DepiCool UK – Blog

The use of light, such as Lasers or Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) machines to permanently reduce hair growth effectively and safely has increased in popularity in recent years.

Scientific studies in the early 1990s proved that lasers were an effective method of removing unwanted hair, and the first machine approved for use in America was in 1996. Since then, many different types of professional Laser and IPL machines or Light Heat Energy (LHE) devices have been developed and improved upon to remove hair in all areas of the face and body.

To learn more about how laser and IPL hair removal works, please see our FAQ.

The lure of hair free (or almost permanently hair free!) legs, bikinis lines and underarms has driven many people to abandon the razor and the waxing strips and head off to their nearest clinic for treatment.

But how do you know that the clinic you make an appointment with is safe and reputable?

Like the Depicool chain of IPL hair removal centres, currently any clinic offering Laser, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) or Light Heat Energy (LHE) treatments within England must be registered with the Care Quality Commission* (formerly the Healthcare Commission) or with the Health Inspectorate in Wales or the Regulation & Quality Improvement Authority in Northern Ireland. No legislation currently exists for clinics operating these devices in Scotland or the Republic of Ireland (Eire).

Upon registration, clinics and their staff and equipment are audited and inspected to make sure that they adhere to a set of standards in relation to patient care and the safe operation of equipment in an appropriate clinical environment. Once certified, clinics can expect regular inspections over the forthcoming years to make sure that standards haven’t slipped.

Any clinic offering these treatments which is not registered with the appropriate regulator is operating illegally and will probably also not be insured (through invalidation), should anything go wrong, so it is important to check that the clinic you visit is in compliance with the law.

Be sure to ask any clinic that you’re thinking of visiting for Laser or IPL hair removal treatment for their registration information or check their website for details; many clinics like Depicool will list their certificate information and be more than happy to let you know about their regulatory compliance. If a clinic is cagey or vague, then chances are they may be operating illegally and should be avoided.

However, if you want peace of mind then The Consulting Room™ (www.consultingroom.com) is the ONLY major UK online clinic search directory who check that all sponsored listed clinics in our database are registered with the relevant government regulatory body for the country in which they operate (where required in the case of cosmetic surgery and laser or IPL treatments), and that medical practitioners are also registered with their respective medical bodies.

Use our Find a Clinic search to locate UK & Ireland based clinics offering Laser or IPL Hair Removal Treatments, including the Depicool centres.


Author: Lorna Jackson – Consulting Room, Website Editor & Marketing Manager

*In England, this regulation is set to remain until October 2010 when the Care Quality Commission will cease to be responsible for regulating clinics in the use of Laser, IPL and LHE devices for cosmetic indications such as hair removal. This will come to an end in favour of a voluntary, self-regulation model which the Department of Health has requested be set up by the Independent Healthcare Advisory Services (IHAS). Details of any scheme are as yet to emerge. After this date, we would recommend seeking clinics who have in the past been successfully registered with the CQC for this service, until a new inspection and audit scheme is in place to protect the public.