Beauticians offering “dangerous” cosmetic treatments are “flying under the radar” of regulation, according to the owner of a local laser clinic who has treated several clients harmed by untrained practitioners.
While Laser Centre owner Julie Naidu said she welcomed plans to address a gap in regulation for laser clinics, she stressed that specific attention should be turned to a cosmetic treatment known as IPL.
IPL (intense pulsed light) is a non-invasive cosmetic treatment that uses broad-spectrum light to target various skin concerns by breaking down pigment, blood vessels, and hair follicles.
“These machines are just as dangerous as lasers, however no official training is required and there are a vast amount of them in beauty clinics in Jersey,” Ms Naidu explained.
“I have inherited several clients that have been burnt by these machines by beauticians who have not been properly trained and also are not being regulated.”
Since 2010, most purely cosmetic use of IPLs and lasers – like hair removal or skin rejuvenation in beauty salons – has been deregulated in England.
Wales and Northern Ireland, however, still license cosmetic use of IPLs and lasers in some settings, and Scotland has also reintroduced tighter regulation for certain non-surgical cosmetic procedures.
Ms Naidu’s raised the concerns in response to a review of proposals to expand the Jersey Care Commission’s remit to enhance oversight of cosmetic procedures.
Laser clinics are already regulated under the Nursing Homes (Jersey) Law 1994, but the new Draft Regulation of Care (Jersey) Amendment Law explicitly introduces “laser procedures” as a regulated activity.
Specifically, treatment with a class 3B or class 4 laser product will be regulated unless performed by or under the supervision of a medical practitioner or dentist.
I have inherited several clients that have been burnt by these [IPL] machines by beauticians who have not been properly trained and also are not being regulated
Julie Naidu, owner of The Laser Centre
Ms Naidu said she welcomed plans for regulation that is more relevant to laser clinics, explaining that the current inaccurate categorisation of her business under nursing home regulations forces her to complete forms that do not apply – including questions about how many nursing beds the clinic has and how many patients stay overnight.
“Any changes to this to improve and make it more dedicated to the correct channel of lasers would be welcomed,” she said, adding: “…But I can’t stress enough how much you need to look into IPLs as these are the areas where there seem to be problems.”
