Before your laser treatment, check these things.
Laser safety is about more than the machine being used. Your skin, treatment plan, practitioner and safety processes all matter.
The Safe Laser Checklist gives you the key questions to ask before treatment, informed by clinical evidence, safety guidance and real patient experiences.
Before your treatment
Before the device is activated
During treatment
Before you leave
Confirm all 10 items to unlock your downloadable checklist.
Know before you go
Safety depends on the individual practitioner, their assessment of your skin and how your treatment is carried out, not just the clinic or brand you choose.
Previous successful treatments do not guarantee that today’s treatment will be appropriate.
A patch test may be useful in certain circumstances but does not guarantee that a complication cannot occur.
You should not feel pressured by a rushed appointment to proceed without your questions being answered.
A significant or unexpected reaction should be assessed rather than automatically dismissed as normal.
You can ask which device is being used and why it has been selected for you.
You should be able to request relevant treatment records following an adverse event.
Something went wrong after laser treatment. What now?
Eight steps to take if you experience an unexpected reaction.
Check
Is this within the reaction you were told to expect?
Contact
Tell your treating clinic promptly if you are concerned. You should receive a timely response, appropriate assessment and clear advice on what to do next.
Don’t let concerns be dismissed
If something looks or feels significantly different from what you were told to expect, ask for it to be properly assessed. Reassurance should not replace assessment.
Document
Take photographs and keep a record of what happened, including how the reaction changes over time.
Get assessed
Seek appropriate medical review for significant, worsening or unexpected symptoms.
Don’t experiment
Avoid treating a suspected complication with products recommended online without appropriate clinical advice.
Get your records
Ask for your treatment information, including the device and treatment parameters used, if further assessment is needed.
Escalate
If you are not receiving a timely or appropriate response, ask for senior review, seek an independent medical opinion and use the clinic’s formal complaints pathway.
Part of the Safe Laser Standard. Developed from patient experiences, clinical research and laser safety guidance.
Designed to support safer, better-informed laser treatment for every skin tone.