The regulation of laser hair removal from a doctors perspective

Does Laser Hair Removal Need to be Regulated ?

Is Laser Hair Removal Dangerous ? 

Currently a beautician can set themselves up in business with a cheap laser costing as little as  £4,000 without having to receive any safety training. 

“There are lots of bad news stories out there about burns, about blinding, about things that can go wrong” Says Dr Willis of the Doctors Laser Clinic “but the most dangerous thing about having laser hair treatment in this day and age is getting ripped off and not getting results.”

What’s the damage? 

The trouble with the cheap lasers is that they drift off setting which can cause burns, but, at the other end of the scale the bulbs weaken and become ineffective. Often IPL machines are labelled ‘lasers’ and these machines can be very unsophisticated and only stun the hairs with little more than a camera flash lamp. 

“About a 5th of our customers come here because they’ve had failed treatments elsewhere and they turn up to us sometimes looking like they’ve been eaten by moths.” Dr Willis.

How to choose your clinic

Here are Dr Willis’  top 5 tips for choosing your clinic: 

1. Check that there a Doctor or Nurse involved in the supervision of the clinic.
2. Look for the big names in Lasers - Soprano is the best.  All other lasers come second and the IPL machines come a poor twentieth!
3. Get recommendations from people who have had successful treatments.
4. If you're offered 6 treatments 6 weeks apart then run a mile.  Everyone differs in their response and treatment regimes have to be tailored according to response.
5. Look for the fixed price and a guaranteed result.

If anyone offers you 100% permanent hair removal they are lying. Most people need occasional top-ups for at least a year or two after completion.

Don’t be fooled by the press

Laser treatment is safe when it’s done by the right people. It’s a proven method of effectively removing hair permanently and often painlessly. Currently a good laser can costs anything between £40,000 - £76,000 but with that price tag the clinic can tune the laser to each individual clients skin and hair type.

“The biggest health warning that we can put on our treatments is that they are addictive. 

We find that once you’ve had your legs done you then want your armpits done and then the rest of your body. “

Dr Malcolm Willis has been a Family Doctor in South Norfolk for 25 years and helps to run The Doctors Laser Clinic  in Long Stratton, Norfolk.

To see more about the clinic watch their film here .