Many non-surgical cosmetic treatments for wrinkles and body fat are now offered at medical spas. At first glance these treatments seem to have very effective before and after photos on their websites. But after researching the regulations that govern these facilities, the unsuspecting consumer is left with the daunting task of realizing that the medical spa operates in a “gray area” where the regulations are not uniform from state to state, and some states even allow unlicensed individuals to perform medical treatments that can cause serious harm to consumers.
The consultation isn’t just a sales pitch
Most people’s first Med Spa consultation is a disaster. You walk in expecting for the receptionist to say, “Hi, welcome to our office. What can we help you with today?” You explain your concerns, and then they tell you what you need, and off you go to schedule your appointment. This is NOT a legitimate consultation.
Expect that a good consultation will make you feel like you are visiting a doctor’s office. The provider will likely want to know your medical history, list out contraindications for various treatments, and may physically examine your skin or the area that you are concerned about. The provider will likely take note of your skin type, your current skin care products, and take before pictures. A provider who immediately starts to tell you about a very expensive package deal within the first few minutes of your consultation is probably not the provider for you. In fact, you should probably leave immediately.
Another consideration is that your lines and wrinkles could be caused by something entirely different than what you think. For example, deep lines on your forehead could actually be caused by ptosis, and not wrinkles at all. This is why it’s so very important to have a proper consultation with a qualified provider. They can assess your skin and recommend the proper course of treatment for your specific concerns.
Your treatment goals need honest examination
Your Skin, As Seen On Instagram. It’s no secret that we are living in a highly filtered society where individuals post only their very best moments on social media. A woman’s skin can look porcelain in a high quality photograph with appropriate lighting and editing after just one HydraFacial treatment. Don’t assume her before and after results will look exactly the same. Be wary of before and after photos. As with anything in life, just because you see it, doesn’t mean you can achieve it. When it comes to medical spa treatments, never compare your behind the scenes to someone else’s highlight reel.
Be able to describe your concerns and your goals for your skin in as much detail as possible prior to your appointments. Write down a clear and specific description of your concerns and the changes that you hope to see in your skin. Instead of saying that you want “better skin” for example, perhaps you would say that you want “to reduce the appearance of my acne scars on my cheeks.” Perhaps you hope that your medical spa treatments will reduce the appearance of your nasolabial folds and make you look even more radiant. Hopefully they’ll make you look and feel amazing. But keep in mind that all too often social media gives people unrealistic expectations of what can be achieved with various medical spa treatments.
It is also very important to remember that not all skin or body concerns can be treated with Medical Spa treatments. Some wrinkles and folds are much too deep to be treated with Botox or fillers and would require a more invasive surgical procedure such as a facelift. Similarly, very extreme cases of fat loss may need to be treated with liposuction rather than CoolSculpting. A reputable provider will let you know if you are a good candidate for a particular treatment and if not, will explain why in a clear and honest manner.
Provider credentials matter more than facility aesthetics
A Med Spa can look so fabulous and even have very expensive equipment. However, it is not about the equipment or the facility’s office. What matters most is the individual providing the treatment and their level of training and training and experience with the treatment. If the individual administering the treatment has little to no training and experience with the treatment then the patient is risking serious injury or poor results.
As a consumer looking for medical spa treatments, you should be aware that each state has different laws and regulations when it comes to Laser Hair removal. For example, in Texas where I reside and practice, Laser Hair removal may be performed by an Esthetician using Lasers such as Alexandrite and Diode Lasers after minimal training. On the other hand, in California Laser Hair removal using any Laser, with the exception of Ruby Lasers, may only be performed by a Physician or a Licensed Nurse Practitioner. When searching for a Medical Spa for Laser Hair removal, it would be wise to check the laws and regulations of the state you reside in prior to your treatment.
