When an individual makes the choice to undergo a more traditional, invasive surgical procedure, there are numerous resources they can employ to make sure they choose a qualified doctor and are well-informed about the procedure.

Non-invasive skin treatments and laser hair-removal procedures offered in med spas have far less risk of complication than surgery but can offer similarly positive, life-changing results. However, equipment in the hands of poorly trained technicians can result in serious injury for consumers.    

Although the med-spa business is growing rapidly, it is not federally regulated. This means someone considering a med-spa treatment, must do his or her own leg work to be sure they are making the right choice. Questions to ask:

How Much Experience Do They Have?

Find out how many procedures the company or medical professional has performed. Have they been doing this work for months or years? A good barometer to determine if the provider has the right stuff is how many procedures do they perform in a month? In a year? What percentage of their clients return for more or different types of treatments? Do they have direct physician involvement full time, or just part time for chart review? How many adverse reactions do they have as a percentage of their overall treatments? These are medical procedures, so side effects can and will unfortunately occur, even to the most experienced providers. They should, however, be the exception, with an occurrence rate of less than 1% of the total treatments provided.

What Kind Of Consultation Do They Provide?

Consultations should be the very first step. Most are complimentary. Insist on a meeting in person to allow the technician to review your medical history, give you a tour of the facility and discuss your goals. If for your own schedule a phone consultation is best, be sure they provide as thorough a consultation as possible over the phone. The objective should be to assess your situation, answer your questions and determine what treatments are best for you. If you walk in looking for a specific treatment, their goal should be to determine if you are an appropriate candidate for that procedure.    

How Sophisticated And Broad Are Their Technological Options?

Skin types vary and so should the treatments. Be sure they have several different types of lasers or light based equipment for laser hair removal and skin rejuvenation treatments, and that they all are FDA-approved to perform their advertised functions. There are a large number of machines out there to perform these aesthetic procedures, and it is very difficult to wade through the sea of claims that manufacturers make.

Who Performs The Treatments/What Is My Recovery Time?

Be sure your treatments will be administered by highly trained medical professionals such as nurses, nurse practitioners and physicians’ assistants, who are supervised by physicians. Ask about the type of training they received. Does it go beyond the sessions provided by the equipment manufacturers? Do they attend seminars? How do they stay on top of the new technology? This is a good time to also ask about follow-up care.

If It Seems Too Good To Be True…

Listen carefully to your consultant when they explain typical results. There is no magic bullet, and nothing works exactly the same for every individual. One-hundred percent hair reduction is difficult to achieve. If your consultant is claiming that this is what you should expect, it’s time to explore other locations. FotoFacials are great for reducing the signs of sun damage, but they rarely “erase” all signs of previous tanning indiscretions. Botox works wonders to soften lines and help them improve over time, but it doesn’t make you look 20 years younger. Your consultant should be providing you with a thorough description of the procedure, and realistic expectations that describe the average experience and outcome. These procedures are incredibly popular for a reason – they work very well. But every procedure has its limits, and these should be communicated up front.

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