6 Principles and Practices for Safe Laser/IPL Use

1. Education and understanding of the machine

The client you are treating, and their safety is in your hands. You wouldn’t drive a car without learning how to first, right? So, invest in yourself and make your education pay off by giving your clients the safest and most effective treatment you can with your knowledge of their skin and how to treat it.

2. Adhere to workplace health and safety standards for yourself and your clients

This can be as simple as having the bed at the correct height for you to perform your treatments. Have you got the correct safety glasses for yourself and your client? Are the machines cleaned appropriately after each treatment? Are the windows covered adequately? 

3. Follow protocol every time

Your clinic or salon will already be equipped with some standard operating policies and procedures and within these documents are your guidelines for best practice. These are the recipes for success and safety. Cutting corners in this industry means you put your reputation on the line, the client won’t get the full benefit of treatment or worse, someone could be injured.

4. Appropriate signage

When operating lasers and IPL, you must ensure the appropriate sign(s) are placed in view for any other person on the premises. These are needed for safety and insurance purposes and must be displayed outside each room where an IPL/laser is in use. Contact us if you need to update.

5. Fire/Electrical hazards checked

Test and tag should be done yearly on all cords, correct voltage electrical outlets for each machine (some lasers require a different voltage, or they can short circuit your entire salon/clinic). You should have a fire extinguisher fitted in each room and make sure your fire exits are always free from obstruction.

5. Incident report procedure

In life, accidents can happen (therefore we have insurance). In the rare case there is an accident, what will your incident report process be? It is important to include photos, date, time, a summary of what happened in detail, signatures from both you and the client and most importantly, follow up with the client post incident. Contact your insurer as quickly as possible as they will help you put everything in pplace to get the best outcome for your client, yourself and your business.