How to get the most from your Medi-spa experience: New York, NY (January 19, 2007) — Medi-spas, locations that can offer everything from facials and hair removal to pharmaceutical injections and other medical procedures, are proliferating across the country. Medi-spas may be located in a physician’s office, or in non-traditional locations such as shopping malls, store fronts and beauty salons.There are many excellent and convenient Medi-spas that offer safe, physician supervised treatments.
However, for those providing treatments outside of the physician’s office, there are no national standards for medi-spas, no recognized definition of what constitutes a medi-spa, and no oversight organizations that provide the information you need to make an informed, safe choice for your medi-spa experience.As advocates for patient safety and healthy outcomes, The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) have created the following questions you should ask before committing to any procedure or medical treatment in a spa or non-traditional facility.
It is important that you do your homework as you should on anything that can affect not only your appearance but your health and safety as well. We suggest obtaining the following information:
About the facility:
About medical supervision and personnel training:
About efficacy and risk of procedures and realistic expectations:
About taking control of your own treatment options:
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The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) is the leading organization of board-certified plastic surgeons specializing in cosmetic plastic surgery. ASAPS active-member plastic surgeons are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. www.surgery.org .
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. With more than 6,000 members, the society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
This week’s expert: Dr. N. Eugene Morrow has been a dermatologist since 1982. He has been the owner and medical director of Seasons Medical Spa in Springfield since 2003. He is a fellow of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery. He researched some of his answers through the American Academy of Dermatology, medicalspaassociation.org and spafinder.com.
Q. What is the difference between a medical spa and a regular spa? Is there a difference in the types of treatments offered?
A. A medical spa is a facility that operates under the full-time, on-site supervision of a licensed health-care professional, according to The International Medical Spa Association, but there are no definitive regulations governing the use of the term “medical spa.”
Medical spas focus on intense treatments that make a significant improvement to the individual’s appearance, without the down-time associated with more invasive procedures. Medical spas may use lasers and intense pulsed light technology, as well as medical microdermabrasion, photofacials, Botox and Juvéderm injections, medical peels and other medical-aesthetic procedures. These are procedures that may be used for skin tightening, permanent hair removal, wrinkle reduction, acne treatment and the fading of brown spots, freckles, pigment irregularities, rosacea and redness.
Medical spas may incorporate other services found in regular spas, such as waxing, massage, make-up, manicures, pedicures, body wraps, soaks and hair-salon services.
Q. Should clients see a difference between the two types of spas?
A. The first thing a client should notice about a medical spa is the supervision of a licensed health-care professional. Both medical spas and regular spas may employ licensed aestheticians, massage therapists or cosmetologist, but regular spas do not typically have supervision from a licensed health-care professional.
In Missouri, the laws that regulate the use of laser and other intense pulse light technology are rather vague. The consumer must take the initiative and examine the credentials of the health-care professional who supervises the medical spa. Is the supervising health-care professional a medical doctor? How long has the supervising professional studied skin and skin care? Is he or she actively involved on-site on a full-time basis or just an absentee supervisor? What type of assistance is available if you experience unwanted side effects from your treatment?
Another difference should be in the professional atmosphere of the spa. Although medical spas strive to offer a relaxing and comfortable “spa-like” ambiance, they do so in a more clinical environment. Client confidentiality should be a foremost concern. Medical spa personnel should be highly trained and put the client at ease.
Also, because of the intense nature of treatments, the medical spa should provide an in-depth skin analysis and consultation before the treatments. They should use a more thorough intake form and initial interview than a regular spa. Usually the client will sign consents before receiving laser treatments, chemical peels or Botox or Juvéderm injections. Most medical spas offer a free consultation before major treatments. A physician should be available for pre-treatment consultation, if necessary. read more