A medical spa is a hybrid between a medical clinic and a day spa that operates under the supervision of medical doctor.
Medical spas can treat conditions on your face and body like brown spots, redness, and broken capillaries that cannot be treated at all or as effectively by a traditional esthetician.
Medical spa menus vary, but you can usually get also get medical spa treatments like laser treatments, laser hair removal, IPL (intense pulsed light) treatments, microdermabrasion, photofacials, injectables like Botox and fillers, aggressive chemical peels and skin tightening or skin rejuvenation.
Medical spas tend to have a more clinical atmosphere than day spas. But many also offer relaxing services like massage and body treatments. Some medical spas have a wellness focus and include services like acupuncture, nutritional counseling and naturopathic doctor consultations.
Questions You Should Ask Before You Choose A Medical Spa
Who owns and operates the medical spa? Is it owned by a doctor? Is he actually on the premises supervising operations and doing treatments? Who will be performing the procedure? What is the licensing and training of the people who are actually doing the services? How long have they been doing the procedure? This is especially important with laser hair removal. Many states don’t require any license whatsoever and you can be badly burned — literally — if someone doesn’t know what they’re doing.
What kind of equipment do they use? Prices for medical spa treatments like laser and skin tightening (or skin rejuvenation) are high because the equipment itself is expensive. Research the type of equipment they use for the treatment you’re interested in because it’s a complex field and the technology is always changing. You really want the most up-to-date, least painful technologies for procedures like skin tightening.
How many treatments will I need to see results? This is a hard question to answer. People respond differently, and you may get good results from just one treatment or you may be unsatisfied after a series. But ask the therapist what the general protocol is — how many treatments you need, how frequently, and what you need to do to maintain results.
The best approach is to identify what is bothering you and then schedule a consultation to discuss your options with the medical director or esthetician.