During a laser hair removal session, what should a clinician do if a patient reports sudden intense burning during a pass?

• A. Ignore symptoms and finish the pass.
• B. Pause treatment immediately, cool the area, reassess settings, and adjust or stop as needed.
• C. Increase energy and continue.
• D. Switch to a different device immediately.

Answer: (B)

A sudden intense burning during a laser pass means the skin is being overheated and requires immediate safety action. The correct move is to stop the current pass right away, cool the treated area to rapidly lower skin temperature and limit tissue damage, then reassess the device settings and technique before continuing. Cooling helps reduce thermal injury and pain, giving the clinician a chance to evaluate why overheating occurred—whether the fluence or pulse duration is too high for that skin type, whether the cooling method is adequate, or if the spot size or number of passes needs adjustment. After cooling, adjust the energy or duration to safer, more appropriate levels or pause treatment on that area until you’re confident the parameters match the patient’s skin and hair characteristics. If signs of deeper injury appear, stop treatment altogether for that session and manage the burn per protocols. This approach prioritizes patient safety, minimizes the risk of persistent burns or pigment changes, and ensures future passes are performed with proper, individualized settings.