How to choose a laser clinic, a UK checklist.

Use this checklist anywhere

Laser clinics vary enormously, and the marketing rarely tells you what matters. These seven checks work in any town — run through them before you hand over a penny.

The seven checks

• 1. A real, medical-grade laser. Ask: “Is it a diode or Nd:YAG laser, and what wavelength?” You want a named, true laser — not IPL dressed up as “laser”. (Here’s why the difference matters.)
• 2. A recognised licence. Laser and IPL are “special treatments” many councils license and inspect. A licensed clinic has been checked; an unlicensed one hasn’t.
• 3. A Level 4-qualified practitioner. The recognised UK standard for laser and IPL. Ask who’ll treat you and what they’re qualified to.
• 4. A free consultation and patch test. Any confident clinic assesses and tests your skin before treating. If they’ll skip straight to a full session, walk away.
• 5. Honest language about results. Laser gives permanent hair reduction (typically 70–80% over a course), not a one-session “permanent removal”. Distrust guarantees of total, instant clearance.
• 6. Clear, non-expiring pricing. Public prices, a sensible course deal (six for five is standard), and sessions that don’t expire. Be wary of pressure to buy a big package on the spot.
• 7. Continuity of care. Ideally the same trained practitioner for your whole course, so your settings are tuned to how your skin responds over time.

The questions to ask out loud

You don’t need to be technical. These five questions, asked plainly, surface almost everything:

• “Is your machine a diode or Nd:YAG laser, or IPL?”
• “Are you licensed, and is your practitioner Level 4 qualified?”
• “Do you patch test, and is the consultation free?”
• “Will the same person treat me each session?”
• “What’s the course price, and do sessions expire?”

Red flags to walk away from

• “IPL laser” — a contradiction that usually means IPL.
• No patch test, or treatment on the first visit with no assessment.
• “Permanent removal, guaranteed” or “gone in three”.
• High-pressure sales to buy a big package today.
• Vagueness about the machine, the licence, or who treats you.

If you have brown or Black skin, add one more: ask whether they regularly treat Fitzpatrick V–VI, because not every machine or clinic safely can — our guide to safe laser for brown skin covers it.

What a good clinic looks like

For a worked example: Mikki’s Wax Bar runs a medical-grade diode laser, is licensed by the City of London Corporation, treats every skin tone, and has one Level 4-qualified practitioner perform each course start to finish. Consultations and patch tests are free, prices are public, and sessions never expire. That’s the shape to look for, wherever you book — and if you’re near Aldgate, come meet us.