Dr. Cozzolino’s Blog

What is a Medical Spa?

A medical spa is a medical practice devoted to cosmetic procedures and anti-aging therapies for cash paying clients. Most Medical Spas do not accept traditional health insurance, because cosmetic procedures are almost never covered by health plans for appearance improvement only. For this reason, medical spas are considered retail businesses, rooted in wellness medicine. Services offered can include the following:

• Botox wrinkle reduction
• Restlyane wrinkle and lip fillers
• Mesotherapy cellulite reduction
• Spider and Varicose vein therapies,
• Photo-rejuvenation of sun-damaged or prematurely aged skin
• Laser/light based active acne and Rosacea
• Red/brown laser treatments.

Licensed aestheticians at most medical spas provide skin care evaluations and help clients choose medical grade Cosmeceuticals to complement the anti-aging procedures they receive. Licensed aestheticians are also qualified to perform light to medium chemical peels and medical grade Microdermabrasion under the on-site supervision of the medical director. Most medical spas offer non-surgical appearance enhancement but some do perform minimally invasive face-lift procedures. Some medical director’s also choose to offer medically supervised weight loss, vitamin supplementation, and smoking cessation at their medical spas.

There is no true formula that defines a medical spa, since the doctor’s who run them have varying backgrounds and multiple laser therapy machines exit in the marketplace. This diversity of medical specialties delivering therapies with different laser machines creates multiple treatment options for patients. Both locally and nationally, medical spas are owned or operated by family doctors, dermatologists, plastic surgeons, ob-gyn’s, and even pain management physicians or oral surgeons. Make sure you are comfortable with the provider you choose to address your anti-aging and wellness needs. The relationship you establish with that provider and their staff is critical to your satisfaction with your desired result. Of course, the medical spa’s staff and medical director’s credentials are also very important. Check to make sure the medical director provides on-site medical supervision of all procedures provided by the medical spa’s staff. Confirm that the medical director is board certified and holds an active Florida Medical license. If laser hair removal is performed by anyone beside a physician, the laser technician must be an ARNP, PA, or a licensed electrologist per Florida Medical Board Law.

Most medical spas offer the very popular wrinkle reduction therapy, Botox Cosmetic. Botox Cosmetic is not the Botulism bacterium that produces the medical condition of Botulism. Instead Botox Cosmetic is a genetically engineered protein derived from the Botulism toxin, which chemically relaxes the wrinkle producing muscles. In order to achieve the patient’s desired cosmetic result, properly trained physicians inject this controlled version of the Botulism toxin into facial muscles in minute amounts. You cannot get Botulism from the injection of Botox cosmetic for wrinkle reduction. Botox is most commonly used on the wrinkles of the forehead, nasal bridge, and around the eyes (crow’s feet).

Wrinkles of the lower face are commonly treated with fillers like Restlyane. Restlyane and others literally fill in the gaps of depressed wrinkles, helping to smooth out the contours of the aging face. Restlyane is commonly used to treat smile lines where the cheek connects to the nose and mouth. It also is an excellent choice for non-surgical lip augmentation.

Laser Hair Removal has become very popular recently both due to rising demand and improvement in technology. In today’s hectic world, shaving no longer has to be a time consuming drudgery. Current laser technology has advanced rapidly over the last five years, so that today’s laser technicians can offer permanent hair reduction for most patients. Ideal clients for Laser Hair Removal are those of lighter skin type with darker hair but all patients desiring hair removal should discuss their treatment options with the clinical staff. Almost anywhere hair grows can be treated with today’s advanced Laser Hair Removal machines. The only consideration is which areas bother you and therefore need treating? Due to overwhelming demand for Laser Hair Removal services, there has been an explosion of spa’s opening up to offer this highly effective procedure. Current Florida Law requires anyone operating a laser designed for hair removal to be either a physician, licensed PA or Nurse Practioner, or a licensed electrologist with advanced laser training. For your safety, feel free to ask your laser hair removal technician for their credentials and or license.

