Laser hair removal: dermatologist or salon?

The short answer

• Laser hair removal for cosmetic reasons is offered by doctors' practices and beauty studios. Both need certified expertise (Fachkunde) under the NiSV for this.
• Some laser treatments are reserved for doctors, such as removing tattoos or treating pigmented moles.
• You should see a doctor first if the cause of the hair growth is unclear, if the skin in the area has a skin condition, or if there are conspicuous moles there.
• Health insurance generally does not pay for laser hair removal for cosmetic reasons – neither at a doctor's nor in a studio.

Who is allowed to remove hair with a laser in Germany?

Since 31 December 2022, anyone in Germany who removes hair commercially for cosmetic purposes with a laser or IPL needs certified expertise under the NiSV, the German Ordinance on Protection against the Harmful Effects of Non-Ionising Radiation. This expertise is acquired through a training course. Doctors need it too; besides a training course, they can also acquire it through their specialist medical training or continuing education.

The German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz) stresses what this is about: whoever carries out the treatment must be able to recognise when treatment must not take place – for example in the case of skin cancer or conditions that make the skin highly sensitive to light. The NiSV does not apply to devices you use on yourself at home.

What only doctors may do

The NiSV reserves certain applications for licensed doctors with the relevant specialist training or continuing education:

• ablative laser treatments and applications that break the outer layer of skin as a protective barrier
• the treatment of vascular changes
• the treatment of pigmented skin changes
• the removal of tattoos and permanent make-up
• applications whose effect goes beyond the skin and its appendages

For hair removal, this means: moles, pigment spots and tattoos in the treatment area are left out in the studio. Treating them belongs in a doctor's practice.

When a doctor's practice is the right place

If hair growth appears for the first time or increases quickly. New, coarse hairs on the face, chest or stomach that increase noticeably within a short time can have hormonal or other causes. Please have the cause checked by a doctor first, for example at a gynaecology, dermatology or GP practice. A doctor can treat the cause and coordinate hair removal with it – no studio can do that. More on the face in the article Facial hair removal for women.

If the skin in the area has a skin condition. No laser treatment is carried out with acute skin conditions in the area or with conditions that make the skin sensitive to light. Whether and when treatment is possible is something to clarify at a dermatology practice.

If there are conspicuous moles in the area. Pigmented skin changes should not be treated with a laser or IPL, because this can make it harder to detect skin cancer later. The Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz therefore recommends having them checked by a dermatologist beforehand.

If you take medication that makes your skin sensitive to light, such as certain antibiotics, isotretinoin for acne or St John's wort. In that case, talk to your doctor first.

If you're prone to raised scars (keloids) or often get cold sores. You should mention both before a laser treatment – the American Academy of Dermatology explicitly lists them as points for the preliminary consultation.

What can speak in favour of a studio

If it's purely cosmetic hair removal on healthy skin, a studio with certified expertise under the NiSV is a legally permitted place. Hair removal is usually the studio's core business, prices are often listed openly on the website, and many studios offer the initial consultation free of charge.

In fairness, it should be added: American professional associations such as the American Academy of Dermatology recommend having laser treatments carried out by dermatologists. In Germany, the NiSV allows studios with certified expertise to remove hair with a laser as well. A studio is no substitute for a medical diagnosis – a reputable studio will tell you so and, if in doubt, send you to a doctor first.

What does laser hair removal cost at a dermatologist?

Doctors bill cosmetic laser hair removal privately under the German scale of fees for doctors (Gebührenordnung für Ärzte, GOÄ). The German Medical Association (Bundesärztekammer) recommends billing laser epilation according to the size of the area treated. What a session costs in the end depends on the area, the number of sessions and the multiplier the practice applies. Ask for a written cost estimate beforehand.

Studios set their own prices. What prices per area look like in Munich and what they depend on is explained in the article How much does laser hair removal cost? Wherever you go: expect several sessions, usually 6 to 10, 4 to 6 weeks apart – the number depends on the hair cycle, not on where you're treated.

Does health insurance pay?

