Learn to remove tattoos with laser safely, honestly and to a professional standard. This course follows the Skintastic Laser Tattoo Removal Student Training Manual and Workbook and prepares you for the supervised practical day.
Accredited CPD course: 8 CPD credits
The CPD Group accredited activity #1004447. 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.
What this course covers
- UK regulations, laser safety, Local Rules and compliance, including the roles of the LPA, LPS and Authorised User
- Skin anatomy, how tattoo ink stays in place and how the laser and immune system clear it
- Wavelengths and ink colours, including difficult and dangerous pigments
- Consultation, Fitzpatrick skin typing, contra-indications, medication and the Kirby-Desai scale
- Patch testing, allergic reactions and anaphylaxis first aid
- Treatment technique, wavelength sequencing, full-circle and large tattoos
- Treating darker skin types (Fitzpatrick V to VI) safely
- Eye safety, aftercare, side effects, complications, case studies and records
How it works
You study the lessons online at your own pace, with a short knowledge check after each lesson. The course ends with a final assessment (multiple choice, short written answers and a scenario) and a supervised practical day where your trainer observes you against a competency checklist. Results vary between clients, and the course teaches honest expectations: complete removal can never be guaranteed.
Student support group
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Course at a glance
| CPD credits | 8 |
|---|---|
| CPD Group activity number | #1004447 |
| Lessons | 13 lessons, 73 topics |
| Certificate | Issued when you pass |
Who can take this course
No formal entry requirement is stated in the manual. The registration form asks about any Core of Knowledge certificate and existing laser or IPL training, and learners are asked to read the early sections before the practical day. Core of Knowledge is required for anyone using lasers or IPL in practice.
What you will learn
- Explain how Class 3B and Class 4 lasers and IPL are regulated in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
- Describe what the CQC position means for cosmetic laser work
- Name the three layers of the skin and describe what each does
- Explain where tattoo ink is deposited
- Explain what a wavelength is and why ink must absorb it
- Describe the characteristics of 1064nm and 532nm
- Explain why a robust, compliant consultation is the foundation of safe treatment
- Describe the suggested new-client protocol from waiting room to consent
- Explain why patch testing is a clinical and legal necessity
- State the benefits of a test patch for you and the client
- List the instructions you give a client before their appointment
- Explain the reason for each instruction
- Explain the role of melanin in laser absorption
- List the unintended effects of epidermal melanin absorption
- Explain why eye protection is the most important control
- State the requirements for client eyewear
- Explain why case-study reflection matters
- Use a simple structure to analyse a poor outcome
- List the five forms in each model set
- Explain what each form is for
Course structure
Lesson 1: Start here: your course guide (5 topics)
- Welcome to your Laser Tattoo Removal course
- What the course covers and what it does not
- Your course structure, training day and delivery
- How you are assessed
- Your trainer, your responsibilities and accessibility
Lesson 2: UK regulations, laser safety and compliance (9 topics)
- How lasers are regulated across the UK
- Local authority licensing and the proposed national scheme
- The Laser Protection Adviser and the minimum safety requirements
- Qualification levels and your treatment protocol
- The three safety roles and your Local Rules
- The controlled area and room safety
- The laser use register, hygiene and the LPA site visit
- Health and safety law and the device itself
- Records, data protection, advertising and your compliance checklist
Lesson 3: Skin anatomy and how tattoos stay in place (5 topics)
- The structure of the skin and where ink sits
- How tattoos stay in place
- How the laser and the immune system remove ink
- Why removal takes many sessions, and why we wait between them
- Needle depth and why no two tattoos are the same
Lesson 4: How laser removal works: wavelengths and ink colours (6 topics)
- Wavelengths: the basics, 1064nm and 532nm
- Knowing your handpieces and the colour guide
- Difficult and resistant inks
- White and pale pigments: the blackening risk
- Green and yellow: the hardest colours
- Client communication about colour and clearance
Lesson 5: Consultation, suitability and contra-indications (9 topics)
- Why the consultation matters
- Fitzpatrick skin typing
- Recent tanning and UV exposure
- Absolute exclusions: immune system, liver and bleeding conditions
- Absolute exclusions: skin, cancer treatment and other conditions
- Right-hand column conditions, moles and lesions
- The medication advisory protocol
- Estimating sessions with the Kirby-Desai scale
- Factors that influence removal and the density worksheet
Lesson 6: Patch testing and allergic reactions (7 topics)
- Why patch testing is critical
- Wheal and flare: recognising an immediate hypersensitivity reaction
- Anaphylaxis: recognition and first-aid response
- Adrenaline auto-injectors: using an EpiPen and the legal position
- A complete patch-test assessment
- Performing the patch test, step by step
- Documenting the patch test and practising placement
Lesson 7: The full treatment: protocol and technique (7 topics)
- Preparing the client before the first appointment
- Topical numbing creams: use with care
- In the room: safety before you fire
- Laser handling technique: controlling your delivery
- Wavelength sequencing for multi-coloured tattoos
- Reading the skin: observations and actions
- Treating full-circle tattoos and large tattoos
Lesson 8: Treating darker skin types safely (Fitzpatrick V to VI) (4 topics)
- The role of melanin and why darker skin needs special care
- Key risks when treating Fitzpatrick V to VI
- Safe-practice principles for Fitzpatrick V to VI
- Communicating risk and your legal and ethical responsibility
Lesson 9: Eye safety, aftercare, side effects and complications (6 topics)
- Eye safety: the single most important control
- Practitioner eyewear, gloves and full PPE
- Aftercare advice for clients
- What is normal, and what is not
- Side effects and complications, and how to respond
- Training-day aftercare sheet and recording what you gave
Lesson 10: What went wrong? Case-study reflections and practitioner questions (4 topics)
- Learning from real cases: how to reflect
- Cases 1 and 2: blistering on red ink and on green ink
- Cases 3, 4 and 5: darker skin reaction, hand tattoo and limb over-treatment
- Questions practitioners often ask
Lesson 11: Forms, consent and record keeping (4 topics)
- The client forms pack
- The information and consent form: what the client is told
- Declarations and the training model agreement
- Patch test records, treatment records and the laser register
Lesson 12: Your final assessment (3 topics)
- How your final assessment works
- Revision guide: the safety-critical points
- Written answers and the scenario: how to answer well
Lesson 13: Your practical day(s) and trainer sign-off (4 topics)
- Your practical day programme
- The practical competency checklist, item by item
- Practical exercises on the day
- Trainer sign-off, your certificate and next steps
How you are assessed
Each teaching lesson ends with a short multiple choice quiz. Your final assessment combines multiple choice questions with written answers marked by your trainer, and your supervised practical is signed off by your trainer. Your certificate is issued when you pass.
