Welcome to the latest blog in the Renew Medica series featuring information regarding laser procedures, plus check out our fantastic competition where you can win a fabulous injectables prize worth up to £1,000.

This week we let you ask the questions about Laser and IPL treatments and the in-house team of experts from Renew Medica have answered, exclusively for athomemagazine.co.uk


Question 1: How do I know if someone is qualified to provide IPL & laser treatment?

Renew Media: The only formally recognised qualification is the BTEC laser, however, it is not a legal requirement that this qualification is obtained by laser operators. Currently, the laser equipment suppliers will provide training and demonstrations if the salon requests this. Otherwise, training on the use of laser hair removal is carried out internally by the clinic.

There is a recognised laser safety module called ‘Core of Knowledge’ that teaches how the lasers work and the potential hazards involved with using laser. You can ask to see this certificate to check that your operator has attended a Core of Knowledge workshop. However, Core of Knowledge only teaches laser safety, and does not teach people how to use a laser.

The laser suppliers will demonstrate how to use the laser and issue a certificate for operators, which will have the logo of their laser company on the certificate. If you know the brand of laser that is being used on you, you can ask to see the training certificate for that laser, but this will only mean something if you can recognize the brand.

However, there are not any guidelines or standards set for how laser suppliers deliver training, so the standard can vary a lot from one company to another.
 
Here at Renew Medica, for example, we provide a very robust training programme for all laser operators that involves two weeks of laser training, including Core of Knowledge, practical training sessions, other theory sessions incorporating managing the customer and in clinic mentoring when they first join the clinic team on the shop floor.
 
Q2: I have heard scare stories about pain using these methods but cannot believe that it would be available if it was 'that' bad. Can you reassure me?

RM: For the laser to work effectively on the hair, the hair must be heated up. The sensation of the heating of the hairs inside the skin can feel like a momentary prickling sensation. However, although this is not exactly relaxing, it is mostly tolerated very well by most people. In fact, if a laser hair removal treatment is unbearable, it could mean something is not quite right, and it is advisable to request the treatment to stop to check the skin.

Clients often say that laser hair treatment is better tolerated than waxing.

Most laser hair removal systems have incorporated what is referred to as epidermal cooling system. This helps to keep the surface of the skin cool and makes the treatment more comfortable. Some lasers have a contact cooling mechanism where the handpiece that makes contact with the skin during treatment has a specialised cold plate that keeps the skin cool whilst the laser is being applied. Other laser systems have cold air that blows onto the skin during treatment, whereas other systems have a special spray called cryogen spray that cools the skin just before the laser is applied.
 
Q3: I'm sure I once read that laser worked better than IPL for getting rid of unwanted hair. What's your opinion?

RM: As mentioned in a previous blog, we at Renew Medica prefer to use lasers for hair removal. Lasers are usually a lot more powerful than an IPL and the precision of the treatment settings are a lot more accurate and versatile. This means that we can fine tune laser settings for just about any type of hair and skin combination to achieve optimum results and to further refine the safest and most effective treatment for clients.

Great resources for further reference, reviews or further research:
Independent referral and review websites for clinics and practitioners of cosmetic and aesthetic (non-surgical) treaments
www.goodsurgeonguide.co.uk
www.consultingroom.com

Regulation
The independent regulator of health and social care is the Care Quality Commssion www.cqc.org.uk

All Renew Medica premises are fully registered and compliant with the Care Quality commission, the NHS also has to work to their standards.

Botox
In the UK, there are only three types of professionals qualified and licensed to administer Botox treatments:
Doctors regulated by the General Medical Council www.gmc-uk.org
Dentists regulated by the General Dentist Council www.gdc-uk.org
Aesthetic nurses regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council www.nmc-uk.org

Other posts in this series:

• Hair removal and skin rejuvenation - Laser or IPL?
• Advanced Skin Care: Revealing a new you
• All about Botox