8. There were huge blisters in the whole area

“I went and had one session and that was fine—three weeks later the hair fell out. That was at the very lowest level of the laser.

It took less than five minutes. You put on the protective glasses and it’s like an elastic band snapping on your skin—so you’re told to expect a bit of pain. They just did the top of my bikini line area in the first session.

The second session I went in, and there was a note to go up to a higher level. Immediately, it was much more painful. But I was told to expect pain, so I just went through it. At one point, she did stop and put ice on it. Then she thought it was normal, I thought it was normal, so I kind of went with it.

Immediately it turned red, then it started to turn purple—all within 10 or 15 minutes of the procedure. The girl, I think, got a bit of a fright. This was their trainee, who wasn’t qualified. I assumed she was qualified, given that it was in the salon and they let her do it.

I fainted across the road in the bank. I’d gone over to open a joint account with my boyfriend—we’d just moved in together. I’d say it was 10 minutes after leaving the salon. I was at the counter at the bank and I fainted. The girl had to come out from behind the counter to give me some water. It was a Saturday morning and I didn’t want to tell them why I fainted. I just kind of said: ‘Oh, I didn’t have any breakfast. I didn’t want to tell them.’

I went home and I had to put on my pajamas because I couldn’t wear any jeans. I couldn’t sit down, I had to sit on the edge of the couch.

I didn’t want to tell them in work that I couldn’t work. I had to go get bandages. I was sitting at a desk for most of the day but I couldn’t sit on my chair so I’d have to go to the bathroom and just put ice on it.

There were huge blisters in the whole area. I put aloe vera and cream on them every day. When they healed, there were white squares left behind.

Each time I went back, I got so upset. They went back down to the lower, original laser level, but then I just didn’t feel right. I was crying every day; it just felt hideous. I didn’t want to go back so I decided to leave it and wait for it to get better.

I did get depressed. Getting into the shower, I’d cry every morning. I had to talk myself out of it so I wouldn’t get too depressed. Then, going to bed at night with my partner, it really did affect me in a million different ways.

I had to throw away everything I owned. I started wearing bikinis with shorts. I stopped going to the gym. I have to wear long tops and leggings.

I just had to deal with the fact that I have to meet somebody new and explain to them I have these scars. I’ll be shaking and crying and will have to find the words to explain it and show it to him. I’ll be pretty vulnerable.”

—Susan

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