One of the largest trends sweeping the United States has been the spread of Medi spas. These facilities offer most of the creature comforts and indulgences found in regular day spas, along with lighter cosmetic surgical services like laser hair removal, microdermabrasion and a few other cosmetic medical procedures like Botox injections.
Medi-spas may be found in shopping centers and strip malls, attached to – or near — the offices of plastic and cosmetic surgeons or even at beauty salons.
But the field has grown so fast, there are no national standards regulating services, what constitutes a legitimate Medi spa or even describing the range of medical services can be safely delivered to patrons.
Here, Doctors Face and Body supply a few hints to consumers who may want to have more than a facial and a steam at a nearby Medi-spa.
Dr. Face: (Dr. Kotler) From where I sit, it appears the Medi-spa industry represents a $10 billion trend and seems like it is here to stay. But before asking for medical treatments, a client should ask him-or-herself a few questions first.
Dr. Body: (Dr. Linder) Such as?
Dr. Face: If a physician’s name is on the door, people should ask if he or she is on — or nearby — the site. And, for patients protection and safety, the medial director should ideally be a plastic surgeon, facial plastic surgeon or dermatologist. After all, these are the specialists who know skin the best. Having a proctologist or neurosurgeon lend his name to the signage would not be very reassuring to me. Plus, in most states, strict regulations exist about who can give injections for Botox, Restylane or other fillers. For instance, in California, only R.N.s and physician assistants may administer injections.
Dr. Body: So the idea is: ask who will be giving you injections and then ask about their qualifications, training and experience. Why? Because the results of facial fillers and wrinkle removers are what we surgeons refer to as highly “provider dependent.” Translation: The result depends on the skill of the injector. Remember, it requires years and years of expert training and practice for anybody to develop a deft, precise touch with a needle to provide good results. You always want a super specialist at your service.
Dr. Face: Another item to ask about — is the Medi-spa of your choice located in, or next to, a physician’s office. If you are going to have any injectable, peel or laser procedure, ask who is responsible for complications or other problems that may crop up.
Dr. Body: I can imagine some consumers interested in the cosmetic procedures would like to start by asking a physician if he or she can help with the person’s cosmetic goals, what any side effects of a treatment might be, what the best overall treatment plan is as well as supervise – if not handle — the delivery of the actual treatment.
Dr. Face: Some procedures like Botox and tissue fillers, skin treatments with lasers and radiofrequency devices, along with skin peels should be done under the direct supervision of a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon. A patient receiving a deep peel must be under anesthesia and is precluded from doing the procedure in a Medi-spa. Deep peels must be done under a general anesthesia in certified operating rooms.
Dr. Body: If I were a consumer going in for a quick therapeutic whirlpool bath and a little Botox, I would sure want to know the person giving me the injection is very practiced, with years of experience. For instance, too much Botox into the area between your eyes or your forehead could result in a sagging eyelid. In that case, you would be walking around with one eyelid at half mast!
Dr. Face: By the same token, an esthestian, a licensed skin care specialist, is qualified to do a very light chemical peel but not a medium or stronger-strength peel.
Doctor, what about the massages Medi-Spas advertise for patients who have just had some a major cosmetic plastic surgery of the body like tummy tucks, liposuction, buttocks lifts or breast reductions? Are those post surgical massages O.K. to have in a Medi-spa?
Dr. Body: I’ve seen them advertised, but in my opinion, the compression garments that those patients wear after surgery are more important than post-surgical massages to keep the lymphatic system going, clearing waste products from the body. At any rate, the massages can’t hurt.
Dr. Face: We urge Medi-spa patrons to ask questions about training and qualifications because some doctors who advertise themselves as “cosmetic doctors” may lack the specialized training that’s needed to deliver drugs and fillers to the deeper levels of skin. It also takes specialized training to handle some of the unforeseen medical complications that can crop up.
Dr. Body: For many of the more involved cosmetic plastic surgery procedures like breast reduction or breast revision surgery, seeing a cosmetic physician is like seeing an allergist when having a baby. Medicine today is highly specialized; it requires the right specialist to deliver good results!
Dr. Face: We should also add that injections of facial fillers like Restylane and Juvederm are temporary. But scientific research will bring longer-lasting products, so stay tuned!
Plus, facial peels, injectable fillers, Botox, micro-dermabrasion, laser hair removal and other less invasive cosmetic procedures are in a different medical league than facials, massages and other beauty treatments. Help yourself by first doing a little homework on the procedure in which you are interested.
Dr. Body: One other thing patients can do.
Dr. Face: What’s that?
Dr. Body: Ask to see the Medi-spa’s patients before and after pictures!