WHAT IS A MEDICAL SPA?

Many of our patients have asked us what the difference is between a day spa and a medical spa (or medi-spa). At first glance they may seem similar; however, there is a very important difference: A medical spa operates under the direction of a physician and is most valuable when supervised by a highly trained and specialized medical doctor such as a board certified dermatologist. Medical spas can treat conditions on your face and body such as brown spots, redness, fine lines and wrinkles, sagginess and broken capillaries with procedures far more effective than that of traditional day spa.

At one time, medical spas tended to have a more clinical atmosphere than day spas. That is far from true today! Medical spas today strive to create a relaxing and comfortable environment in the clinical setting. Staff are trained to bring a stress-free, fulfilling experience to the patient. In fact, many medical spas offer expanded services such as facials and aromatherapy to their patients to enhance the overall experience.

Medical spas primarily focus on non-surgical healing procedures with durable benefits to improve your appearance. Treatments and products you can expect to see can include  Laser Treatments, Facial Fillers (Injectable Fillers), BOTOX® Cosmetic, Skin Tightening, Vein Therapy, DermaInfusion (microdermabrasion), Chemical Peels, Facials and Physician Grade Skincare products. Active aesthetic dermatologists with extensive medical expertise provide the safest and effective outcomes to:

1. Inject deep into the face as well as right under the skin.  The face has a complex skin and substructure.  An advanced understanding of the underlying architecture supporting the structure of the face, facial bones, muscles, nerves, blood vessels and fat pads, which are responsible for a full and youthful look, is necessary to know where and how to inject dermal fillers and BOTOX.  Strategic injections produce safe, effective results while minimizing adverse outcomes.

2. Alter the epidermis (4 to 5 outer layers of the skin which acts as the body's major barrier against an inhospitable environment, by preventing pathogens from entering, making the skin a natural barrier to infection).

3. Alter the dermis which contains collagen and elastic fibers, important elements that cushion and provide skin structure, and blood vessels which provide nourishment for waste removal for both dermal and epidermal cells.

Some day spas go beyond their authorized legal boundaries by performing medical procedures, such as injectable BOTOX and facial fillers and combine chemical peeling agents that affect the skin below the epidermis. And some medical spas may inappropriately offer medical treatments that only experienced board certified physician skin experts should perform. In order to insure maximum safety, maximum results and hence maximum value, you as a patient are encouraged to seek a facility with appropriately trained providers who practice within their legal scope of practice.