GentleLase treatment protocol and aftercare template

Key takeaways

GentleLase is Candela’s 755nm alexandrite laser, FDA-cleared for hair removal and vascular lesions in Fitzpatrick skin types I to IV.

Most patients need 6 to 10 sessions spaced 4 to 8 weeks apart, so the documentation has to carry across visits.

Screening for contraindications and recording written consent protects the patient and the practitioner if an outcome is questioned later.

Cosmetic laser hair removal in England sits outside CQC scope, so local authority licensing and voluntary registers set the bar.

Practice management software like Pabau stores the completed template in the patient record and sends the aftercare instructions automatically.

A GentleLase course usually runs 6 to 10 sessions across several months. Each one needs its own record of the settings used, how the skin responded, and what the patient was told afterward. This template holds all of that on a single form.

It is built around the Candela GentleLase, the 755nm alexandrite platform used for hair removal and vascular lesions. Download it above, then adapt the sections to your own protocols. The rest of this page walks through how to fill each part in.

What is a GentleLase treatment template?

A GentleLase treatment template is a structured clinical record for one course of laser treatment. It captures eligibility screening, informed consent, skin assessment, the parameters used in each session, and the aftercare given at the end of it.

The consent portion does the heaviest lifting. It records that the patient understood the 755nm wavelength, the Dynamic Cooling Device, the side effects to expect, and how gradual hair reduction actually is.

Who regulates the treatment depends on where you practice. In England, cosmetic laser and IPL hair removal left Care Quality Commission scope in 2010. Local authority special treatment licensing covers it instead, alongside voluntary registers such as the JCCP.

In the US, the GentleLase holds FDA 510(k) clearance for specific indications, and supervision rules vary by state. Either way, a completed template does two jobs. It is the clinical record for the course, and it is the evidence that consent was taken and contraindications were checked.

How to use the template, step by step

Five steps take a patient from first consultation through to the follow-up after their last session.

1. Screen for contraindications: Before the first session, work through the patient history section. It covers current medications, recent sun exposure, skin infections, pregnancy, and active inflammatory conditions. Absolute contraindications rule treatment out entirely. Relative ones get documented, and may mean rescheduling or dropping the fluence.
2. Take and record informed consent: Complete the consent section with the patient before treatment starts. It captures the wavelength used, the pace of hair reduction, the side effects to expect, and the number of sessions ahead. Write the risks in language the patient could repeat back to you. Our laser hair removal consent covers the same ground as a standalone form.
3. Assess and classify the skin: Record the patient’s Fitzpatrick type and note any existing skin condition, recent tan, or baseline redness. Check that the skin is clean and free of makeup, sunscreen, and self-tanner. Lighter skin tolerates higher fluence. Darker skin needs lower fluence to limit post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
4. Log the settings you used: Document spot size, fluence in joules per cm², pulse duration, and passes per area. Face and legs need different settings, so record which areas were treated and how the patient tolerated each one. Note whether the Dynamic Cooling Device timing looked right. That record tells you where to start next time.
5. Give aftercare and book the follow-up: Fill in the aftercare section with what the patient was told. Cover sun exposure, heat, and the products to leave alone. Book the next session 4 to 8 weeks out to match the hair growth cycle. Record anything the patient reports at follow-up, then adjust the parameters accordingly.

File each completed session in the patient record straight after treatment. Digital intake forms pull the patient’s details in for you. Parameters can then be typed on a tablet at the chair, so nothing waits for a quiet moment later in the day.

Who the template helps most

Aesthetic practices running routine hair removal get consistency across practitioners and across repeat visits. When three people share one device, a shared form is what stops three different approaches to screening and fluence selection.

Dermatology practices using GentleLase for hair and vascular work can record which diagnosis drove the laser choice. That helps with tracking outcomes by indication. It also supports the necessity argument when billing sits alongside lesion procedures such as 11312.

Med spas and independent practitioners lean on the template as evidence of consent and clinical competence. Practitioners starting a laser business often adopt it as their first written protocol, then adapt it as their case mix grows.

Benefits of standardized treatment documentation

Compliance and legal protection: A completed template shows that consent was taken and that contraindications were screened. If a patient complains or an outcome goes wrong, the record is your evidence of how the decision was made. It is the first thing a licensing officer or an insurer asks to see.

Consistency between practitioners: Standard parameters by skin type cut the risk of under-treating and over-treating alike. New staff can follow the protocol without being walked through fluence selection each time. Results stop depending on who is holding the handpiece.

Tracking across a course: A structured record shows which areas were treated, how many sessions a patient has had, and what changed along the way. Over time, that data reveals which protocols hold patients through a full course. Retention rules for those records vary by state, so check yours before archiving anything.

Less admin: Completing the form digitally removes transcription errors and paper filing. Whichever hair removal software you run, automated aftercare reminders lift patient compliance and cut no-shows at the follow-up appointment.

Contraindications to screen before treatment

Screen every patient before the first session, then re-check the relative items at each visit.

