Laser hair removal in the U.S. has trended into that of a common procedure since its early advertising days 20 years back. So popular in fact, that many entrepreneurs aren’t even using professional physicians to perform the surgery. What’s scarier is that to date, there aren’t any federal regulations against NPO’s (non physician operators) performing the procedure. Luckily, more and more states are creating laws that fight against the unprofessional practice. Take Maine; a recent study lead by Dr. H. Ray Jalian points out that “in Maine only a physician may operate a laser for hair removal.”

 This startling study may make you think twice about where you get the procedure done. The American Society for Dermatological Surgery has issued a statement stating that “many clinics promise results that are just not realistic.” With a rise in spas, which are non-medical, one should certainly be careful about getting the procedure done here. While you may have the supervision of a physician, it’s likely that an NPO will be the one working on you.

Dr. Jalian goes on to say that when it comes to physicians overseeing NPO’s that “responsibility and liability remain squarely on the supervising physician.” While it may be past the point of encouraging for those who have suffered medical issues from falsely claimed physicians, the rise in litigation is a huge step forward for a more just medical field.

Researchers found an outrageous correlation between laser hair injury and NPO performances. For the 175 legal cases studied, a whopping 85% of lawsuits between 2008 and 2012 involved NPO’s! The study concludes that, “This has important implications for the safety of patients undergoing these procedures.”

Source: Medical News Today