Vagina monologue: Thai woman blasts clinic over laser hair removal

A Thai woman condemned a beauty clinic in Pathum Thani province near Bangkok for causing an infection to her vagina after a laser hair removal process and demanded the clinic take responsibility.

The victim, a 36 year old woman called Saowaluck, sought assistance from non-profit organisation Saimai Survive to seek justice. Saowaluck revealed in a press conference yesterday, April 24, that the laser hair removal procedure at the unnamed clinic caused severe pain and later led to an infection.

Saowaluck shared that her vagina developed infected blisters as a result of the laser hair removal procedure, requiring her to stay in hospital for three days for treatment. Despite this, her symptoms did not improve and the clinic ignored its mistake.

Saowaluck recounted that she found the beauty clinic on Facebook and bought a laser hair removal service for 2,000 baht. She received the service on April 18 at around 4pm and became concerned because the procedure was performed by a staff member rather than a doctor.

After the hair removal, she felt pain in her privates and informed the clinic about it. However, the staff member dismissed her concerns, attributing them to normal post-procedure symptoms.

The following morning, Saowaluck’s symptoms worsened, with blisters appearing on her vagina and the skin deteriorating. She developed a fever and sought advice from the clinic over the phone before deciding to go to the hospital for further examination.

Clinic breaks promise

The hospital diagnosed Saowaluck with a vulva infection, estimating treatment costs to range between 20,000 to 30,000 baht. Upon informing the clinic of her situation, Saowaluck requested financial assistance amounting to 20,000 baht, which the clinic agreed to provide.

Following a three-day hospital stay, the total cost amounted to approximately 43,000 baht. Saowaluck subsequently sought reimbursement of the agreed 20,000 baht from the clinic. However, they refused, contending that the infection wasn’t caused by the laser procedure. Instead, they offered only to refund the service fee of 2,000 baht.

Expressing frustration, Saowaluck clarified that she had solely sought coverage for treatment costs and hadn’t requested additional compensation from the clinic.

During yesterday’s press conference, Saowaluck reportedly fainted due to symptoms of depression and panic, which she stated arise when she experiences stress.

The issue was reported to the Pathum Thani Provincial Public Health Office. The office promised to conduct further investigation into the clinic on its licence and whether procedures are being performed by qualified doctors.