April 2010 Newsletter

What is a Medical Spa?  What You Need to Know.  

A medical spa is a hybrid between a medical clinic and a day spa that operates under the supervision of a medical doctor.  Medical spas can treat facial conditions like brown spots, redness, and broken capillaries that cannot be treated at all or as effectively by a traditional esthetician, or offer noninvasive medical treatments like neurotoxins (Botox®) and fillers (Juvederm®, Radiesse®, Restylane®), and may offer laser, light, or radiofrequency treatments, and laser hair removal.

Medical Spas in the U.S. and elsewhere have increased in numbers and have become popular as medical tourism destinations.  The problems of medical spas include offering medical procedures neither the spa nor the staff are qualified to do.  Unfortunately, this reflects badly on the many who are professional.  They have tended to fall between the gaps in legislation.  Nationally, the number of medical spas around the country has grown from 500 in 2004 to over 2,500 today.

THE FACILITY

There are many excellent and convenient supervised treatments.  However, for those providing treatments outside of the physician’s office, there are no national standards for medi-spas, no recognized definition of what constitutes a medi-spa, and no oversight organizations that provide the information you need to make an informed, safe choice for your medi-spa experience.  As advocates for patient safety and healthy outcomes, The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) have created the following questions you should ask before committing to any procedure or medical treatment in a spa or non-traditional facility.  It is important that you do your homework as you should on anything that can affect not only your appearance but your health and safety as well.  We suggest obtaining the following information:

Is the Medi-Spa located within a physician’s office?

While problems are infrequent, physician’s offices generally have medical personnel available if a problem develops.  See if the physician is located on site. 

Is the Medi-Spa located outside of a doctor’s office, for example, in a mall or salon?

If so, ask for the name of the physician responsible for oversight and when they are available for consultation or questions before having any injectable, deep peel or laser treatment.  Also ask about the training of any other medical personnel.  This is vital to your health and safety.  Be more wary of those not in a doctor’s office, or in a salon.  Usually the only association of the doctor may be to lend his/her name. 

MEDICAL SUPERVISION AND PERSONNEL TRAINING

Does your medi-spa have a physician who can help in determining your goals, provide a treatment plan and direct your care?  And what are the credentials of the physician supervising your treatment in the medi-spa? 

Injectables (such as Botox® and tissue fillers), skin treatments (such as laser, intense pulse light, and radiofrequency) and deep peels should be under the supervision of board-certified plastic surgeons or dermatologists according to many experts.  Ask to see these credentials.  Doctors in other specialties, designating themselves as “cosmetic medicine physicians” may lack the comprehensive training that is needed for administering drugs and treatments to the deeper levels of the skin and lack the experience necessary to achieve optimal aesthetic results or to manage potential complications.  Just as you wouldn’t see an allergist if you were having a baby, it’s in your best interest to see a physician who specializes in plastic surgery or dermatologic care when seeking cosmetic medical procedures.  

Who is performing the injection?

Depending on the state you’re in, injections and deep peels may be performed by a nurse, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner.  However, never allow a non-medical, unlicensed person to perform a medical procedure.  Any doctor can perform these treatments regardless of training, whether it was years, or a one hour course.  Of course, plastic surgeons and dermatologists have had more training in the treatment of skin problems. 

Regulating medical spas is complicated because they combine many different professionals under one roof, including cosmetologists, aestheticians, nurses and physicians.  In most U.S. states each of these professions is licensed by its own board, and each has its own standards.  There are no overall regulations governing who can do certain cosmetic procedures and what type of training is required, and there is no requirement that medical spas be licensed.  Most non physician boards lobby for the right to do more procedures regardless of training and safety. 

Iowa law allows aestheticians to do laser hair removal, without being affiliated.  Iowa regulations for aestheticians require a GED degree and 600 hours of education at trade school (one semester).  In other words, you do not have to have a high school biology course to use a laser in Iowa.  Many states require laser hair removal to be done only under the direct supervision of a physician.  Other states have required lasers to be only supervised by those doctors trained in skin treatments such as plastic surgeons and dermatologists.   

Iowa law allows any physician to own any laser, do any procedure, or supervise any person to do such a procedure and the physician does not have to be on site.  In Iowa, a family practice physician can lend their name to a hair salon, who can have any employee use a laser.  An aesthetician, on their own, could be hired by a corporation to do laser hair removal in Iowa without any physician being involved.  Iowa also allows nurses to practice independently without a physician on site.  

Buyer, beware.

Iowa Plastic surgery has physician supervision.  You must be evaluated by the physician to undergo any laser hair treatment.  All other laser and radiofrequency treatments are directly supervised or performed by the physician.  The physician (Dr. Van Raalte) is the only one that does all injectable treatments of Botox® and fillers.

The Skin Cancer Foundation Stamps Jane Iredale-THE SKIN CARE MAKEUP SKIN CARE MAKEUP with its Seal of Recommendation.

In February, Jane Iredale Mineral Cosmetics received the prestigious Seal of Recommendation from the Skin Cancer Foundation on five of its most popular products.  These products include: Amazing Base, PurePressed Base, Dream Tint, LipDrink and Powder-Me SPF in tanned and translucent.

The Seal of Recommendation has become the respected standard for ensuring the safety and efficacy of ultraviolet (UV) protection products.  These products are now recommended by The Skin Cancer Foundation as effective aids in the prevention of sun-induced damage to the skin, including sunburn and possibly premature aging.

At Iowa Plastic Surgery, Jane Iredale Mineral Cosmetics is our premier make-up line.  We are delighted to inform you that these products are now recommended by The Skin Cancer Foundations. 

**Please note Powder-Me SPF are special orders.

Product Spotlight… New at Iowa Plastic Surgery!

VIVITE® Vibrance Therapy

EXFOLIATES… HYDRATES… PROTECTS

The Natural Way to Help Brighten Skin and Even Skin Tone 

• Clinically shown to deliver results in 8 weeks
• A unique natural formulation helps combat uneven skin tone while it helps protect, calm, hydrate, and rejuvenate skin.
• Brings the benefit of brightening to the VIVITE® Skin Care System

VIVITE® System plus VIVITE® Vibrance Therapy is ideal as:

• The daily anti-aging regimen that helps brighten skin and even skin tone- Patients will see improvement in as little as 3 weeks with minimal side effects. 
• The maintenance therapy for use after or between other pigment correcting treatments.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 1st, 2010 at 10:26 am and is filed under Newsletters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.