Why we built this
Dr Tego’s perspective
As an aesthetic doctor performing over 500 laser treatments a year, laser safety is a huge part of my clinical practice. I also hold a Master’s degree in Minimally Invasive Aesthetics, where my research focused specifically on lasers and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
I’m a huge advocate for what laser can achieve when it is used safely and appropriately. But I’ve also been contacted by far too many patients after negative laser experiences elsewhere. Most commonly, they’ve experienced burns, pigmentation changes or scarring.
What has concerned me just as much as the initial injury is how often these patients describe what happened afterwards: their concerns being dismissed, significant reactions being described as “normal”, delays in receiving appropriate assessment, or simply not knowing where to turn for help.
When we began speaking to patients in more depth, it became clear that these experiences weren’t limited to one type of laser, one clinic or one skin tone. The circumstances differed, but similar safety failures appeared repeatedly: inadequate assessment, inappropriate treatment decisions, changes in the skin not being recognised, warning signs being overlooked, and poor support when something went wrong.
Patients shouldn’t need to understand laser physics or know which settings should be used to have a safe treatment. But they should know what good laser safety looks like, what questions they can reasonably ask, and what they should expect from their practitioner.
That’s why we created the Safe Laser Standard.
What this is built on
The Safe Laser Checklist is informed by first-hand interviews with people who have experienced laser-related harm, analysis of wider patient experiences, and a review of published clinical research and established laser safety guidance.
Patient experiences help us understand where safety can fail in real-world practice. Clinical evidence helps us determine which of those findings should translate into patient-facing safety guidance.
Our research is ongoing, with further patient interviews and work towards academic publication planned. The Safe Laser Checklist will continue to evolve as the evidence develops.
Dr Tego Kirnon-Jackman MBBS MS BSc
Medical & Aesthetic Doctor · Founder, SKINMENU
I’m a medical and aesthetic doctor with a specialist interest in lasers, skin of colour and laser safety. After being contacted by so many patients following negative laser experiences, I wanted to understand where things were going wrong and what we could do differently. I lead the clinical research and direction behind the Safe Laser Standard, making sure what we create is grounded in clinical evidence and real-world laser practice.
Dr Julia Charles MBBS
Medical Doctor · Founder, WIM Studio
I’m a medical doctor and founder of WIM Studio. When Tego first shared the idea for the Safe Laser Standard, I wanted to help turn it into something patients could actually use. I lead the research, design and operations of the project, from conducting patient interviews and analysing their experiences to building the platform and translating our findings into accessible tools.
What we hope this does
- 01
The Safe Laser Checklist is just the starting point. Our immediate aim is to give patients a simple, evidence-informed tool to help them understand what good laser safety should look like and feel more confident asking questions about their treatment.
- 02
Longer term, we hope the Safe Laser Standard can contribute to a wider conversation about improving safety across cosmetic laser and light treatments, for patients of every skin tone.
- 03
We’re continuing the research, speaking to more patients and practitioners, and working towards academic publication. As the project develops, we hope to work with professional and regulatory organisations to explore how these findings can support better education, clinical practice and patient safety.
- 04
We intend to engage with professional bodies including the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP) and British Medical Laser Association (BMLA) as the Safe Laser Standard develops. The project is currently independent and has not been endorsed by these organisations.