The dangers of unsupervised laser hair removal

		"Dr. Crutchfield featured on WCCO Television on the I-Team report evaluating laser-hair treatment centers" Watch Report

Blisters, red spots, places where the pigment has been completely pulled out of the skin: That is the ugly side of laser hair removal and it can be life changing.

The I-TEAM found the people performing laser hair removal in Minnesota aren't being tracked or licensed and are minimally trained. WCCO went undercover for a consultation.

"So what kind of training do you have?" a producer asked.

"Not much. Well I was down in Florida for a week and learned how to run a laser," said the technician.

The technician also told the I-TEAM, "It's pretty hard to really hurt somebody with a laser."

Victim Speaks Out
Try telling that to a woman still recovering from burns she suffered to her face after undergoing laser hair removal four months ago.

"I did have nice skin to where I would feel confident without makeup, today I don't feel that way at all," said the victim who didn't want to be named.

"The lady assured me that it would only take two to three days and it should clear up. Basically anybody can do this, and that's not right," she said.

A doctor has to buy the laser necessary to remove hair, but the I-TEAM found in Minnesota anyone can operate it.

"The first year I lasered people, I under treated and over charged everyone because the things you see happening with the laser scared you," the technician told the I-TEAM.

Wisconsin's Rules
States like Wisconsin require a physician to supervise laser hair removal and require hands on training and continuing education. However, the I-TEAM found Minnesota requires none of that.

"They're serious medical instruments that should be supervised by a physician," said Dr. Charles Crutchfield.

Crutchfield is a dermatologist and worries about the growing number of patients he sees suffering burns at clinics across the Twin Cities.

"Burns, if they're superficial can leave a dark spot that might last several months," he said. "If they're deep they can form a scar and that's lifelong. I always tell people the bitterness of low quality always lasts longer than the sweetness of a low price."

Even though it's not required, Crutchfield supervises the laser hair technician who performs procedures in his office.

"There is potential for complications with the laser. It is a medical device and people need to be properly screened before treatment," said Chris Cairl, who has performed 15,000 laser hair removal procedures.

Cairl said some medications that make you sensitive to the sun like Accutane can trigger trouble. Lasers are also not recommended for use on people with blonde or gray hair, dark skin or even tanned skin. A technician should take a medical history and ask what kinds of medications you are on.

Yet the clinic where the victim the I-TEAM spoke with still performed the procedure on her dark skin.

"They said they had experience doing this with one African American guy and he had pretty good results so they were saying 'Yeah we might be able to help you,'" she said.

The clinic where she was treated said it no longer does laser hair removal on black skin.

The I-TEAM tried to figure out who's overseeing these clinics. The health department and the state boards of medicine and cosmetology all said -- Not us.

The Food and Drug Administration said it's up to each state to come up with rules for laser hair removal.

So What Should You Do?
First, ask a dermatologist if you're a good candidate. Then get a referral from your physician.

They should be able to tell you which clinics are operating the laser under a licensed doctor's supervision. Doctors recommend you go to a clinic that has a supervising physician who knows something about skin.

Some doctors say they have heard of clinics where the doctor is actually a retired psychiatrist or someone with no training about how to handle skin burns.

-(WCCO) Terri Gruca