment immediately.
Tips 4. Ask the technician to experiment with pace
Ask the technician to experiment with pace. Technicians all have their own technique when it comes to using the laser. Some perform in quick bursts, while others use a slow, continuous pace. One technique may feel better on your skin than the next. Determining what pace feels the best for you can help reduce laser hair removal pain.
Tips 5. Avoid during menstruating
For the ladies, try not to schedule your session when you’re premenstrual or menstruating as your hormones may greatly increase your sensitivity to pain.
Tips 6. Drink a gallon of water prior to the treatment
Drink a gallon of water starting about 4 to 6 hours before the treatment. Going without a drink can make you more sensitive to pain, a study has found. Although there is the danger of drinking too much and getting sick, but you will not feel a thing through out my session. It's easy and free.
Tips 7. Avoid coffee and anything else that contains caffeine
Avoid coffee and anything else that contains caffeine the day of your treatment. Caffeine has been said to increase sensitivity.
Tips 8. Ask the technician to stop when the pain becomes intolerable
If the laser hair removal pain becomes intolerable, you can easily ask the technician to stop. They can give you some time to recuperate before you are ready to proceed with the rest of the procedure.
Tips 9. Try to have the hair as short as possible
The length of the hair makes a difference. The longer the hair, the more painful it is going to be. Technicians will advise you to shave the area a day or two prior to your appointment. To avoid more pain, try to have the hair as short as possible, but still visible.
View 2 Replies
I have had HS for around 15 years now. Fortunately even though I am in stage 2 it is not that bad now and seems to be tailing off somewhat. Maybe it's my age - 61 but I am grateful.
However my last 2 bad ones have been different to the rest and I wondered if it is because the disease changes a bit in time or it is just random.
My one before last attacked a big cyst I had on my back for ages. It was no problem for about a year until suddenly it became big and infected. It didn't heal like they usually do on ab's and instead of ab's kicking in within a couple of days it took 2 courses to clear it. It also left a crusty lump behind.
The last one was on the side of my leg. This too took around 10 days of ab't to heal the infection. Now it is just a lump which won't go. It didn't drain at all and won't..
Does anyone have an answers and advice for me please? The ab's have always worked before within a couple of days. Unfortunately I can't take penicillin and erythromycin doesn't work. I usually take doxycycline.
View 1 Replies
I'm 22 years old. But i feel like I'm older. Last year they diagnosed me with hs. I had out way before that but never got it treated because i was embarrassed. I have it everywhere. I have open wounds in both armpits. I have some in the back of neck, groin and under breast. They are extremely painful. I don't even go out anymore because i tend to start smell bad due to my armpit lesions. I've also have a lymph node on the side of my neck that is worries me. Idk if it due to the open wounds that i have in my neck. I'm so embarrassed to go to the doctor again. But i see no way out. My primary doctor is useless he doesn't know about this and just send me to the ER. I'm so depressed i don't know what i can do. This wounds won't heals.
View 2 Replies
I have had Hidradenitis Suppurativa since I was 15 I am 23 now and I have had a boil everywhere but I let go of beef and night shades and it has gotten better 2 years free but I still get have hard lumps under my armpit that drain and inflame sometimes my question is is that normal does boil still remain and is hard and drain sometime mostly around my period
View 2 Replies
I'm 25 years old and just recently been diagnosed with HS, although I've had the condition for 5 years without knowing. My GP attempted has to diagnose me for the past year or so & eventually referred me to a dermatologist. I suffer from HS on my groin and vulval area (which is highly embarrassing alone) to be quite honest my lady parts do not look attractive and cannot see myself being able to enter a relationship due to this condition which is getting me down. I don't have the confidence to get naked infront of anyone or see anyone even wanting to have sex with me again. I've been single for 4 years and dating is hard enough when all parts of you are normal. How do you tell someone you have this horrific condition? I've only had sex which in hindsight was my remission periods. However I was seeing someone and did tell him that i had this condition which he was really sweet and understanding about & didn't change towards me at all. Saying that I did sleep with him (lights off and and in a position with reduced visibility) after that he decided to stop seeing me with no explanation. I feel like I looked that repulsing that he wouldn't want to touch me again.
Anyway that has been a horrible experience and shattered the smallest amount of confidence I had left. This isn't an experience I want to repeat. My condition has worsened over time, I'm going to be on medication for 3 months but have been told that it may not work and I could be on medication for years trying to manage this.
I feel like I may not have the opportunity to have sex again, never be in a relationship or even marry for that matter.
I get this is something that I have to just live with, just need to get my head around this. I've read stories about people developing HS whilst already being in a loving committed relationship but no positive story on meeting someone new?
so i guess dating is something that is over in my life? Just hoping there is someone out there who can put a little bit of faith back into my soul, because right now it just seems all gloom and doom from here.
View 8 Replies
It started when I was 17. I got a huge painful lump in my vagina near the opening. I went to the emergency room. The doc said I had herpes and sent me home. I got the same lump a few times a month. It would drain and come right back. A few years later they started in both armpits. Huge lumps that drained, took forever to heal and left track like scarring. These days the lumps, boils or whatever are mainly located on my vagina. Two outside, two inside. They are very painful, red, drain and come back. Ive had antibiotics but it doesn't seem to help. I have 3 children and have been tested for every std. My youngest is just 2mos old. All tests are negative. Its not herpes.
