LisaAnnB

A friend and I signed an agreement for 100% hair reduction with .....................last May 2007. They said it would take 4-6 treatments to see close to complete hair reduction with a two year guarantee of no hair returning in the area. It has been an entire year (6 sessions) and we have seen absolutely no results. I just want the public to be aware of our experience with this deceitful company. We spent together more than 5000 dollars on these services to see no results. When we researched the company more on the internet, we found hundreds of others with the same experience, paid thousands and saw no results.

When we told them of our concerns, they told us that we just needed more treatments and that they had never had anyone not see results. Well, if you look on the internet at .................................................. ..........
We inquired about corporate numbers for this company, the manager said, "It's funny, I know the corporate number but it is just isn't not coming to mind." Then, she gave us two numbers for corporate that were disconnected. She claims to have faxed us a copy of our contracts 5 different times but all we ever receive is the cover letter. She has lied to us numerous times and we have caught her in these lies. She claimed the reason that there were no before pictures taken was that the computers were down for a year....A year? a company with such sales can't get their computers fixed for a year?

I just want everyone to know our experience has been a disaster and I believe this company to be a complete scam.

Does anyone know of a chain of laser hair removal centers that actually works?

I don't really want to hear from someone who is midway through treatment because we too believed it was working for a little bit in the middle but all the hair grew back. I think the lasers at American Laser Center just shock the hair, make a little fall out temporarily and it makes you believe you are loosing hair, but in reality, it is just a matter of time before it grows back.

I have never written a complaint against any company before, but I just really want everyone to be aware of this company's intentions.

t-mo

I'm a 24 year old caucasian/middle eastern male who was told that my skin/hair type was ideal for results, and I don't feel like I've seen any. I do feel weird joining this site -- but I just wanted to let you guys know that I agree -- ALC seems like total BS.

I'm going to let my hair grow back without shaving and then compare to old pictures of myself. Yeah, its something like 3 grand down the drains. I've had 8 or so treatments, back and full arms.

SxyRN

i'm currently going to ALC and so far it's working pretty good. i'm getting my bikini and underarms....so far 4 treatments with the underarms and i've seen a huge diff....

the bikini however is a different story...i have fully completed all the treatments for the bikini and while i have seen reduction, it is still patchy in areas and not all the hair is gone. the center i go to (i'm in michigan) has started "double passing " me. this means they go over the areas twice and it has definitely helped.
i know that if you are fair skinned and have light hair (which i do) it is harder for the laser to destroy the follicle b/c it affects the pigment, so if your hair is darker you have darker pigmented follicles.
i also know that for the bikini area, if you have gotten that area waxed in the past this will actually strengthen the follicle making it more difficult for the last to destroy...which would make sense for my experience because i have gotten brazillians done for 3 years.

hope this helps anyone if they are experiencing the same.

JaneWatson

The nice things first: I have been going to the American Laser Centers Brentwood TN office for over a year and a half and have never seen the office dirty. I work in an operating room and am over sensitive about dust and clutter. The staff is friendly.

Now the not so nice things: The over $4,000.00 I spent PLUS the time involved has not paid off in results and it is very disheartening. I am on my 8th hair removal treatment and have only seen a 40-50% reduction in hair. I can't justify the money I spent on under arms, full bikini, and leg(s) hair removal.

I was frustrated on my 6th visit when photos was taken of all areas (under arms, full bikini, and legs) to show progress of the hair removal. We are instructed to shave before our appointments at home because the laser will not work if the hair is there. They took photos of me after I shaved. How insane is that for them to take photos for progress after I shaved. Of course there is no hair there, I shaved with a razor.

Other issues, the phone goes to answering machine most of the time. I've left up to three messages over a 5 day window before someone called back. The first time this happen I thought it was just a temporary issue but have had similar thing happen several times in the last year and half.

The computer is "down" a lot so scheduling has been difficult at times. Their paper record keeping has been poor and some of the staff are not proficient with their computer skills as they spend 5 to 10 mins figuring out when my next appointment will be.

My appointments are every 7 weeks apart. However, scheduling conflicts with American Laser in Brentwood may make them 8 to 9 weeks apart. I'm not happy about that.

I've researched several medical journals that hair laser could be every 4 weeks apart but ALC has rejected this as acceptable practice.

Having poor results upsets me the most but second to that is: The technician swears she does not skip areas while applying the laser but she does. She should research "Two-Point Discrimination on skin". I (clients) can tell when areas are skipped and it takes away their creditability to insist otherwise. But I have over $4,000 invested in the hair package and I signed a contract so I have no recourse but to go back each time, go by their rules, and hope for the best.

My suggestions to anyone researching this: DO NOT GO TO AMERICAN LASER CENTERS. IT IS UNETHICAL WHAT THEY GET AWAY WITH.

mosi

I started the treatments for full leg, bikini, and underarm when I was 16 years old and I just turned 18 and I have like three more treatments to go and although all of the hair isn't gone, it's definitely really thinned out, specially in the underarm and leg area.

There's many different types of lasers and there's many different rules to all of them. Some of my aunts in Mexico go to NEOSKIN, which uses a different laser without the gel. If you ask your laser lady why you have to wait three months they will gladly tell you, and unless you have all the certifications they have (which most of them do) and the training, I wouldn't really doubt them. Patience ladies!

Another thing to consider is if you're near your period, which makes everything worse. I noticed if I go in right before, it hurts a lot more, and i tell them to turn it down, which makes hair removal take longer. Now they are double passing me because I really made them turn it down and that's not their fault, thats mine. One of my arm pits has thinner hair and less hair than the other actually lol.

By the way, I am a very pale Hispanic girl with very thick black hair and it really has helped. The lighter your hair is the less it works. They really have all the info you need and you really need to put on that lotion.

You really have to take advantage of it and anyone that doesn't do their research before spending so much money deserves losing it. this was the best place to go to and it really is worth the money. MY ADVICE is to have them raise the laser setting until it's ALMOST unbearable and if you're more sensitive because of hormones and menstrual cycle, reschedule, because it really made a difference.

Dawn H

American Laser Centers charge a $75 cancellation fee & will not waive it under any circumstance. I've been going to American Laser Center (Fort Worth location) for over a year now & have had very little hair loss. My contract states that I can continue to receive treatments for two years after my initial treatments are over. Recently, American Laser Center changed their cancellation policy. It's now $75 to cancel an appointment if you do not call the day before. They some times give reminder calls, but you can't depend on it because they're not consistent. They seldom have a human answering the phone, so you have to leave a message. And many times, they don't call you back until the following day. It's one of their many ways to gain extra $$ from you. I have almost two years left on my contract, but they will not let me come back until I pay their $75 fee. Beware of American Laser Centers because it's very expensive & you don't get what you pay for.