Medical spas are a $15 billion industry that saw a huge spike in growth since the pandemic. A new study found most med spas in Chicago don't have a doctor on site, and that could increase the risk of complications.

Med spas offer cosmetic services like laser hair removal, chemical peels and cosmetic injectables, but they are still medical facilities, said Alex Thiersch, CEO of the American Med Spa Association.

"Medical spas are doctors' offices," said Thiersch. "If you want to order any of the drugs or the equipment that are used in a medical spa, legally you need to have a physician affiliated."

And, Thiersch explained, the list of people authorized to inject filler and Botox in Illinois is short.

"When you get down to the treatment, that needs to be done under the care and supervision of a physician, a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant," said Thiersch.

But experts said there's a loophole in Illinois law that means you may not be treated by a licensed medical professional.

"If you look at the way that Illinois law and the regulations are written, it gives the physician the ability to delegate to basically whomever he or she wants, provided that person is trained, qualified and experienced. So there's a little bit of a loophole there," said Thiersch.

So who's holding the syringe at your med spa?

Watch the segment at NBC Chicago >>