LASER TREATMENT ON PRIVATE PARTS?

By : IDA NADIRAH

KUALA LUMPUR: Laser treatment on your privates? It sounds like something that most people won’t venture into, with good reason. But in the case of a 39-year-old woman, her first brush with the treatment has not only left her in pain, but possibly scarred for life.

No thanks to a laser treatment on her pubic hair, she is now left with blisters on her private parts, and swelling on her face.

The woman, who only wished to be known as Lee (pic left), said she had toyed with the idea of removing her pubic hair via laser treatment.

“I saw the advertisement in a newspaper for the treatment at a beauty centre and was intrigued. The price was reasonable, so I figured I’d give it a shot,” said the businesswoman, who said she wanted to do it for health and hygiene reasons.

 She said after a consultation with a therapist at the centre, she agreed to undergo a ‘nano light hair removal’ procedure on July 22.

Nano light hair removal is a procedure of removing body hair using laser light technology, supposedly removing unwanted hair permanently and safely.

Lee said she felt confident about the procedure as the centre, with several branches in the Klang Valley, was a well-known one, and was regularly featured in newspaper advertisements. The therapist, she said, had claimed to have two years’ experience.

During the procedure, she said she experienced pain but was told to ignore it.

“The moment the laser touched my skin, I felt extreme pain. But the therapist waved it off and carried on,” she said.

She claimed she was in excruciating pain after the treatment. “There was swelling and blistering on my privates. The pain was white hot, and I even had difficulty walking,” she said.

Lee claimed the swelling even spread to her facial area. She claimed the swelling is so bad that she has to wear a mask.

The swelling has reached to her facial area as well, causing her the need to cover her face with a mask at all times.

Lee said a week after the treatment, she consulted a skin specialist on her condition.

“I was shocked when I was told that I sustained second degree burns (deep partial thickness burn) from the treatment.

Lee then returned to the beauty centre to complain. She claimed the same therapist simply advised her to apply ice on the blisters and described the situation as “normal.”

Lee said while the centre has apologised over the event and compensated her the fee, which amounted to RM3,500, Lee is still hell bent on pursuing legal action. She is demanding between RM35,000 to RM50,000 in compensation.

However, Lee stressed that it isn’t about money.

“I can’t let something like this go easily, as other women could have been victims or become future victims,” she said.

She has since sought help from the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department.

Department head Datuk Michael Chong said the case has raised the spectre of the ‘ugly side of beauty’.

“I hope Malaysian women will be more cautious of the potential consequences and the price one has to pay for beauty,” he said.

“The public has to be aware of the situation and not easily fall for false promises they see in advertisements. Women have to be careful and not give in just because it is cheap, and the ad looks great,” he said.

Chong wants the Health Ministry to come up with official guidelines for treatments at beauty centres and stricter licensing checks to ensure that there are no fly-by-night operations in existence. (MD)