Your first question should never be “how much does it cost?” Although this is important to know, your number one focus should be safety, with an unregulated laser industry in Australia, anyone can own or operate an IPL or laser. Sadly, you only need to watch Today Tonight or A Current Affair to see that horrific burns and scarring are all too common with the wrong machine in the wrong hands.
What to ask:
1.Is the machine laser or IPL?
- Look for a laser, as IPL almost always requires more treatments, is less effective in treating darker skin types and IPL machines are unable to be calibrated to achieve a consistent and safe energy output for every treatment (which can lead to burns and complications), whereas lasers require correct calibration to work, and automatically will not function if a fault is detected. For more information on the important differences between IPL and laser, see this article
2. What type of laser is it?
- Look for Alexandrite lasers – this is a type of laser, not a brand – look for Candela Gentlelase, GentleMax or Apogee Cynosure
3. What are the qualifications of the person who will be performing your treatment?
- In some clinics you can initially be seen by a doctor, but future ongoing treatments may be performed by different operators, as it is extremely rare that a doctor will perform all of your laser treatments. In this case it is important to ask each different person who performs your treatment what their qualifications and level of experience are, and ensure they are familiar with your treatment history. You should seek an experienced operator that is a Registered Nurse as a minimum requirement. Try to seek continuity of care in your treatments by rebooking with the same operator, so that they can become familiar with your skin and hair.
What to look for:
1. A detailed and informative consultation, including information about how the treatment works, what you can expect during your course of treatments, the risks and potential complications that can arise from laser, questions about any medical conditions, medications or supplements you are taking, and if you have been tanning recently (sun tanning, fake tan, solariums)
2. The clinic provides test patches for olive skins and those with an ethnic background, with a suggested review of 2 weeks (as the efficacy of treatment and any potential issues will become apparent in this time).
3. A clinic that specialises in laser treatments, rather than a beauty salon. This helps to ensure that the staff are widely experienced in doing laser treatments – although it is still important to ask about qualifications.
4. Knowledgeable staff, who are able to confidently answer any of your questions, or are happy to seek further information for you regarding any queries you have about laser hair removal and your treatment. It should certainly be a ‘red flag’ if a clinic’s staff are unwilling or unable to answer your questions.
