Excel V laser treatment record template

Key takeaways

Excel V is a dual-wavelength laser from Cutera that treats vascular and pigmented lesions with little downtime.

The 532 nm KTP wavelength targets hemoglobin and melanin in superficial lesions such as rosacea and lentigines.

The 1064 nm Nd:YAG wavelength reaches deeper vessels and carries less risk on Fitzpatrick IV to VI skin.

Record the wavelength you chose and the reason for it, because that one field guides every follow-up session.

Pabau, practice management software for aesthetic practices, keeps each session’s record beside the patient’s photos and package balance.

The Excel V is a dual-wavelength vascular and pigmentation laser made by Cutera. It pairs a 532 nm KTP beam with a 1064 nm Nd:YAG beam in one platform. That combination covers port wine stains, rosacea, age spots and spider veins. It also means every session involves a choice the record has to capture.

A laser record does more work than a routine treatment note. It carries the informed consent trail, the parameters you used, and the response you observed. Miss one of those and the next practitioner is guessing. So is your insurer if a complication is ever disputed.

A generic treatment form has one field for the device. A dual-wavelength platform needs more than that. The template below asks for the wavelength, the fluence, the spot size and the clinical reason you picked them. Practices running several devices usually keep that detail in laser clinic software, where it stays searchable across sessions.

When to use 532 nm and when to use 1064 nm

The wavelength choice is the foundation of every Excel V protocol. It follows from the depth of the lesion and the patient’s skin type.

• 532 nm (KTP, potassium titanyl phosphate): Absorbed by hemoglobin in red vessels and by melanin in pigmented lesions. It penetrates about 1.5 mm, so it suits rosacea, telangiectasia, fine spider veins, sunspots and lentigines. Best on Fitzpatrick I to III, because epidermal melanin absorption rises in darker skin.
• 1064 nm (Nd:YAG, neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet): Reaches about 4 to 5 mm, so it targets deeper vascular structures and larger vessels. Melanin absorption is lower, which makes it the safer choice on Fitzpatrick IV to VI. Use it for deep port wine stains, venous lakes and larger spider veins. It is less effective on superficial pigmentation.

Your record has to prompt for the wavelength and the reason behind it. That matters if a patient questions the outcome, or if a complication appears weeks later. A line reading “532 nm for rosacea, Fitzpatrick II, fluence 10 J/cm²” tells the next practitioner exactly what to repeat.

How to fill out the record, step by step

The form follows five steps, completed during and immediately after the session.

1. Pre-treatment assessment and consent: Record the patient’s name, date of birth, Fitzpatrick skin type, allergies and current medications. Note any contraindication, such as recent isotretinoin use, photosensitizing drugs or active infection. Confirm the signed consent form covers redness, rare dyspigmentation and blistering in darker skin. Then log prior laser treatments and the treatment goal, for example reducing telangiectasia across the cheeks and nose.
2. Wavelength and parameter selection: Document the wavelength or wavelengths used, the fluence in joules per square centimeter, the spot size and the pulse width. Spot size is typically 4 to 8 mm. Add the number of passes and the clinical rationale, such as “1064 nm 12 J/cm² for a deep port wine stain, overlapping passes”. This is what lets a colleague pick the protocol up at the next session.
3. Treatment delivery and response: Note the anatomical areas treated, the immediate response and the total treatment time. Immediate response means the erythema level, any edema, and blanching of the target lesions. Describe the visible outcome in a line, for example 85% blanching of spider veins with mild erythema. Flag an unexpected reaction here, not in a free-text note at the end.
4. Post-treatment instructions and aftercare: Write down the aftercare you gave verbally, starting with SPF 30 or higher. Note the restrictions too, including no saunas or hot water for 48 hours and no strenuous exercise for 24 hours. Add the expected recovery window, which runs 0 to 3 days for 532 nm and 1 to 7 days for 1064 nm. Record the follow-up date if a multi-session protocol is planned.
5. Clinical outcome and follow-up: At the next appointment, record how the area healed and any complication, such as delayed erythema, hyperpigmentation or infection. Then state whether you are repeating the planned treatment or changing the parameters based on that response.

Conditions the laser treats, at a glance

The two wavelengths cover a wide span of vascular and pigmented concerns. Use the table when you record the indication and pick the protocol.

Patient selection and candidacy screening

Not every patient is a candidate. The record needs a screening checklist that runs before the laser is switched on. Digital intake forms can collect that history at booking and flag the risks on the treatment record.

• Ideal candidates: Fitzpatrick I to III patients with superficial vascular or pigmented lesions, no active infection and realistic expectations. They should also be able to follow the aftercare, including daily SPF 30 or higher and sun avoidance.
• Fitzpatrick IV to VI patients: Treat with 1064 nm, which carries a lower melanin absorption risk. The 532 nm wavelength raises the risk of dyspigmentation here. Document the counseling you gave, and take written consent that names the darker skin type risks.
• Relative contraindications requiring caution: Recent sun exposure, photosensitizing medications, a history of keloid formation, and an upcoming event that demands clear skin. Isotretinoin within the past six months sits here too, so defer the session or document your reasoning and consent before treating. Avoid treatment in pregnancy.
• Absolute contraindications (do not treat): Active herpes simplex, open wounds, or active infection at the site. Also uncontrolled bleeding disorders and metallic implants in the treatment area.

