Med spas promise a harmless way to enhance your appearance or turn back the clock, with many clinics offering treatments to smooth wrinkles, erase age spots, dissolve double chins, and tighten lax skin through quick and moderately invasive procedures. But before you schedule an appointment, take note of this: At least 50 percent of medical spas and medical aesthetic practices operate illegally, according to the American Med Spa Association. That means you could really be putting yourself in danger with that suspiciously cheap Groupon for Botox or lip injections. Read on to learn more about med spas, and what their directors don't want you to know.
Med spas are required to have doctors serve as medical directors, but those doctors aren't required to be on site in every state. Who is lawfully entrusted to inject Botox and fillers varies from state to state, but in places like Nevada, med spas may be staffed by aestheticians who complete training in injections and laser treatments, but who are not doctors or nurses. Those who do have medical training may have been trained in completely unrelated specialties. If your spa's medical director didn't specialize in a field related to skin care or cosmetic surgery, he or she might not be prepared to handle an emergency, adverse effect, or undesirable outcome. Protect yourself by always choosing a board-certified physician with a relevant area of expertise.
Read more at Reader's Digest >>