Why machine condition is clinical
Light sources can drift, cooling can degrade and a damaged or dirty window can deliver energy unevenly. Research measuring IPL devices in everyday clinic use has found gaps between the output shown on screen and the output measured. These problems usually show up as clinical ones: results tail off or a client feels more discomfort at the same settings. If results or comfort change and your settings haven't, suspect the machine and report it, rather than adjusting around it.
Whose job is it
Laser safety guidance expects clinics to keep equipment maintained and to check that delivered energy matches set energy, with a written record of all maintenance. Some checks are done in-house by trained staff, and others need an authorised engineer. Outsourcing the servicing doesn't outsource the responsibility.
The routine
Before your first client, look the machine over, run any self-test, check the handpiece window and the cooling, know where the emergency stop is, check cables, and record it. Beyond that, think in three bands: regular deeper cleaning, periodic performance checks to your device's protocol, and servicing and electrical safety at the manufacturer's interval. Your manufacturer sets the numbers, and theirs are the ones that count.
Cooling and optics
Cooling protects the machine and, on most devices, the client's skin, so treat cooling warnings as real. Use only the water or coolant your manufacturer specifies. Clean the handpiece window with approved products only, and stop using a window or tip that's scratched, pitted or cracked. Check protective eyewear too, and take damaged eyewear out of use.
When something goes wrong
Deal with warnings as the manual says. If a fault keeps returning, stop and call your authorised engineer rather than restarting until it clears. If equipment fails mid-treatment, stop, make it safe, look after the client first and record everything. Take a faulty machine out of service with a dated notice and secure the key.
The day after a service
Settings often creep up as output drifts down. After a service restores full output, the same number on screen can deliver more energy. Follow the engineer's and manufacturer's advice on settings, put any change on a clear notice, tell every user directly, and file the service report.
Learn this properly
Our Machine Care and Troubleshooting masterclass covers drift, responsibility, daily and periodic checks, cooling and optics, warnings and faults, taking a machine out of service and the risks after a service. It applies to any laser or IPL machine.
15-minute video masterclass, 5-question quiz and a certificate of completion. £25.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a qualification?
No. It's a knowledge course with a certificate of completion. It doesn't replace your device training or your manufacturer's instructions.
Is it specific to one machine?
No. It works for any laser or IPL device, and every interval, product and setting is left to your manufacturer.
Can clinics use it to train staff?
Yes. Each team member enrols separately and gets their own certificate.