Laser Safety Protocols: How to Ensure Client Safety in Every Treatment

Let’s examine the layers of knowledge that transform good laser treatments into exceptional ones.

Safety Equipment & Room Setup

When using laser devices, the treatment room is the nominal hazard zone (NHZ), a clearly defined space in which protective measures must be taken. For practical purposes, the boundaries of your NHZ are defined by the enclosing walls rather than a particular distance from the laser, making proper room setup crucial for maintaining safety protocols. 

To protect yourself and others, keep the doors closed, cover the windows (if the light can penetrate glass) and restrict access to the room. It should just be you and the client in the NHZ whenever a laser is in use — no friends, family members, or unapproved observers. Post the appropriate warning sign on the door when a procedure is in progress and remove it afterward, lest you face the wrath of OSHA. 

Protective eyewear should also be worn when performing a treatment. Make sure it is appropriate for the specific device you are using by checking for three key features: the wavelengths protected against, optical density (OD) at those wavelengths, and visible light transmission (VLT). 

Other important but less obvious safety considerations include room temperature and having the right electrical setup. Lasers are inefficient devices and can generate up to 14,000 BTU of heat. Add in a couple of machines running at the same time, and suddenly your regular air conditioning system might not cut it. Get to know the cooling requirements of your room and ensure your space has proper ventilation.

While proper room setup creates a safe treatment environment, true mastery of laser safety requires understanding exactly what happens when laser energy meets tissue. This means knowing your real target.

What Is Your Real Target?

When developing treatment protocols for patients and trying to decide which devices or treatments to use, ask yourself, what is your real target? Yes, you might be treating unwanted pigmentation or vascular lesions, but the laser is having an effect on and reacting with a certain physiological structure, i.e., melanin, blood or water — THAT is your true target.

Understanding your real target helps determine not just the ideal wavelength but also how to adjust your settings for optimal results. Each chromophore responds differently to laser energy:

• Melanin absorption makes it possible to treat pigmented lesions and unwanted hair. When targeting melanin, the depth of the target matters — superficial pigment requires different settings than deeper structures like hair follicles.
• Blood vessels respond through the absorption of light by hemoglobin. Both reduced and oxygenated hemoglobin absorb specific wavelengths differently, which influences your choice of settings for treating various vascular conditions.
• Water serves as the primary chromophore for skin resurfacing and tightening treatments. The water content in tissue determines how deeply the laser energy penetrates and what kind of tissue response you’ll achieve.

Having a foundational understanding of what you’re actually targeting informs every aspect of a safe and effective laser treatment — from choosing the right device to selecting the appropriate settings for each individual’s needs. When you truly understand your target, you can better predict treatment outcomes and avoid potential complications. 

In real-world practice, there are other important principles you should learn that rarely appear in manufacturer training manuals: the untaught cardinal rules of laser safety.

The Untaught Cardinal Rules of Laser Safety

In addition to a lot of spoken (and written) rules and regulations regarding the use of lasers, there are also several unspoken or untaught rules that most manufacturers don’t touch on, as their goal is to come in and teach you about their specific device. However, learning the untaught rules of laser safety can help elevate your treatments. Some of these include:

• Always treat clean skin. Remove makeup, sunscreen and other products before beginning — this ensures proper absorption and prevents unwanted reactions.
• Start low and work your way up gradually. While you know your device well, each client’s tissue responds differently to laser energy. Just like titrating a new medication, you need to find the sweet spot where treatment is effective yet safe for the individual’s skin. 
• Remember that any laser procedure is a treatment, not a cure. Make this clear to your clients from the start to help manage expectations.
• Ask questions and monitor what you’re doing. Listen to the patient and ask if anything in their skincare routine has changed since their last visit. Watch for immediate reactions and adjust your approach or device settings accordingly. 
• It’s your job to educate your patients about their skin. Those needing the most repair tend to have the worst skincare habits, but you can help them get back on track. 
• Be clear in the post care processes. A client may not understand the state of their skin following a procedure. It is your job to clearly communicate how they should care for their skin during downtime. 

While understanding how lasers work is essential to providing safe and effective treatments, these untaught principles guide the nuanced decisions that lead to optimal outcomes. They remind us that the most successful providers combine technical expertise with careful client assessment and ongoing education, delivering results that keep clients coming back.

Learn More From the World’s Leading Laser Experts

If you’re ready to take your team’s training to the next level and master the advanced principles of laser safety, explore our course offerings for aesthetic professionals. Drawing on years of experience and thousands of successful treatments at AesthetiCare, we provide both virtual and hands-on training for teams of all sizes. We’ve partnered with some of the industry’s most trusted authorities in energy-based devices to create courses that go beyond the basics of laser safety, delivering real-world knowledge that transforms good providers into exceptional ones. 

If you’re eager to learn more, explore our e-course catalog and contact our training coordinators today.