CBS'S <i>THE EARLY SHOW</i> FEATURES EXPOSÉ ON LASER SAFETY

on Monday, March 27th, CBS's The Early Show featured an exposé on the $2 billion laser hair removal and facial rejuvenation industry. 'ConsumerWatch' reporter Susan Koeppen warned viewers that the number of patients being injured by laser treatments is growing, and that the people doing the procedures often have very little training.

With a hidden camera, Koeppen and her producer went to five New York spas to inquire about their laser treatments. Some were upfront about the risk. A technician at one is seen on tape saying, 'Any light, meaning like the light from the laser, can cause an immediate burn." Another admits, 'I hate to say it, but you can get burned.'

But at other properties, Koeppen and the producer were given a very different pitch. One technician is caught by the hidden camera responding, 'No, no, no, no, no!' when asked if Koeppen could get burned. 'So, it's completely safe?' the producer asks. 'No risk? 'None' is the response. At another place, Koeppen asked if there's a chance she could get burned. 'No, I promise, and will give you a guarantee you're not gonna be burned, you're not gonna feel anything,' a technician answers.

"Anybody who tells you that any treatment is 100 percent guaranteed, zero percent complication rate is lying to you, and you should run the other way.' said New York dermatologist Dr. Heidi Waldorf, of the American Society for Dermatological Surgery.

The report also discussed the debate about who can perform laser treatments. Plastic surgeons and dermatologists say patients should stick with medical specialists, both for safety and results. 'Doctors say, go see a doctor if you're going to get this done,' Koeppen noted. 'It's a serious medical procedure, and you should treat it as such.'

Koeppen also shared the videos with Eric Light, president of the International Medical Spa Association. Light told Koeppen he wasn't surprised some of the information she and the producer got wasn't right. He says the problem is, there are no national standards for laser spas and, too often, consumers are fooled by a nice décor and lots of certificates on the wall. The truth is that they don't mean a thing. 'Don't just naturally assume this person is extremely well trained,' Light says. 'That certificate on the wall means they attended a class, that could have been two hours long or even less."

Light said the International Medical Spa Association is pushing for better training and tougher regulations for spas, 'a national standard,' Light says, so everyone's on the same page. When asked what it is like at the moment, Light said, 'Chaos'.