Know who your Doctor is going to be before you go in for your first treatment. Is a board certified dermatologist going to be treating you? A Nurse Practitioner? A Medical Aesthetician with many years of experience? Or perhaps a technician who has been trained in a matter of weeks and is allowed to treat patients with the latest technology by your state’s regulations? Make sure you are an informed patient.
Look up the Providers qualifications online by searching their name on your states licensing board for any disciplinary action. View their Before and After photos of similar skin types and ask for references. Also make sure that the Medical Director of the Med Spa is actively treating patients and not just collecting a check. When researching a med spa Jacksonville FL and other areas of the country have many Med Spas with Medical Directors, but are they treating?
Before you undergo a medical spa treatment, it is wise to ask your provider the following questions to gauge their experience and ensure your safety: How many of the same treatments have you performed before? What is your complication rate? How would you handle an emergency? Will you have the proper emergency medications on hand? How would you treat any complications that may arise?
Safety protocols reveal professionalism
Even look at the Medical Spa’s facilities to make sure they are clean enough for you to want to go there. That they have adequate ventilation and are using Medical Grade Equipment and Supplies. Cotton pads, etc. should be in sealed packages opened in front of you.
Always find out the pre and after care for any treatment will require. Laser treatments for example can have sun damage as a contraindication pre and post treatment. Skin fillers for example may require restrictions on exercise and the consumption of alcohol for a short period of time after treatment. It is imperative that you feel the clinic are taking your safety seriously and are happy to go through a full list of after care with you. If they seem to brush off your concerns then it is likely they are not taking your safety as seriously as you would hope.
Emergency Procedures: It is also very important to discuss Emergency Procedures with the Spa. Like any other medical provider, a medical spa has to have a plan in place for dealing with emergencies. What would they do if you had an allergic reaction to a product? Would they have access to medications to treat other types of adverse reactions? How would they handle other complications? These are certainly things that no one wants to think about, but they are things that you should definitely know about before you undergo any sort of treatment.
Realistic timelines and expectations
Many treatments provided in medical spas are a series of treatments performed on patient’s over a period of time. All of the treatments in the series must be paid for prior to the first treatment being administered. When looking for medical spa treatments, the patient’s budget for the cost of these treatments needs to be calculated to include all of the treatments in the recommended series of treatments and not just for individual treatments. Many of the initial consultations for medical spa treatments are priced for the first treatment and that is what the patient receives during the initial consultation.
Remember that the best medical spa treatments require more than one session of treatment and typically can take several weeks to several months to see the complete results of your skin. Therefore, do not get fooled by before and after photos on a medical spa’s website or social media pages. Most importantly, remember that each person’s results can vary greatly depending on the products and/or treatments used. For example, the results of Botox can take up to two weeks to reach its full peak and reach its optimal results. Also, be aware that the results of Chemical Peels and Laser Hair Removal typically take several weeks to see the full results and benefits of the treatments.
Be sure to price out the entire treatment (not just the first appointment) and make sure that any ‘specials’ that you’re considering actually are a great deal and not just a ploy to get you to pay more for the rest of the treatments than you would if you were paying full price for each one. For example, a ‘special’ for one HydraFacial for $500 could really end up costing $2,000 for 4- 4 treatments at $500 each.
Making the decision
By doing your homework on the best treatments for your individual concerns and their typical results, the best medical spa for your needs, and the best provider within that medical spa for your needs, you can have the best experience possible and the first time around and achieve the best results for your skin in the long run.
Lastly, when you are looking to treat your skin at a medical spa, you want to make sure that you are treating your skin with the best. Just because someone is renting a suite in a medical facility does not mean that they have received the proper training, have the proper knowledge, or have the experience to treat your skin. It is very important to make sure that the provider of your medical spa treatment takes the time to thoroughly go over your skin concerns with you before scheduling your treatment. If your provider seems to be in a huge rush to schedule your treatment, then maybe you should look elsewhere for a provider. Also, make sure that the medical spa that you choose to use has a medical director on site. This medical director will be seeing patients at the medical spa, and not just signing your treatment plan.
