Medical Spa Safety

Medical spas are locations that can offer everything from facials and hair removal to medical procedures. These facilities are proliferating across the country. Medical spas may be located in a physician’s office non-traditional locations such as shopping malls, store fronts and beauty salons. While most people go to a dermatologist office to treat a specific problem or for a yearly skin evaluation, a medical spa‘s services are more oriented towards cosmetic dermatology and maintenance of the skin’s appearance.

There are many excellent and convenient medical spas that offer safe, physician-supervised treatments; however, you should know that there are no national standards for medical spas, no recognized definition of what constitutes a medical spa, and no oversight organization that provides the information you need to make an informed.

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. Obtain the following information:

About the facility

Is the medical spa located within a physician’s office? While problems are infrequent, physician’s offices generally have medical personnel available if a problem develops. Is the medical spa located outside of a doctor’s office in, for example, a mall or salon? If so, ask the name of the physician responsible for oversight and when they are available for consultation or questions before having any injectable, deep peel or laser treatment.

Also ask about the training of any other medical personnel. This is vital to protect your health and insure an optimal outcome. These are generally safe procedures with minimal recovery, but do have real risks.

About medical supervision and personnel training

• Does your medical spa have a physician who can help in determining your goals, provide a treatment plan and direct your care?
• What are the credentials of the physician supervising your treatment in the
  medical spa?
• Who is performing the procedure?

Depending on the State you’re in, injections and deep peels may be performed by a nurse, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner. However, never allow a non-medical, unlicensed person to perform a medical procedure and be sure that the procedure is supervised by a physician board-certified in plastic surgery or dermatology. Your health and safety depend on it.

About efficacy and risk of procedures and realistic expectations

How effective are facial injectables and what is the right product for me? Injectables are generally very safe and effective treatments. There are a wide range of products on the market that are FDA approved and provide good outcomes. However, be sure to ask your provider the following questions:

• Is the product FDA approved? Is it approved for this use?
• Can a medication, filler, or a device be used for a purpose different from which the FDA originally approved it?
• Will injections last and prevent the need for a facelift in the future?
• Have you been fully informed of the possible benefits and side effects of the proposed treatment and have you been apprised of possible options?
• Have all of your questions been answered and are you are fully aware of the risk and rewards of the procedure?

About taking control of your own treatment options:

• What do I expect from my medical procedure?
• Am I taking the procedure seriously?
• Am I basing my decision on the best treatment option and not on price?
• Have you asked to see before and after pictures?
• What if I’m unhappy with the result?
• Have you been told who holds financial responsibility for any revisions or if complications arise?

Finally, check the malpractice history. Malpractice suits can be checked through a number of avenues, but may require that you make a trip to the county courthouse. You can check the malpractice status of any medical doctor serving as the medical director. In most states, this information is available through the Internet.