Recovery timeline: What to tell patients

Low downtime is one of the Excel V’s selling points, and accurate expectations are what keep it that way. The record should include a printed aftercare sheet the patient takes home. The template above has one built in.

532 nm, superficial vascular and pigmented lesions: Mild to moderate erythema appears immediately and usually settles within 2 to 4 hours. Patients return to normal activities the same day. Daily SPF 30 or higher is mandatory. Minor bruising is possible but uncommon. Book the follow-up for 4 to 6 weeks.

1064 nm, deeper lesions: Erythema is more pronounced and edema is common, typically settling within 24 to 48 hours. Crusting or temporary hyperpigmentation can appear in darker skin and resolves over 2 to 4 weeks. Patients avoid hot water, saunas and strenuous exercise for 48 hours. Book the follow-up for 6 to 8 weeks.

Write the expected timeline into the record and have the patient initial the aftercare sheet. That signature is what you rely on if a complication is reported weeks later.

Documenting multi-session packages

Rosacea, port wine stains and significant poikiloderma need 3 to 10 sessions, spaced 4 to 8 weeks apart. The record has to track the package, the sessions left, and the outcome at each visit. Paper notes lose that thread, which is where med spa software starts to matter.

A digital platform links each session to the one before it. It prompts the follow-up booking and keeps the before-and-after photos beside the parameters you used.

Close each session with a line like this one. “Session 1 of 4 complete, follow-up booked for six weeks. 85% blanching on the spider veins. Repeat 532 nm at the same parameters if healing is complete.” That reads as continuity to whoever opens the file next, and it stops a patient being over-treated or dropped mid-protocol.

The patient aftercare handout

The record you keep is clinical documentation. The patient needs something shorter they can follow at home. The download above holds both, so you print the aftercare sheet and hand it over at the end of the session. These are the points worth emphasizing.

• Avoid sun exposure and use broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher every day for one to two weeks.
• No hot water, saunas, steam rooms or vigorous exercise for 24 to 48 hours, depending on the wavelength used.
• Avoid photosensitizing supplements, including St. John’s Wort and some herbal products, for one week.
• Leave makeup and topical products off the treated area for 24 hours, unless the skin is intact.
• If crusting or blistering appears, keep the area clean and do not pick it. It heals in 7 to 10 days.
• Call the practice if redness, swelling or color changes last longer than the expected window.

How Pabau keeps Excel V records in one patient file

Plenty of laser practices split this work across three places. The consent sits in a folder, the parameters live in a paper chart, and the photos stay on somebody’s phone. Pulling one patient’s history together then means a physical search.

Practice management software like Pabau keeps them in one file. Pabau’s client records system stores the intake form, the signed consent, the treatment record, the photos and the aftercare sheet against the same patient. So you open one screen before a session instead of three.

• Consent captured at check-in: The patient signs on a device in the waiting room, and the form files itself against the treatment record.
• Photos beside the parameters: Before-and-after images sit in the same record as the fluence and spot size. You can see which settings produced which result.
• Package balance in view: The system shows the sessions left in a multi-visit package and reminds the patient when the next one is due.
• Aftercare that sends itself: Automated email and SMS can deliver the post-treatment instructions minutes after the appointment ends. The sheet never gets left on the counter.

The outcome is a shorter documentation step and a record that holds up under scrutiny. Your team stops rebuilding a patient’s laser history out of three separate sources.

Keep every Excel V record in one file

Pabau’s digital forms, treatment records and photo management hold the whole Excel V protocol against one patient file. Your team spends less time on documentation and more on the treatment.

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Conclusion

The Excel V asks the same question at every session. Which wavelength, at what fluence, and on what reasoning? Answer it in the record and the rest of the protocol follows from there.

The trade-off is a minute at the chairside. A structured form takes longer to fill in than a free-text note. It pays that minute back the moment a patient returns in six weeks, or a complication has to be explained.

Download the template, use it on the next three sessions, and see whether the follow-ups get easier. If they do, the next step is keeping the same fields somewhere your whole team can reach. Book a demo to see how Pabau holds Excel V records, consent and photos in one patient file.

Continue your research

Also running a ClearSilk? ClearSilk treatment record template documents the 1064 nm settings and aftercare for Cutera’s other Nd:YAG platform.

Documenting a multi-application laser platform? Harmony XL Pro treatment record template carries the same parameter and consent fields for a multi-wavelength system.

Need to pin down skin type before you treat? Full skin assessment template records Fitzpatrick typing and lesion mapping ahead of a laser session.

Building out a whole dermatology record set? Dermatology EMR software shows how consent, charting and clinical photos fit together across a skin practice.

Frequently asked questions