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What is a Medical Spa or Med Spa?
Medical spas, also called medi-spas or med spas, are a kind of a hybrid between the traditional day spa and a medical clinic.
Medical spas strive to blend the best of two worlds—a relaxing spa experience with the procedures and expertise typically only found at a doctor’s office.
Wondering if a medical spa is the right place for you to get your treatments done? Here are answers to some common questions about medical spas.
How Medical Spas Differ From Traditional Day Spas
The biggest differences between a traditional day spa and a medical spa are the types of procedures that are offered. Medical procedures that can’t be done at the average day spa can be performed at the medical spa.
Unlike day spas, medical spas must be affiliated with, overseen, or run by a medical doctor. While not every procedure is done by a doctor, they are performed under the supervision of the doctor, most often a dermatologist or plastic surgeon.
Medical spas themselves can vary widely, depending on where you go. Some are as posh as the day spa you visited during your last vacation; others are decidedly more clinical. While day spas focus on relaxation, most medical spas are driven by results.
Treatments Offered
While the menu will vary depending on which medical spa you visit, in general, you can expect to find treatments for acne, aging skin, hair removal, and more.
Like at a traditional day spa, luxurious treatments like massage, salt glows, seaweed wraps, and facials can be had at a medical spa.
But medical spas also offer more specialized treatments that are typically only found at a dermatology or plastic surgery clinic. Some of the more common offerings include light and laser treatments, injectables like Juvederm, Restalyne, and Botox, as well as chemical peels.
As for acne treatment, you can find these at the medical spa too. Medical spas offer procedures to treat breakouts, lighten post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, reduce scarring, and improve the overall appearance of the skin.
Who Performs Treatments
The person who actually does your treatment depends on the treatment itself. The physician that oversees the medical spa is in charge of all procedures that fall under the medical realm. Estheticians handle the more routine day spa therapies.
Expect that an esthetician, also known as a skin care therapist, will do all non-medical procedures. An esthetician will do all cosmetic procedures, like massage, body scrubs, wraps, and the like. Estheticians can also do certain non-invasive treatments like acne treatment facials, microdermabrasion, and superficial chemical peels.
Although each state has its own regulations concerning medical spas, in general, all medical procedures must be performed by a physician. This means all injectables, chemical peels that target deeper layers of the skin, and light and laser treatments will be done by the doctor.
