Medical spas: Danger or therapy?

Laser treatments being performed at medical spas nationwide is a growing source for alarm among consumers receiving laser procedures. Laser hair removal procedures are being done by individuals who may not have any medical expertise and may not be properly trained in the use of lasers. Furthermore, such individuals are not supervised by a physician or nurse licensed by the State of Tennessee. They are poorly paid and receive limited training either by the laser manufacturer or medical spa. Several people have suffered burns and scarring as a result of laser treatments that were not safely performed either because the settings were high or may have been performed upon an improper candidate with dark skin which absorbs light pulses differently into the hair follicle. A survey of members of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery done in 2003 showed a 41% increase from 2001 in the number of patients seeking medical help for skin treatments that were improperly performed by technicians whom are not physicians or licensed health care providers. Many such medical spas will have a medical director who is there in name only and who is individually associated with more than one spa.

Procedures that effect the structure or function of the skin, such as laser hair removal, qualify as medical procedures as defined by most state medical boards across the nation. This means that the procedure must be performed by a doctor or supervised by a doctor. States have different rules about what constitutes supervision, and in many states a doctor may only be at a spa periodically. If a problem should occur during treatment, a doctor may not be there to help. However in Tennessee, doctors are not required to be in the facility. There are limited regulations if any as to laser procedures rendered in medical spas. Before you have any laser treatment done at a med spa, it is in your best interest to find out if a doctor is at the spa when the procedure takes place. Consumers should also have a consult with a doctor before any laser treatment. Also, do some checking up on the spa you intend to have your laser treatment done at. Find out the qualifications of the individual who will be doing the treatment. Improperly performed laser treatment can cause serious burns. If you are considering this procedure, make sure the people who will be involved in your treatment know what they are doing.

Consumers who have received such procedures and have been victims are often not entitled to refunds as a result of the petulance of the med spa owners. I have represented burn victims who have been the target of insulting letters and comments from med spa owners and employees. They are incredulous as to even accepting responsibility for their negligent hiring, supervision, and acts/omissions. In one case, a medical spa attributed negligence upon the dermatologist who treated my client who was the burn victim. One day she walks into the medical spa with no burns and walk out with burns and yet they incredulously blame the dermatologist she saw the next week. If you are a burn victim of a medical spa, it is imperative that you seem medical treatment immediately and take photographs chronologically to show a historical progress of the scarring and healing if any.

About Roland

Roland was born in Nashville, Tennessee and raised in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. The first few years he resided in Paris, France with his mother who was French. In Hendersonville, he attended Beech Senior High School where played soccer and studied in the honors curriculum. Subsequently, he pursued two majors in political science and economics while graduating in three years.

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