A RAY OF LIGHT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY

Premier beauty association BABTAC and awarding body CIBTAC to raise the standards of Laser and IPL treatments

BABTAC (The British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology) and CIBTAC (The Confederation of International Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology) are leading the way to improve training standards and ensure both therapist and public safety, when partaking in laser or IPL treatments in the beauty industry.

Laser and IPL are becoming ever popular and offer a safe and affordable treatment for beauty customers; despite this, they can be high-risk, resulting in scarring and pigmentation problems that could be permanent.  As our culture is becoming more litigious BABTAC and CIBTAC are moving to introduce specific parameters to ensure good practice and safeguard our profession and the consumer.

The latest in the BABTAC Corporate Taskforces, Laser and IPL was the focus of discussion with representatives from key laser providers and suppliers, who all discussed ways of improving public safety. At its conclusion, it was established that minimum standards need to be set and introduced for our members within the next three years;

• Approved manufacturer register: introduction of an approved manufacturers and models register, which meet EU and UK guidelines at minimum and higher standards where applicable. For more information manufacturers and distributors can contact BABTAC by emailing marketing@babtac.com
• Minimum qualifications: therapists will need to obtain at minimum a Level 4 qualification for Laser and IPL treatments by January 2016, and the machine distributors or manufacturers will be able to help you with this
• Continued Professional Development: advisory refresher training sessions to maintain high standards and practice, at first which will become compulsory by January 2016
• Standardised treatment records: for 2013, an efficient and standardised record card for treatments, to assist continued treatment and enable multiple therapists to easily identify what has previously been undertaken. Practitioners can ask their manufacturer or distributor for a BABTAC approved record card.

BABTAC is committed to introducing these conditions for insurance over the next three years; any Therapist wishing to obtain Laser and IPL insurance will need to meet these four criteria by January 2016 for continued cover.

Carolyne Cross, Chairman of BABTAC & CIBTAC, comments;

“As a leading membership organisation in the UK, we pride ourselves on helping to maintain high standards for the public, which each and every one of our insured members uphold. We are committed to the safety of the consumers, and we understand how important some of these procedures can be to them. We will be introducing the four criteria over the next three years and members wishing to continue being insured for Laser and IPL will need to work to meet them. It might sound harsh, but if we can improve the standards of training and bring about awareness of ‘rogue’ traders, this will support the reputation of the industry and uphold minimum standards for consumers.”

It is hoped that steps like these will help drive the industry forward and combat some of the problems that come with an unregulated industry; the beauty industry has been in the limelight for this a lot recently and we’re working with the support of our members to improve standards and ensure media criticisms are unfounded.