Professional and home use

Permanent hair removal with laser or IPL is offered by cosmetic studios as well as dermatologists or specialists for aesthetic–cosmetic medicine.

There are numerous devices on the market for home use. With these devices, the energy density to be achieved is usually lower than with professional devices.

Professional providers must be qualified

Anyone who uses lasers or strong optical radiation sources (e.g. IPL devices) on humans needs solid technical knowledge and expertise in order to avoid possible risks. The provider must be familiar with the equipment used and the effects of optical radiation and be able to adapt the treatment to the individual characteristics of the customer or patient. The provider must also be able to identify circumstances of the customers or patients that exclude the desired application or allow it only under strict risk-benefit considerations (contraindication). Examples of such contraindications are skin cancers or diseases that make the skin particularly sensitive to light.

With the Ordinance on Protection against the Harmful Effects of Non-ionising Radiation in Human Applications (NiSV) coming into force, only physicians are allowed to carry out some applications such as tattoo removal as of 31 December 2020. As of 31 December 2022 professional users must meet defined requirements in terms of technical knowledge.