Abstract
Background In recent years, there was a rise in ocular injuries secondary to cosmetic laser-assisted hair removal. Purpose To assess the level of adherence to optical safety guidelines during laser-assisted hair removal performed by nurses or physicians in private practice. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at thirty-one private laser-assisted hair removal clinics. An electronic random number generator using a cluster random sampling technique was used to select the clinics. The Alexlazr (TM) (Candela Corp.) device operator's manual checklist was modified to collect data from laser device operators and patients by surveying the laser rooms, interviewing the patients, and observing the treatments. Results Ninety-four patients treated by different service providers were included from 31 private centers. All treatment sessions were delivered by trained nurses. Only 9.5% had acceptable adherence to optical safety guidelines during hair removal treatment, while the majority (90.5%) of service providers were poorly adherent. None of the providers achieved excellent adherence to optical safety guidelines. The item with the least adherence was the lack of non-reflective floors inside laser rooms in 72.3% of centers. All service providers were familiar with the laser system controls and emergency shutdown (100% adherence). Conclusion There is a significant deficiency in the safety precautions at laser-assisted hair removal centers that can result in devastating ophthalmic injuries. Companies providing laser-assisted hair removal machines should be involved in aiding these centers to implement safety procedures.