Medical spas are the fastest-growing segment of the spa industry and the newest antiaging complement to therapies and aesthetic surgery. The beauty of medical spas is that patients can receive laser hair removal, filler injections, cellulite treatments, and a traditional facial or a massage, all at the same facility.
Medical spas can be individual-, corporate-, or physician-owned, and can be affiliated with surgical facilities. Whatever procedure your patients are seeking, chances are they will be able to find a spa that offers it, with all the amenities to make their experience an enjoyable one. PSP has scanned the United States to identify a wide variety of medical spas.
Delluva Vinotherapy Day Spa is the first vinotherapy spa in New York City and one of the first of its kind in the country. Individuals can get a massage, a facial, hydrotherapy treatments, body waxing, and sunless airbrush tanning with vinotherapy, or wine therapy-based skin care products.
Vinotherapy products first became popular in France and are derived from the by-products of grapes, including seeds, seed extracts, husks, and vine-leaf extracts that deliver a high concentration of polyphenols and antioxidants. The spa offers couples treatments, full- and half-day packages, and a package that includes eight treatments for the price of six.
The MIAMI Institute for Age Management and Intervention is a comprehensive practice and medical spa in the Four Seasons Hotel and Towers in Miami. One of the Institute’s attractions is the patient’s ability to luxuriate in a five-star guest room following discharge from surgical recovery.
“We tell our patients that an overnight stay in the hotel with a nurse to attend them is advisable,” says Julio F. Gallo, MD, FACS, plastic surgeon and co-owner of the MIAMI Institute. “Such a stay isn’t required, since all our patients are ambulatory. But checking into the hotel afterward is good for those who may not have anyone at home able to assist with the various needs they will likely have during the first 24 hours or so after discharge.”
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The institute includes a full-service medical spa and a pair of accredited, hospital-type operating rooms. A comprehensive team of multispecialists caters to patients who seek all types of aesthetic procedures and surgery, including body plastic surgery, endocrinology, internal medicine, aesthetic dentistry, psychotherapy, nutritional advice, and occupational therapy.
As part of a complete care package, MIAMI Institute patients—after initial postoperative recovery—can be flown to Italy for a stay at one of several thermal-springs luxury spas run by Italy’s STB Natural Spa Resorts for even more intensive pampering.
“Age management and wellness is a growth sector of the health care field, and we’ve positioned ourselves right on the cutting edge of it,” says Stephen Watson, president, CEO, and co-owner of the MIAMI Institute.
Spa Med, with two locations in Minneapolis, offers a hormone-replacement age-management program that uses a combination of bioidentical hormonal therapy, supplements, vitamins, nutrition, diet, and exercise to make patients feel young and energetic, and to help reduce the occurrence of age-related illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and stroke. Spa Med, which averages about 900 patients per month, also offers laser hair removal, electrolysis, microdermabrasion, acne laser therapy, injectable filler treatments, and photorejuvenation.
At Doctor’s Approach Med Spa, East Lansing, Mich, Marcy Street, MD—dermatologist, aesthetic-medical aesthetician, and the first African American female Mohs (a skin cancer subspecialty) surgeon in the country—treats a variety of skin conditions ranging from dark spots to acne to precancerous growths in patients with fair skin.
“A typical patient is a 30- to 60-year-old woman looking for wrinkle rejuvenation and overall skin improvement. She may have acne, dark or age spots, fine lines, or telangiectasias,” Street says. “We are also seeing more men for botulinum toxin Type A injections, hair removal, and basic men’s facial grooming.”
The spa also offers customized facials (for acne, skin rejuvenation, precancers, and sun damage) using physician-grade products that include a light chemical peel, intense pulsed-light treatments for irregular pigmentation and spider veins, microdermabrasion, tissue tightening, and eyelash and eyebrow tinting.
“Lash and brow tinting is great for natural-looking enhancement,” Street says. “The color is customized to the preference of the client. The tinting can be light and natural, or as dark as your favorite mascara.”
According to Street, the colors used for tinting are ophthalmologist-tested. The treatment takes 15 to 20 minutes, and the results last 4 to 6 weeks.
Sensei Med Spa, in Amarillo, Tex, provides traditional spa services fused with noninvasive aesthetic treatments. The first and so far only medical spa in the area, Sensei offers a men’s-only night on Tuesdays, when men can get massages, manicures, and pedicures.
“Men are discovering what women have known for years . . . you need to invest in yourself,” says Shannon Dixon, director at Sensei Med Spa. “Spa treatments are a way to re-energize and relax. The fastest-growing segment in our business is male spa-goers.”
Sensei offers microdermabrasion, intense pulsed-light hair reduction, skin tightening and rejuvenation, and cellulite treatments in a 6,000-square-foot, multilevel facility. Private dining is also available for guests who purchase spa packages.
Medical spas combine the holistic approach and comfort of a day spa with conventional and complementary medical modalities. Because most treatments and procedures use lasers and intense pulsed-light technology, the International Medical Spa Association reminds all physicians that on-site supervision of nurses or practitioners who are conducting the treatments is imperative.
