Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Ablative resurfacing
- A laser treatment that removes the outer layers of skin to improve its surface, as opposed to a non-ablative treatment that works beneath the surface.
- Adverse event
- Any unexpected or unwanted occurrence linked to a treatment that harms, or could harm, a client.
- Anaesthetic (topical)
- A cream or gel applied to the skin to numb the area before a treatment.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Class 3B and Class 4 lasers
- Higher-power laser categories that can cause eye and skin injury and need strict safety controls; Class 4 is the most hazardous.
- Contraindication
- A condition, medication or circumstance that makes a particular treatment unsafe and means it should not be given.
- Control of Artificial Optical Radiation at Work Regulations 2010
- The law requiring employers to assess and control the risk to workers from artificial sources of light such as lasers and intense pulsed light systems.
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)
- The law for safely managing chemicals and other hazardous substances at work.
- Cooling-off period
- A set time between giving advice or consent and going ahead with treatment, allowing the person to reflect before committing.
- Cosmetic Practice Standards Authority (CPSA)
- The body that sets clinical standards for non-surgical cosmetic treatments, working alongside the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners.
- Cryogen
- A coolant used to chill and protect the skin surface during laser treatment.
- Decontamination
- The combined process of cleaning, disinfecting and, where needed, sterilising equipment so it is safe to reuse.
- Erythema
- Redness of the skin, often a normal short-lived reaction after laser or intense pulsed light treatment.
- FFP3 respirator
- A close-fitting filtering face mask (filtering face piece, class 3) that protects the wearer from inhaling fine airborne particles.
- Fitzpatrick scale
- A six-point classification of skin type by how it responds to sunlight, used to plan safe laser and intense pulsed light settings.
- Fluence
- The amount of laser or light energy delivered to a given area of skin, a key setting that affects both results and risk of burns.
- Full-thickness burn
- A deep burn that destroys all layers of the skin and usually leaves scarring.
- Fundamental standards
- The minimum standards of safety and quality below which care must never fall.
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
- The main law placing a general duty on employers to protect the health and safety of staff and others affected by their work.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting out the fundamental standards that providers of regulated health and care activities must meet.
- Hyperpigmentation
- Darkening of an area of skin, which can follow laser or intense pulsed light treatment, especially in darker skin tones.
- Hypopigmentation
- Lightening or loss of colour in an area of skin, which can follow laser or intense pulsed light treatment.
- Infection prevention and control (IPC)
- The measures used to stop infection spreading between clients, staff and visitors.
- Informed consent
- Agreement to treatment given freely after the risks, benefits and alternatives have been clearly explained.
- Intense pulsed light (IPL)
- A treatment using broad-spectrum pulses of light, rather than a single-wavelength laser, for purposes such as hair reduction and skin rejuvenation.
- Interlock
- A safety device that automatically shuts off or prevents the laser firing if a door is opened or a guard is removed.
- Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP)
- A voluntary register and standards body for practitioners who deliver non-surgical cosmetic treatments in the UK.
- Laser Controlled Area
- A designated room or zone where laser use is restricted and safety controls apply to protect everyone present.
- Laser Protection Adviser (LPA)
- An external specialist appointed to advise a service on safe laser and intense pulsed light use and on meeting the relevant regulations.
- Laser Protection Supervisor (LPS)
- A trained staff member responsible for the day-to-day safe running of laser and intense pulsed light treatments on site.
- Light-emitting diode (LED)
- A low-power light source used in some skin treatments; lower risk than lasers but still covered by optical-radiation safety guidance.
- Local exhaust ventilation (LEV)
- Equipment that captures and removes harmful fumes, smoke or dust at the point where they are produced.
- Local Rules
- Written safety procedures specific to a service's lasers, setting out how the controlled area and equipment must be used.
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- The regulations requiring employers to assess risks to health and safety and put suitable controls in place.
- Medical Devices Regulations 2002
- The law governing the safety, supply and marking of medical devices in the UK.
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- The UK body that regulates medicines, medical devices and related equipment to make sure they are safe and effective.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, by chance or because it was caught in time.
- Ocular
- Relating to the eye.
- Ophthalmology
- The branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of eye conditions and injuries.
- Optical density
- A measure of how strongly protective eyewear blocks light at a given wavelength; higher values mean greater protection.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Items such as gloves, aprons, masks and goggles worn to protect against harm or infection.
- Photosensitising medication
- A medicine that makes the skin more sensitive to light, increasing the risk of a reaction during laser or intense pulsed light treatment.
- Plume (surgical smoke)
- The smoke and fine airborne particles released when laser energy vaporises tissue, ink or hair.
- Reasonably practicable
- Doing what is sensible and proportionate to reduce a risk, weighing the level of risk against the time, cost and effort of controlling it.
- Registered Manager
- The person registered with the regulator as responsible for the day-to-day running of a service.
- Regulated activity
- A type of care or treatment the law requires a provider to register with the regulator to deliver.
- Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)
- The law requiring certain workplace injuries, diseases and dangerous events to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive.
- Residual risk
- The level of risk that remains once the existing control measures are taken into account.
- Responsible Person
- The senior individual accountable for safety and compliance arrangements within the service.
- Risk assessment
- A structured check identifying what could cause harm and what is being done to prevent it.
- Severity
- In a risk matrix, the realistic worst-case seriousness of the harm if a hazard occurs.
- Sharps
- Needles, blades and other items that can cut or puncture the skin.
- Single assessment framework
- The structure the regulator uses to judge a service, built around quality statements and five key questions (safe, effective, caring, responsive, well-led).
- Special treatment licence
- A licence some local authorities require for premises or practitioners offering treatments such as laser, intense pulsed light or skin piercing.
- Sun protection factor (SPF)
- A measure of how well a sunscreen protects skin from the sun's burning ultraviolet rays; a higher number gives more protection.
- UKCA / CE marking
- Marks showing that a product, such as a medical device, meets the safety standards required to be sold in Great Britain (UKCA) or the European market (CE).
- Ultra-low penetration air (ULPA) filter
- A very fine air filter used in plume extraction to trap the smallest harmful particles.
- Ultraviolet (UV) exposure
- Exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun or tanning equipment, which can affect the skin's response to laser and intense pulsed light treatment.
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- Carbon-based chemicals that readily become airborne and can be harmful to breathe in, found in laser plume.
- Wavelength
- The specific colour or type of light a laser produces, which determines what it treats and the eye protection needed.