Learn to deliver Q-Switched Nd:YAG laser treatment of fungal nail infection safely, honestly and professionally. This course follows the Skintastic student manual from the condition and the science through to consultation, settings, treatment, aftercare and records.
100% online, with an optional FREE practical
Everything, including every assessment and your certificate, is online. If your insurer requires face-to-face training, you can also take a free practical, at our Southampton academy or as a live virtual practical over video. It costs nothing extra, and your certificate does not depend on it.
Accredited CPD course: 6 CPD credits
The CPD Group accredited activity #1004446. Skintastic Aesthetic Lasers Ltd is an approved CPD provider (#777800). This is a CPD course: it is not a regulated qualification and carries no qualification level.
Accredited by The CPD Group: activity #1004446, 6 CPD credits. Skintastic Aesthetic Lasers Ltd is an approved provider, #777800. Verify both on The CPD Register.
What this course covers
- Fungal nail infection (onychomycosis), its causes and conventional treatment
- How the Q-Switched Nd:YAG laser works, and what the evidence honestly shows
- UK regulation, Class 4 laser safety, insurance, consent and advertising rules
- Consultation, contra-indications and medication checks
- Test patches, the 14 J/cm² target, spot size, pulse rate and the full two-wavelength method
- Aftercare, equipment cleaning, client questions and record-keeping
How it works
Work through eleven lessons at your own pace, with a knowledge check after each teaching lesson, then complete your final assessment. The whole course, including every assessment and your certificate, is online. A hardback course manual and workbook is posted to you free of charge to the address you enter at checkout. If your insurer requires face-to-face training, you can also take a free optional practical, at our Southampton academy or live virtual over video. The course does not replace your machine manufacturer’s instructions or your own insurer’s conditions.
Student support group
Studying with us? Join our student support group on Facebook for help, answers and updates from the academy. Join the student support group.
Course at a glance
| CPD credits | 6 |
|---|---|
| CPD Group activity number | #1004446 |
| Study time | 6 hours, 100% online at your own pace |
| Optional practical | FREE, only if your insurer requires face-to-face training |
| Lessons | 11 lessons, 65 topics |
| Certificate | Available on the course page once every lesson and quiz is complete |
Who can take this course
A regulated Level 3 qualification in Anatomy and Physiology (or equivalent) and the Laser and IPL Physics and Safety Core of Knowledge certificate. RPL is accepted against Anatomy and Physiology, but never in place of Core of Knowledge. A qualification in laser is preferred but not essential. Treatment liability and public liability insurance must specifically cover Q-Switched Nd:YAG laser nail treatment before you treat.
What you will learn
- Define onychomycosis in plain English
- Describe how an infected nail may look
- Explain what Nd:YAG stands for
- Describe long-pulsed and Q-Switched Nd:YAG lasers
- Name the main bodies that regulate or influence laser practice
- Explain what each body covers
- Explain what a full consultation must include
- Use the client forms in the right order
- Explain why test patches precede every full treatment
- State the golden rule about increasing energy
- Run a pre-treatment safety check
- Confirm settings from the test patch record
- List the steps taken straight after treatment
- Explain the purpose of each step
- Answer the question 'Will it definitely cure my fungal nail?' honestly
- Describe what clients may feel
Course structure
Lesson 1: Start here: your course guide (6 topics)
- Welcome and what this course covers
- Course structure, timetable and hours
- Entry requirements, scope and your responsibilities
- How you are assessed and receive your certificate
- Your trainers, accessibility and how to use your manual
- Your course manual
Lesson 2: Understanding fungal nail infection (6 topics)
- What is a fungal nail infection?
- What causes it and why it spreads
- Conventional treatment: tablets and lacquers
- Why conventional treatments have drawbacks
- Why a confirmed diagnosis must come first
- Where laser fits, and when to guide clients back to their GP
Lesson 3: How the Q-Switched Nd:YAG laser works (6 topics)
- Two forms of Nd:YAG laser treatment
- How the 1064 nm beam is thought to damage the fungus
- The 532 nm beam and why two wavelengths are used
- The Kalokasidis (2013) study
- The wider evidence: what pooled studies show
- What you may and may not claim, and why offer it at all
Lesson 4: Regulation, laser safety and your responsibilities (9 topics)
- Who regulates what
- The MHRA, medical devices and the UK Responsible Person
- Reporting an adverse incident
- Class 4 laser safety and eye protection
- The controlled area, Local Rules and your Laser Protection Adviser
- Health and safety law that applies to your clinic
- Premises, licensing, CQC and who may treat
- Insurance, consent, records and data protection
- Advertising, consumer law and your compliance checklist
Lesson 5: Consultation, suitability and contra-indications (8 topics)
- The consultation and medical history
- Confirming the diagnosis in the consultation
- Conditions that exclude a client
- Conditions that need caution or GP advice
- Diabetes, circulation and sensation: protecting the safety signal
- Medication, herbal remedies and photosensitivity
- Classes of medicine that affect laser treatment
- Preparing the client and the treatment area
Lesson 6: Test patches and laser settings (7 topics)
- Why test patches matter
- The target dose and where it comes from
- Understanding fluence
- Energy needed at each spot size
- Know your machine's ceiling
- The test-patch sequence: 1064 nm
- The test-patch sequence: repeating at 532 nm, and recording results
Lesson 7: Full treatment method and treatment regime (5 topics)
- Setting up for the full treatment
- Delivering the 1064 nm and 532 nm passes
- Why every nail is usually treated
- How the taught settings relate to the published paper
- The treatment regime and setting expectations
Lesson 8: Aftercare, equipment cleaning and post-treatment (6 topics)
- Immediate aftercare in the clinic
- Home care: the first 24 to 48 hours
- The long haul: stopping reinfection
- Lifestyle advice and judging progress
- Cleaning equipment and infection control
- Waste, spores and safe disposal
Lesson 9: Client questions, consent and records (5 topics)
- Answering client questions honestly: will it cure, and does it hurt?
- Answering client questions: timing, sessions, tablets and diagnosis
- Consent forms and your duty to document
- Treatment records and clinical photographs
- Your treatment-room readiness checklist
Lesson 10: Your final assessment (3 topics)
- How the final assessment works
- Revision map: what you should know
- Writing strong answers and handling the scenario
Lesson 11: Optional face-to-face practical training (4 topics)
- The optional practical day: what to expect
- The competency checklist
- Training models and the model agreement
- Your CPD record and certificate
How you are assessed
Everything is assessed online. Each teaching lesson ends with a short multiple choice quiz. Your final assessment has Part A, a multiple choice test (20 questions, pass mark 80%), and Part B, written short answers. Your written answers are read with the help of an AI assistant, with feedback by email. Your certificate of achievement is available on the course page once every lesson and quiz is complete. There is no trainer sign-off, and the optional practical has no effect on your certificate.
