important consumer information for IPL & Laser burns

Well-educated and well-trained laser & IPL technicians do not torture their clients - safe and effective skin cooling should always be used - no excuses!

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help make changes to unsafe treatment providers - check out options below:

Receiving a nasty burn or developing pigmented, or loss of skin colour in skin areas after laser or IPL treatment is becoming more common as fewer people seek professional training in the prevention of unwanted side effects.

Treatments listed from Highest to lowest risk for burns:

Laser tattoo removal: A burn is an unwanted side effect that can be expected after laser tattoo removal, however, the operator should be doing everything they can to PREVENT this from occurring, burns and then blisters are more likely to occur with QS 532nm laser and or when treating a bony area, or more commonly from accidental overlapping of the laser pulse. Care should be taken to prevent issues from happening. Cooling devices such as a cold air blower and or cold packs are ESSENTIAL for tattoo removal sessions. No tattoo removal system has in-built cooling.

Laser for leg veins: An expert-only treatment. A small burn may occur occasionally with Nd:Yag laser for leg veins, again, something professional operators try to avoid where possible. Treatment without causing burns is more the norm, however, on sensitive parts of the leg, these can happen. Burns/blisters, usually occur when smaller laser spot sizes are used and higher energy is required, or when accidental overlap occurs. Leg vein treatments are very advanced and should never be done using IPL (Intense pulsed light), they should be conducted by experienced experts only, preferably medically qualified, or medical laser technicians (who may not be medically qualified but have medical knowledge)

Laser hair removal: Sadly we see more burns occur with lasers used in hair removal due to lack of training, it is not the laser’s fault. Lasers that emit shorter wavelengths such as 755 Alexandrite laser when used on darker skin types, or those with more olive or tanned skin, are prone to burns. There are also reasons burns occur when a safe laser is used on an appropriate skin type client, this is mostly due to a lack of knowledge of laser science principles. A cooling system should always be used, this might be contact cooling (touches your skin), air cooling, or cold packs. Conducting hair removal of any sort with an IPL or a laser SHOULD always be very low risk for burns and unwanted side effects if the person is well trained.

Laser skin treatments: When used appropriately by a well-trained laser technician, there SHOULD be a very low risk of causing burns to the skin, however, other complications can occur. These might include swelling, infection, prolonged redness, and scarring. Again a cooling system should be used to reduce heat to the upper levels of the skin. Certain lasers tend to attract to water, not the person’s skin colour, and are safer for this reason. However, in untrained hands, issues can and do occur - again, this is due to not being taught well.

IPL skin treatments: These should be considered low risk for burns, however other unwanted side effects can and do occur, these are mostly related to pigmentation, loss, or gain. some of which can be managed and may in fact be considered normal range for the skin condition treated. In well-trained hands, an IPL is safe, however, they can also be more unsafe than a laser if the operator has no idea of their laser science.

What to do if a burn has occurred:

  • Please let the clinic know that a burn has occurred, in some cases they may be able to advise you that it is normal and expected (unless of course, you consider it to be painful, larger, multiple burns, deep burns, burns where pigmentation is already developing etc..) in which case please go straight to your GP. This should be reported to ACC and treated as a first-aid matter.

  • Burns can generally turn infected and then can lead to scarring. Where possible we want to prevent infection by using a simple antiseptic, soothing cream. eg: Bepanthan, pawpaw, or Aloe vera

  • Cover and keep moist to encourage wound healing, and keep an eye out for spreading redness, pain, or oozing, if that occurs, seek medical attention.

  • We encourage clients who are not happy with the state or service from IPL (pulsed light) or Laser clinics to complain to their local councils. In the case of the regulations and breaches of the Health & Hygiene bylaw 2013, in Auckland, you can go here.

  • Cases relating to unprofessional conduct or medical treatments, serious burns, or ocular (eye) damage - please go to the Health & Disability Commissioner (HDC)

  • In complaints where a nurse is involved, you can go here.

  • Cases relating to the unfair representation of products or services - please go to the Commerce Commission

  • In the case that the Laser or IPL operator is a member of the NZ Association of registered beauty professionals - please go here or if you want it independently investigated please contact Julie Martin - NZBPST.org

  • In cases where the person doing the treatment may be in a position of authority or you want to see independent action - please go here

Help for people affected by burns:

All burns are not ideal, however some burns require a higher level of care. These would be burns that are painful, worsening, where skin is lifted, or broken, and where immediate home remedies dont’ seem approriate.

In these cases please seek professional guidance from Healthline on 0800 611 116 for free advice.

what sort of training certificate should people hold to carry out my treatment - what to look out for.

Operators of IPL and Laser devices SHOULD have a certificate in face-to-face training (for practical teachings and safe handling of the device) - Simply having done a laser safety certificate is NOT ENOUGH, and does not constitute operator training.

This could be likened to someone having a warrant of fitness for their car but no driver’s license. A laser safety certificate which is commonly held online, is considered professional development and helps people to understand the basics of laser science and safety as far as clinic setup and markings on safety glasses etc... it doesn’t teach the scientific principles of how treatments work and how to select the appropriate settings or assess skin and hair conditions.

Operators who have completed our NZ Laser Training Institute Hair Removal / Skin Rejuvenation theory & practical workshops - they will hold the minimum required to start doing basic treatments using IPL or laser. After which they should be returning for future more advanced training and mentoring. It takes approximately 120 hours to 2 years of training to become fully trained in one to two topics.

For reassurance ask your IPL or Laser operator if they have trained at NZLT Institute - rest assured they have been well educated and know what best practice means.