A woman says laser hair removal treatment left her with agonising 'chessboard' burns on her face and neck.<br /><br />Thobe Moyo, 38, suffered after booking her annual appointment. <br /><br />Thobe - who suffers from excess hair growth due to polycystic ovaries syndrome (PCOS) - decided to have the hair removal treatment in September 2023.<br /><br />She had previously undergone it eight times and so believed she knew ''what to expect'' from the session.<br /><br />But she claims she was assigned a trainee and the treatment to the left side of her neck quickly turned painful with her feeling an ''intense and unfamiliar burning sensation''.<br /><br />Afterwards, Thobe was shown her skin in a mirror which revealed dark squares covering her neck and jawline.<br /><br />She believes the burns occurred when the trainee "forgot to switch on the cooling mechanism built into the laser".<br /><br />Despite querying the treatment, Thobe says she was still required to pay £13 for the hair removal.<br /><br />Thobe, a consultant, from Cape Town, South Africa, said: "My neck is burnt to a crisp. I've got dark rectangles along my whole neck.<br /><br />"I'm so anxious to leave the house. I just wanted to treat my symptoms but now I wish I never went."<br /><br />Thobe - a graduate of the University of Cape Town - started to grow facial hair when she hit puberty at the age of 18.<br /><br />She was diagnosed with PCOS - a condition which causes irregular periods and excess hair growth. <br /><br />Thobe said: "I hated shaving my face. I had to shave once a day before I found out about this other treatment.<br /><br />"I was a young woman that needed razors for my face. I looked for anything that could help."<br /><br />She discovered laser hair removal after graduating university - when a friend recommended it to help with her symptoms. <br /><br />She was delighted with the results of her initial treatment and was able to stop shaving every morning.<br /><br />Thobe said: "The first few times I had the treatment, the appointment was smooth and fairly cheap. <br /><br />"All prices have differed, but it's worth it. My facial hair wouldn't grow back for months.<br /><br />"There was a slight burn, but it cools down fairly fast."<br /><br />In September 2023, Thobe tried a different salon after reading ''glowing'' reviews online.<br /><br />She booked a lower face hair laser hair removal for £13.<br /><br />On arrival, she advised that her skin would be left with a slight redness after the procedure and would require a cold compress.<br /><br />Thobe said: "Everything seemed normal. They took my information and explained it all to me.<br /><br />''But within minutes I noticed a zapping feeling and felt like my skin was being burnt.<br /><br />''I didn't want to complain as I assumed they'd know what they were doing.<br /><br />"Although I did raise my concerns with it feeling very intense.<br /><br />"They said it was normal and fiddled with the laser machine, thankfully after that it wasn't as painful.''<br /><br />But afterwards, when she looked in the mirror, Thobe was shocked to see a pattern of dark rectangles all over her skin.<br /><br />She said: "I was in complete shock,. I knew it wasn't normal, my skin had been burned.
