Laser hair removal a risky option
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Laser hair removal has become one of the fastest-growing nonsurgical cosmetic procedures in recent years — second only to Botox — with more than 1.3 million performed in 2005. But some health advocates say the industry has grown so fast that regulations have not kept pace and consumers should be cautious.
Touted as a way to eliminate the need for shaving or waxing to remove unwanted hair, the procedure involves passing low-level laser energy over the skin where it is absorbed in the pigment of active hair follicles, disabling them.
In South Florida and across the country, numerous consumer complaints have been filed, and injuries have been reported in rare cases. The Florida Department of Health has received 226 complaints involving laser hair removal since 1996, said Thometta Cozart, a spokeswoman for the agency.
State officials are reviewing a complaint by Selen Adak, 24, of Highland Beach, that she has permanent scarring on her leg as a result of burns suffered during treatment at American Laser Centers in Boca Raton.
In the complaint and a separate lawsuit, Adak said the treatments were a gift from her parents upon graduation from Florida Atlantic University, and included six prepaid laser treatments for her legs, underarms and bikini line.
On Adak’s final treatment, the laser applied to her left leg caused 300 first- and second-degree burns, which left her with scars over the entire leg, according to Boca Raton plastic surgeon Steven Schuster, who treated her for the burns.
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Source: South Florida Sun Sentinel
