Laser Story

Dr. David Marks, M.D.
Reporting
(CBS) NEW YORK

Burning. Blistering. Scarring. It's the hidden cost of pursuing beauty, none of these women ever expected to pay.

"I was horrified. I had purple lines going all the way down my chest and across my face," said laser patient, Patrice Martin.

Laser procedures, a trendy treatment, can remove pesky age spots, get rid of unwanted hair and pave the way to a more beautiful you. But this is hardly the more beautiful woman Jordan Miles envisioned when she signed up to have a laser procedure erase sunspots.

"I was upset, I was throwing up, I was very sick, and I was in pain," said Jordan.

She had second and third degree burns and when they healed, the skin pigment was gone and she was left with an unforgettable impression.

"It left like a zebra stripe. I'm not sure anything ever will look normal again," she said.

Jordan thought the people who used the laser were licensed medical practitioners. But they weren't and she's suing. In many states, including New York, anyone can perform a laser skin treatment, even in a spa, as long as it's under a doctor's supervision.

But critics, like attorney Susan Karten, say it's time for change.

"Just having a doctor oversee somebody doing this is not enough," said Karten.

In fact, the law varies. In New York, a doctor doesn't even have to be in the building, a doctor can delegate a laser procedure to a technician. In Connecticut, a doctor must first see and diagnose the patient, but a technician can do the procedure. And in New Jersey, only doctors can perform laser.

"We see more and more as this becomes a money making situation," said Karten.

In 2001, her client was horribly burned by a laser hair removal treatment gone bad at the Manhattan based Greenhouse Day Spa, which has since gone out of business. Karten recently settled the $125 million lawsuit out of court for an undisclosed sum.

"This is a problem that needs to be addressed at the legislative level and certify people," said Karten.

But others disagree; they say the key isn't a medical degree, it's training. Hannelore Leavy, with the International Medical Spa Association, explained the situation like this: "Practical nurses, registered nurses, as well as estheticians, if properly trained, can easily do these treatments."

But a beauty disaster can happen no matter who is behind a laser. Just ask Patrice Martin, we introduced you to earlier. She suffered at the hands of a licensed doctor. Or Jordan Miles who suffered at the hands of an unlicensed practitioner. Both women share the agony of bad procedures which guarantee years of scarring and emotional pain.

"I was just unaware that people do not seek training before they change people's lives," said Jordan.

You should always make sure a doctor is on site when you're having a laser procedure. Don't be fooled by someone wearing scrubs that they are a doctor or medical professional. And you should ask about emergency care services in case something goes wrong