Photo-rejuvenation is a common term spoken by patients that frequent medical spas. Photo-rejuvenation is a process of removing the aged, inactive top layer of skin through the use of light based therapies like IPL (intense pulse light) or the more invasive laser resurfacing. The final result of photo-rejuvenation therapies is more youthful appearing skin. Sun damaged red and brown areas of the skin are also reduced or eliminated with photo-rejuvenation. Medical Microdermabrasion and chemical peels can also complement the exfoliating process of photo-rejuvenation. Medical grade Cosmeceuticals and skin care products are a must for long term treatment and prevention of sun-damaged, aged skin. The same treatments for photo-rejuvenation can also be employed for patients desiring cosmetic treatment of Acne and Rosacea. The redness of Rosacea responds to very well to IPL (intense pulse light). Inflammatory acne also can be effectively treated with IPL, but other light based modalities may also be required for optimal results. A good skin care regimen with doctor prescribed Cosmeceuticals can also help reduce the redness and inflammation of both Rosacea and Acne.

Many patients complain of unsightly varicose and spider veins. These can be effectively treated with both traditional vein sclerotherapy and newer laser vein treatments. Sclerotherapy is a timeless procedure that involves injecting the target vein with a medicine that causes the vein to permanently collapse on itself. Sclerotherapy is the most effective treatment for smaller varicose veins and tiny spider veins. Laser vein treatments can be utilized to treat remaining veins that are resistant to traditional sclerotherapy. More complicated vein cases are best treated with more invasive non-surgical and surgical treatments. Physicians who suggest sclerotherapy as a treatment option to you should be able to advise you on your treatment options.

Mesotherapy is an exciting newcomer to American medical spas. The French have been using mesotherapy for spot cellulite reduction for over 40 years. Mesotherapy treatments can help patients achieve localized fat reduction and improvement of cellulite appearance through direct injections of fat burning medicines into troublesome areas. The most frequently requested treatment areas are the buttock and hips, upper thighs, and abdomen. Treatment results vary, but most people can achieve significant loss of inches around the treated areas. At the very least, mesotherapy can improve the appearance of localized fat or cellulite prone areas. Mesotherapy works best when combined with a diet and exercise program. Other popular areas for mesotherapy treatments include the jowls of the face and fat pads below the eyes. Mesotherapy is not for everyone. Physicians at the medical spa you frequent should be able to advise you on whether mesotherapy is right for you.

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in America. Many patients complain to their family doctors that they are bothered by excessive weight gain and have trouble shedding those extra pounds. There is a dizzying array of diets and weight loss programs on the market, which can confuse the layperson seeking to lose weight. Plus, nutrition is not emphasized in most America Medical schools; so most doctors don’t feel comfortable discussing weight loss strategies with their patients. Yet, every physician knows how obesity can negatively affect someone’s health. Physicians are starting to educate themselves on the science behind long term sustained weight loss and are beginning to share that information with their patients. Unfortunately, most insurance plans do not cover weight loss programs. So, some medical spas now offer medically supervised weight loss programs for their spa patients, since many are seeking to improve their overall appearance. A conservative weight loss program tailored to your individual health needs, supervised by a qualified medical professional is the safest way to achieve your ideal weight over the long term.

Vitamins are another field that conventional medical practice historically has dismissed as unfounded scientifically. So patients have had to take maters into their own hands and buy these products from non-medical sales people at nutrition stores. Some patients even do the research themselves and purchase products over the Internet. As a result, the loosely regulated nutritional supplement industry has grown dramatically over the past decade. Patients sometimes report to their doctor of taking more supplements than medicines. Again, the topics of nutritional supplementation are not stressed in most American Medical schools. Physicians are starting to educate themselves on the science behind vitamin supplementation and are beginning to share that information with their patients. Some medical spas now offer medically supervised vitamin supplementation for patients seeking all natural products for wellness. Vitamin supplementation should complement not replace you medicine regimen. Plus, vitamins can sometimes interact with drugs your doctor has prescribed. A medically supervised vitamin regimen is the safest way to achieve your overall wellness.

Everyone knows the health risks associated with long-term smoking. Research shows that a physician’s recommendation to quit smoking to a patient can have a huge impact on them stopping the addictive habit. Unfortunately, smoking cessation science is not stressed in most Medical School training. Therefore, most physicians are not well versed in the addiction theories supporting smoking cessation programs. As a result, medically supervised smoking cessation programs are few and far between in today’s marketplace. Fortunately, some Medical Spa’s are offering medically supervised smoking cessation programs to their self-help oriented patients. Examples of services offered include hypnosis, auricular therapy, and nicotine inhibiting injections combined with behavioral therapies.