• Absolute contraindications: Postpone or decline treatment for an active skin infection or a herpes simplex lesion in the area. The same applies to current isotretinoin use, or use within the past six months. Pregnancy, a history of keloid scarring or severe post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, light-triggered seizure disorders, and porphyria cutanea tarda also rule treatment out.
• Relative contraindications: Document these and adjust the parameters. They include recent sun exposure or an active tan, photosensitizing medications, and a chemical peel or dermabrasion in the past two weeks. Active acne, inflammatory dermatitis, and self-tanner residue in the area count too. Recent waxing or plucking matters, because the hair shaft has to sit in the follicle for the laser to reach it. Shaving is fine.
• Skin type limits: The 755nm alexandrite is indicated for Fitzpatrick types I to IV. Types III and IV carry a higher hyperpigmentation risk, especially at high fluence. Test patch a small, discreet area two to four weeks before treating the face in darker skin types.

Treatment parameters by Fitzpatrick skin type

The table below gives reference ranges by Fitzpatrick classification. Treat them as a starting point, then adjust for patient feedback, skin response, and your own clinical experience.

Notes on the settings: Spot size is typically 18 mm for body areas and 15 mm for smaller zones such as underarms and bikini. Pulse duration affects thermal relaxation time, and longer pulses suit darker skin.

The Dynamic Cooling Device sprays cryogen just before and during the pulse to protect the epidermis. A longer delay of 50 ms gives darker skin types more cooling. Always test a spot at lower fluence before treating a large area on a new patient.

Aftercare instructions to give patients

Hand every patient written aftercare before they leave. Medical spa software can send the same instructions by SMS or email, which cuts the follow-up calls the next morning.

• Sun protection: Avoid direct sun for at least 48 hours. If that is not possible, apply broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher every two hours. Treated skin burns and pigments more easily, particularly in darker skin types. Patients with a beach trip inside two weeks should reschedule.
• No heat for 24 to 48 hours: Hot showers, saunas, steam rooms, hot tubs, and hard exercise can restart the redness. Lukewarm showers are fine. Normal exercise can resume after 48 hours.
• Gentle skincare only: Leave retinol, vitamin C, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and glycolic acid alone for 48 hours. A gentle cleanser, lukewarm water, and a fragrance-free moisturizer are enough. Makeup is fine after 24 hours.
• What to expect: Mild redness and swelling are normal and usually settle within 48 hours. Darkening can appear two to four weeks later and fades over a similar stretch. Blistering, burns, or swelling that will not settle need a call to the practice.
• Shedding: Treated hairs do not drop out straight away. Over one to three weeks the follicle pushes them out. Do not pluck or wax the area. Let the hairs fall on their own, or trim them. Shaving is fine.
• Next appointment: Book 4 to 8 weeks out to match the hair growth cycle. Most patients need 6 to 10 sessions for the best long-term reduction.

Clinical safety and adverse event management

GentleLase is a safe device used properly, but reactions still happen. Transient redness and swelling resolve within 48 hours. Temporary lightening or darkening of the skin resolves over weeks. Blistering and burns are rare, and the risk climbs with excessive fluence or thin cooling in darker skin types.

Document any adverse effect in the patient’s record, including severity, onset, and how it was managed. Tell the patient when to expect it to resolve and when to seek help. Drop the fluence for the next session. For serious burns, refer to a dermatologist and log the incident in your safety reporting system.

GentleLase vs GentleMAX Pro: Which template applies

Candela builds two flagship platforms in the Gentle Pro series. GentleLase Pro runs the 755nm alexandrite wavelength alone. GentleMAX Pro pairs it with a 1064nm Nd:YAG.

This template applies to GentleLase treatments. If your practice runs a GentleMAX Pro, the parameter ranges differ, and the Nd:YAG wavelength is safer for Fitzpatrick types V and VI. Check the model on your device before applying any settings from this page.

How Pabau keeps GentleLase records session-ready

Most practices still run this on paper. The form gets printed, filled in at the chair, then scanned or filed at the end of the day. By the next session, finding last time’s fluence means going back through the folder.

Practice management software like Pabau holds the same template as a digital form on the patient record. Treatment record templates open with the patient’s details already filled in, so the practitioner only enters what changed. Aftercare goes out by SMS or email as soon as the appointment closes.

The history then sits in one view. Before-and-after photos, session counts, and every parameter used are attached to the patient, so whoever treats them next starts from what worked. Laser practice software keeps those records ready for a licensing inspection too.

See how Pabau handles GentleLase records

Digital treatment forms, automatic aftercare messages, and a full session history on every patient record. Everything a course of laser treatment needs, in one place.

Book a demo

Conclusion

This template earns its keep across a whole course, rather than in any single appointment. Six months in, the record of what fluence you used and how the skin answered is what keeps session seven safe.

So adapt it once to your own protocols, then hold every practitioner to the same version. The payoff shows up on the day a patient reports a reaction, or a licensing officer asks how you assess suitability.

Book a demo to see how Pabau files the completed template on the patient record and sends the aftercare instructions for you.

Continue your research

Running a second laser platform? ClearSilk consent form and clinical guide covers screening and protocol documentation for a 1064nm treatment.

Offering hair reduction without a laser? Epilfree consultation form gives you the consent and screening wording for that treatment.

Need another aftercare sheet? HIFU aftercare guide shows how the same post-treatment structure works for an energy-based facial treatment.

Writing aftercare for cryotherapy too? Cryotherapy aftercare template sets out wound care and warning signs you can adapt for laser burns.

Want your notes to hold up in an audit? Nursing documentation principles explains what makes a clinical record defensible after the fact.

Frequently asked questions