| Laser hair removal is a fast-growing procedure | | | | Alaska: Supervision |
| that's helping thousands of people get rid of | | | | Arizona: Supervision |
| unwanted hair. The latest procedure uses intensed | | | | Arkansas: Supervision |
| pulsed light (IPL) to destroy hair follicles and | | | | California: Direct |
| prevent the growth of follicles and hair for an | | | | Colorado: Supervision |
| extended period of time. Laser hair removal has | | | | Connecticut: Direct |
| been so popular because of its preciseness and | | | | Delaware: Physician Only |
| success rates. If you're considering laser hair | | | | Florida: Supervision |
| removal, your first step is to find someone who's | | | | Georgia: Supervision |
| qualified to perform the procedure. It's important | | | | Hawaii: Physician Only |
| that they be qualified and experienced to provide | | | | Idaho: Supervision |
| a high-quality procedure. | | | | Illinois: Supervision |
| Finding Laser Hair Removal Specialists | | | | Indiana: Physician Only |
| Locating your laser hair removal specialist is not | | | | Iowa: Supervision |
| difficult. Make sure he or she is Board Certified in | | | | Kansas: Supervision |
| Dermatology. If more than one specialist is | | | | Kentucky: Supervision |
| working at the office, find out if each is certified. | | | | Louisiana: Supervision |
| If another member of the doctor's staff will be | | | | Maine: Physician Only |
| performing the procedure, that person should be | | | | Maryland: Physician Only |
| a registered nurse or licensed physician to ensure | | | | Massachusetts: Direct |
| proper care and use of the laser equipment. The | | | | Michigan: Supervision |
| facility where your procedure will be performed | | | | Minnesota: Supervision |
| should be clean and professional. Ask for a tour of | | | | Mississippi: Supervision |
| the facility and where your procedure will take | | | | Missouri: Supervision |
| place if possible. Take special care in choosing | | | | Montana: Physician Only |
| your specialist because laser hair removal is a | | | | Nebraska: Direct |
| medical procedure, and should be treated as such. | | | | Nevada: Supervision |
| State Requirements for Laser Hair Removal | | | | New Hampshire: Physician Only |
| Each state varies in how laser hair removal can | | | | New Jersey: Physician Only |
| be performed. You'll need to know what your | | | | New Mexico: Physician Only |
| state requires and make sure your specialist | | | | New York: N/A |
| understands this as well. The state requirements | | | | North Carolina: Supervision |
| are broken down into four categories. Each | | | | North Dakota: Direct |
| category specifies how and by whom the | | | | Ohio: Supervision |
| procedure can be performed within that particular | | | | Oklahoma: Direct |
| state. A brief explanation of each category is | | | | Oregon: Supervision |
| below. | | | | Pennsylvania: Direct |
| 1) Physician Only: A medical doctor (MD) or | | | | Rhode Island: Supervision |
| Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) must | | | | South Carolina: Direct |
| actually fire the laser. Then, the doctor may ask a | | | | South Dakota: Supervision |
| PA, RN or other licensed professional to use laser | | | | Tennessee: N/A |
| during the hair removal procedure. | | | | Texas: Supervision |
| 2) Direct: The laser can be fired by a medical or | | | | Utah: Direct |
| non-medical professional (according to the state's | | | | Vermont: Supervision |
| requirements), but the professional must remain | | | | Virginia: Direct |
| under the direct supervision of the MD or DO, and | | | | Washington: Supervision |
| also use the license and practice of the doctor. | | | | West Virginia: Supervision |
| 3) Supervision: A medical or non-medical | | | | Wisconsin: Supervision |
| professional can fire the laser and perform the | | | | Wyoming: Supervision |
| procedure under the supervision of a MD or DO. | | | | *State requirements as shown at the Web site of |
| Depending on the state, the physician might or | | | | Rocky Mountain Laser College of Denver, |
| might not be present when the laser hair removal | | | | Colorado. |
| procedure is performed. | | | | Laser hair removal can be a simple, pleasant |
| 4) N/A: The state has no official requirements for | | | | process if you find the right doctor. You can |
| laser hair removal procedures. | | | | usually locate professionals in your local telephone |
| *Below is a list of states and their general | | | | directory, online or by consulting with your own |
| requirements for based on the four above | | | | family doctor. If you take the time to locate a |
| definitions. Check within your own state, however, | | | | doctor that's right for you, you'll be more satisfied |
| to obtain more detailed requirements. | | | | with your results. You can see that unwanted hair |
| Alabama: Direct | | | | disappear in no time! |