View 6 Replies
I have had this skin condition for over 20 years. Like others afflicted, it affects me everyday of my life. I have also suffered a lot of joint pain since my early 20's and it is getting much worse. Lower back pain with a lot of popping. My hips feel very stiff after being at rest for a short amount of time. I also have lots of pain in my elbows. I read online that the two can be linked?? Anyone else with this problem? I also read that hidradenitis suppurativa is also common or linked with Crohn's Disease and IBS. I don't have those, but do have Diverticulosis throughout my entire large intestine.
View 11 Replies
Hi all! I'm currently 26 years old and I suffered from facial acne when I was in my late teens for which I was prescribed Roaccutane which proved successful. Everything then went quiet for a while and I enjoyed having relatively flawless skin.
When I was at the tail end of 22 I started getting boil like lumps under my breasts which would sometimes burst with nasty yellow pus inside. Sometimes I couldn't help but squeeze and would do so until they bled (bad I know!). As a result I have been left with terrible scarring.
Just before I turned 23 I moved to Dubai for a 2 1/2 year stint where the boils continued to get worse and spread to my inner thighs, down my sides where bra straps go round the body and even sprouted up on my bum cheeks. I attended a Russian dermatologist while in UAE and was told it was because I favoured shaving as hair removal and should consider laser hair removal (funnily enough a service she provided). Other doctors blamed my weight as I am obese but I found this to be an easy answer for them.
When I returned to the UK I went straight to my GP who then referred me onto the local hospitals dermatology unit. I was put on another course of Roaccutane - which I am supposed to still be taking but I stopped as the side effects became unbearable for me with absolutely no improvement. The doctor has confirmed I have Hidradenitis Suppurativa and said when I go back on 29th December he will change me over to a drug called Dapsone which is regularly used to treat leprosy. Has anyone else with this condition taken this drug, if so was it successful? If not what do you take that you find helps? I'm losing the will with doctors at the moment. When I attend on a monthly basis they don't even look at the current state of my body to assess if it's improving or not, they just take my word for it. I also feel I'm doing a lot of research into conditions and treatments myself whereas they suggest nothing.
View 17 Replies
Today I went to see a new dermatologist, I live in the uk near london and this was my first proper appointment with a dermatologist..
I have suffered for about 10 years only to find out last year what I actually suffered with.
I spoke to the man today, took pills and creams that I had been using.. These pills are basically vitamin pills with a bit more in which I have found helped me with my facial skin as my hs is all over my body, but mostly in the groin/armpit and top of my buttocks.
I asked him about diets, turmeric, intolerance testing, blood tests and he shot me down at all points laughing saying it's all rubbish and here's an information leaflet of what you have.. I am fully aware of what I have, I suffer with it daily thank you..
By looking at a lot of people on here it's mainly from the US, is there anyone here that's from the uk? What have you tried? And has it worked?
I broke down in the car park when I left, just felt useless and the person that I am going to for help has just laughed at me!!
He has put me on a 6 weeks course of minocycline anyone had these?
With the intent on keeping me on these if my situation gets better..
I just feel so useless.. I know we're all in the same boat and I just hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
View 8 Replies
I am in a new relationship with someone who has had Hidradenitis Suppurativa for the past 10 years. Due to the severity of this condition in the past , he was fitted over a year ago with a colostomy bag, the doctor suggest this is a perm bag? if this condition is controlled can this be reversed? ( he is only 27)we no this condition is very hard to control, he has just started a new antibiotic and believes it is starting to work, he also has chemo once a month to try and put this into remission...
View 1 Replies
I have Hidradenitis suppurativa and have suffered for many years with it I was reading a magazine the other day and this woman was suffering from mrsa infection and a young women went to see her in hospital because she was dying from this infection but this woman brought her some copper pj's and she wore them and they cleared her infection up and saved her life I have gone on a website and researched these copper things and they help with infections I have ordered some pj's and some knickers too see if they actually do help because as many people know anybody would try anything with this condition. I thought i'd share with you all.
View 1 Replies
I am 18 and in high school and have had HS for 5 years. It's gotten worse in the last few months and the drainage stinks and no matter what I do, I smell it and I'm worried my classmates do too. I clean the drainage with soapy antibacterial soap and shaved the area (I know you're not supposed to but I feel like whatever drains sticks to the hair and stays there). It's still pretty bad and now it hurts to lift my arm because my armpit is open and draining. My doctor doesn't want to give me a referral to a dermatologist, she thinks taking me off of the depo shot will help with weight loss and in turn it'll go down. It's stressful, I want to finish my senior year in peace but I can't because I have constant anxiety that my classmates smell my drainage and my arm hurts so bad.
View 4 Replies
I have had HS for eleven years and it is getting worse and worse and worse. I just don't know what to do anymore. I am under the care of Dermatology and I am on long term antibiotics as well as a cream which i apply nightly. I don't use anything scented, deodorant, bath smellies or shower gels. Non bio washing powers are what my clothes are cleaned in. I currently have a huge boil under my right arm and i cant move the arm upwards and its hard to sleep. Can anyone help with something else i can try or some other home remedy?
View 3 Replies
