Are you searching for an aesthetic treatment? Are you finding it difficult to decide between cosmetic doctor’s offices and medi-spas? Although medi-spas are very popular, consumers sacrifice the professionalism of a clinical setting that they would get at a doctor’s office for luxuries that don’t actually contribute to the medical procedure. In this blog, we explain some of the differences between dermatologists and medi-spas.
What Is a Medi-Spa?
“Medi-spa” is a term that covers everything from a treatment room at a Cosmetic Dermatologist office to a store in the mall that administers Botox injections when you get a mani/pedi. Although some medi-spas might be affiliated with a doctor, it doesn’t necessarily mean the doctor supervising the procedure specializes in skincare. Many doctors at medi-spas lend their name to the establishment to make a profit.
Are Medi-Spas Regulated?
Calls to strengthen regulations have been made in the last few years. In California, medical businesses like medi-spas have to be majority owned by a physician, and patients have to be examined by a doctor, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner before treatment can be administered. 12 other states are trying to pass “truth in advertising” laws that would force medi-spas to disclose all of the practitioners’ training and credentials in their marketing materials.
However, the medi-spa industry continues to go widely unregulated, and many patients are having difficulty obtaining credible information about their doctor’s qualifications.
According to one board-certified dermatologist in NYC, “I would like to think that every medi-spa has a doctor on site overseeing the staff, but that’s not always the case. Even for procedures in which the risk of complications is relatively small, why would you take the risk? I think it’s just asking for trouble if you go someplace where someone without a medical background is doing your cosmetic procedure.”
Without a national standard for regulating medi-spas, it can be difficult to know which ones you should avoid. If you are interested in an aesthetic treatment that will require someone to contact your skin with a laser, scalpel, or needle, you want to make sure the person overseeing your treatment is a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon. Ask about who will be performing your procedure and find out how much experience they have and what their role is as a physician.
Do you have more questions about aesthetic treatments? If so, you should speak to our team of medical and cosmetic dermatologist in Burbank to get the answers you are looking for. Call (818) 284-4003 to schedule your appointment today.