Statutory health insurers generally don't pay for laser hair removal for cosmetic reasons. Two court decisions show how narrow the scope is:

• Heavy leg hair: in 2019, the Regional Social Court of Lower Saxony-Bremen (Landessozialgericht Niedersachsen-Bremen) ruled that laser epilation is not part of the range of benefits covered by statutory health insurance. There was no positive recommendation regarding a therapeutic benefit (L 4 KR 457/16).
• Only under a doctor's responsibility: on 7 August 2026, the Regional Social Court of North Rhine-Westphalia (Landessozialgericht Nordrhein-Westfalen) ruled that a health insurer does not have to reimburse the cost of electrolysis on the face carried out in a beauty studio abroad – even in a case where the hair removal had in principle been recognised as medically necessary. According to the ruling, reimbursement is only possible for treatment that a doctor prescribes and is responsible for (L 10 KR 327/25).

It's important not to confuse two things: this requirement for a doctor concerns the question of what health insurance pays for. Whether a studio is allowed to use a laser at all is governed by the NiSV – and the NiSV permits cosmetic hair removal with certified expertise.

Beauty studios do not bill health insurers. If you have private health insurance or receive Beihilfe (the state healthcare allowance for civil servants), ask your insurer before treatment.

How to recognise good treatment – wherever you go

• An initial consultation that covers skin and hair type, health questions and medication
• A test patch before the whole area is treated
• Eye protection – absolutely necessary, according to the Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz
• Open information about the device: manufacturer, model and wavelength. More on this in the article Which laser suits which skin and hair type?
• Certified expertise under the NiSV – ask about it
• Honest statements: anyone promising "100% hair-free" or "guaranteed" is promising more than the method can deliver

At MOOD Beauty

We are a beauty studio at Theresienstraße 38 in Munich-Maxvorstadt and work with a diode laser, the Alma Soprano ICE Platinum. The goal is permanent^¹ hair reduction: considerably less, finer and lighter hair over a long period. Every treatment starts with a free initial consultation: we determine your skin and hair type, go through health questions and medication, and treat a small test patch. We leave out pigmented moles and tattoos. Please have any conspicuous moles checked by a dermatologist beforehand; and if hair growth on your face is new, we'll ask more questions. How the appointment works is explained under How it works.

¹ Permanent hair reduction requires several treatments, depending on the body area and the individual hair and skin type. Success cannot be guaranteed, even when the treatment is carried out professionally. On light, red, grey or white hair, the treatment is ineffective or only partially effective.

FAQ

Sources

1. Verordnung zum Schutz vor schädlichen Wirkungen nichtionisierender Strahlung bei der Anwendung am Menschen (NiSV), § 5 and Annex 3. gesetze-im-internet.de/nisv
2. Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz: Dauerhafte Haarentfernung (Epilation). bfs.de/DE/themen/opt/anwendung-medizin-wellness/epilation/epilation.html
3. Landessozialgericht Nordrhein-Westfalen, L 10 KR 327/25, 07.08.2026, reported by beck-aktuell. beck-aktuell.de/heute-im-recht/rechtsprechung/lsg-nrw-l10kr32725-krankenkasse-haarentfernung-transsexualit%C3%A4t-kosmetikstudio-arztvorbehalt-2026-09-30
4. Landessozialgericht Niedersachsen-Bremen, L 4 KR 457/16, 29.10.2019: Laser-Epilation bei stark behaarten Beinen keine Kassenleistung. Deutsches Ärzteblatt, 18.11.2019. aerzteblatt.de/news/laser-epilation-bei-stark-behaarten-beinen-keine-kassenleistung-1aa76174-fffc-4128-bd4c-cef7263d41ed
5. Bundesärztekammer: Abrechnungsempfehlungen und Analogbewertungen – Dermatologische Lasertherapie. bundesaerztekammer.de/themen/aerzte/honorar/goae/abrechnungsempfehlungen-und-analogbewertungen/baek-abrechnungsempfehlungen-analogbewertungen/f-innere-medizin-kinderheilkunde-und-dermatologie/dermatologische-lasertherapie
6. American Academy of Dermatology: Laser hair removal – Preparation. aad.org/public/cosmetic/hair-removal/laser-hair-removal-preparation
7. American Academy of Dermatology: Laser hair removal – FAQs. aad.org/public/cosmetic/hair-removal/laser-hair-removal-faqs

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