Thinking about Laser Hair Removal, Tattoo Removal or Wrinkle Treatment? What to Look for in a Reputable Laser Treatment Center

Because laser cosmetic treatment is so new, many patients are unaware that standards exist to regulate which practitioners and physicians can use the equipment and how it should be used. While the use of lasers for cosmetic and medical treatments seems like space-age technology, these criteria and rules help keep patients and physicians safe. More specifically, organizations like the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) and the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) regulate and determine the appropriate safety criteria for the medical and cosmetic use of lasers.

When looking for a reputable laser treatment center, it is important that the facility follow high standards of practice to ensure patient safety. The ASLMS lists training and education, patient and procedure selection, and patient safety as the three main determining factors in high standards of laser treatment practice.

Training and Education

The first criterion includes training and continuing education. It is important to ask your physician about his or her training in cosmetic laser treatment and what continuing education opportunities in which they’ve taken part. Laser technology is constantly changing as more discoveries are made about the benefits of lasers to many skin conditions like rosacea, psoriasis, and acne. By taking training courses and continuing education classes, your physicians stays informed of the latest developments in laser technology.

Procedure Selection

As with any cosmetic procedure, knowing what procedure is best for each individual patient is the key to maximizing patient satisfaction and laser procedure results.  This is done best through consultation in which the provider discusses the patient’s goals and which procedure will best help achieve those goals. If a facility does not have the correct equipment or trained personnel to handle a patient’s specific needs, the ASLMS expects  providers to refer that client to a facility that has the appropriate equipment and trained staff.

Patient Safety

The final, and possibly most important, aspect of a reputable laser center is patient safety. While the previous two measures are both meant to ensure patient safety, the inherent dangers in laser equipment misuse make it important to further emphasize patient education about the procedure and physician compliance with ASLMS regulations. For example, if a procedure involved patient sedation, appropriate medical equipment, monitoring devices, and medical personnel would need to be present to safeguard patients. Likewise, appropriate maintenance must be regularly performed on all laser equipment.

As well as these national rules, potential laser treatment patients should ensure that their provider adheres to the state-specific regulations for laser cosmetic and medical treatments regarding who is a laser practitioner, who can use the equipment, and how to ensure patient safety.

Georgia, for example, requires that an agreement be made between the certified laser treatment center and a trained physician for the physician to be available for consultation in cases of emergencies. In Florida, a physician who oversees multiple laser cosmetic centers is limited to four practices, while specialty practitioners are limited to two, and dermatologists can only have one. This precaution minimizes the chance that a physician or practitioner would be unable to help if needed. Laser treatment regulations for your state can be found at the FSMB website.

Because of Laser Lights is owned by Dr. Whiteman, we are allowed to use medical grade lasers for our laser treatment procedures, and our 12 on-site medical lasers make it easy to treat all skin and hair types.

Whether patients are interested laser hair removal to eliminate unwanted hair, CO2 Fractional Laser to help eliminate the signs of aging, or simply laser freckle removal, it is important that personnel performing the procedure be adequately trained and the equipment be up to date. At Laser Lights, we place primary importance on patient safety and education and guarantee compliance with ASLMS regulations.

Contact our office in Duluth for more information on our safety regulations and patient-centered procedures or to schedule a consultation. If you haven’t already, you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter for daily updates and news.