When I was banded I had a great experience -- very little pain. On the 1 - 10 pain scale, nothing more than a 2 really, and that was mostly shoulder and neck pain from the Co2 gas.

So, yesterday I go to an aesthetician (Kelly, a.k.a. "SATAN") for some IPL (Intense Pulse Light) hair removal on my upper lip. This place is pretty tender, but she zapped me and NO big deal. While I was there, I asked if she could also zap my cleavage area, because I have started noticing some dark hairs there (YUCK)!

Holy CRAP! It felt like she was hitting me with a hot curling Iron. Luckily, my DH drove me, because it hurt so bad on the way home, that my arms were shaking!!! On the pain scale I would say it was an 8. :scared2:

I get home and put an ice pack on it (per Satan's instructions) and take some Advil. Finally the pain slowly abated, but now I have this HUGE brown rectangle of burned skin between my boobs which is still tender to the touch!

My upper lip -- not a mark. Go figure!!!! :wink2:

Sounds random, but is your face area paler than your chest? If you have a darker chest then she may have been using the wrong machine. Tanned skin needs a completely different machine otherwise it burns the skin and causes scarring.

Well...I'd say they were about the same. However, she did shut the machine off between lip and chest. When she finished my lip she shut down and then told me that it was going to be a really slow day because she didn't have any other appointments. So, I asked if she would do my chest. She said sure and restarted the machine.

I don't know if that has anything to do with it???

I do have a tan, but haven't been out in the sun for a couple of weeks and it is faded. I told her this...