Med Spas: What You Need To Know

What is a med spa? Are med spas safe? What are some med spa procedures? And most importantly, how does a med spa differ from a regular spa?

One of the most relaxing activities a person can take part in is going to a spa. It depends on each facility and their packages, but usually, they pamper you in one way or another. The general association with spas is that they are places of self-care and personal health. 

Some of the facilities' most popular treatments include massages, body treatments, and facials. Typical massages are Swedish, relaxation massages, and deep tissue. Though facials have a wide range of options, the most usual therapies involve exfoliation and cleansing. And body wraps or scrubs seem to be the preferred method for body treatments. 

However, a typical spa isn't what people have been asking about recently.

What is a Med Spa (Medical Spa)?

Most commonly defined as an establishment that merges medical procedures typically performed in a doctor's office with the comfort and pampering experience of a day spa. To be considered a medical spa, the facilities are often run by a medical doctor (a dermatologist, plastic surgeon, or physician.) 

Med spas provide a wide range of services, their goal is to help clients maintain their healthy lifestyle through a combination of medical and cosmetic procedures. The client may have certain common concerns. These can include issues such as aging, glycation damage, sun damage, or even acne that they would like to address through a medical method.

What Are some Procedures?

Medical spas offer a wide range of treatments, some of them not found in day spas, such as:

• Skin Lightening:  Focuses on correcting pigmentation issues such as dark spots, melasma, blemishes, and melanin imperfections. Typically hydroquinone and retinol-based.
• Chemical peels: This procedure topically applies formulations that trigger controlled skin-shedding to quicken the growth of new and youthful appearing skin cells. 
• Lasers: Many med spas offer various laser treatments to combat wrinkles, discoloration, blemishes, texture issues, laser hair removal, and more.
• Microdermabrasion: An exfoliation process that removes the outermost layer of skin, exposing the youthful skin underneath.
• Dermal filler injections: Commonly formulated with hyaluronic acid, this treatment assists in volumizing areas of the face that have formed wrinkles or hollowed due to a loss of collagen.
• Botox injections: Treatments to correct lines and wrinkles.
• Radiofrequency: A device used to administer energy into deep tissue to provide a tightening effect for the face and neck. 
• Acne Treatment: Med spas use a variety of methods to treat acne, such as blue light.
• Microneedling: This treatment involves creating microscopic channels through the skin's surface, encouraging the formation of new tissue. It also releases the skin's natural growth factors, which promote scar and hyperpigmentation repair and healing. Learn What to Put On Skin After Microneedling

Difference Between Day Spa and Med Spa

The most notable detail that makes a day spa and a med spa different is the lack of medical procedures offered at regular day spas. Though day spas offer multiple healthy skin and body procedures, many methods are based on more superficial individual areas. These med spas focus on providing treatments with long-lasting effects. The common services of a day spa are procedures such as manicures, pedicures, aromatherapy, and mud wraps. On the other hand, med spas offer more in-depth techniques such as the ones mentioned above. 

Another notable difference between a med spa and a day spa is that, as previously mentioned, medical doctors run or supervise med spas. In a day spa, the staff is not necessarily a medical practitioner.

Are Med Spas Safe?

The short answer is yes. It's incredibly difficult to get certified as a med spa if one doesn't meet the necessary requirements. Ensure you do extensive research on the facility before you book their services, including customer and employee reviews.