Poorly practiced, hair removal with flash lamps or pulsed light can have serious consequences, such as causing burns or eye damage.
This technique which consists in sending a concentrated beam of light whose heat destroys the bulb of the hair in order to make it fall and to avoid regrowth as much as possible is one of the alternatives to lazer hair removal.
Initially reserved only for doctors, in particular dermatologists, it has become increasingly fashionable since the 2000s and has spread to beauty salons.
Indeed, the ban has gradually lost its validity following several court decisions, the most recent having been taken in 2021 by the Court of Cassation.
In the absence of being able to reserve flash lamps for doctors, ANSES therefore calls for more supervision of their sale and better training of professionals, first and foremost in beauty.
A prior dermatological diagnosis
"It is (...) necessary to better supervise the market for devices and the use of this technology to limit the undesirable effects", said, quoted in a press release, Rémi Poirier, an official of the National Agency for Health Security (Handles).
Indeed, "these devices are not harmless to health," warns the agency.
"Manufacturers should be required to carry out tolerance studies prior to their marketing (...) in order to control the health risks", judges Rémi Poirier.
This recommendation is also intended to avoid as much as possible undesirable effects in individuals who themselves use a flash lamp at home.
As for beauty institutes, their employees should also all receive training to, for example, know how to "identify the situations for which a prior dermatological diagnosis is required", judges ANSES.
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