The present invention relates to a method for monitoring the operation of an apparatus (2) for treatment by means of the emission of light flashes, the apparatus comprising a base station and a handpiece connected to the base station, the handpiece having a service life of no less than Ν flashes, preferably no less than 500,000 flashes, wherein according to said method, a server generates an authorisation for the apparatus to emit a number n of flashes that is no higher than N, the validity of the authorisation preferably being limited in time, or to emit an indefinite number of flashes with the validity being limited in time, the apparatus having a monitoring circuit (15, 18) configured for setting the emission of the flashes such that it corresponds to the validity of the authorisation.
