There are many excellent traditional spas out there, vying for the attention and patronage of your customers. There are also, in most urban centers across the country, a growing number plastic surgeons. Between the traditional spa and plastic surgeon’s office, there is no service offered at a Medi-Spa that can’t be found elsewhere.

So why does a client choose a medical spa over a plastic surgeon?

In 1966, noted psychology professor Abraham Maslow said, “It is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.” There is a sense, not altogether unwarranted in some cases, that if you go into a plastic surgeon’s office, every issue will be perceived as potentially a surgical/medical procedure, whereas at a medical spa, a full spectrum of solutions are available and therefore considered.

Some woman have, what they consider to be, entirely legitimate issues with the growing ubiquity of certain procedures such as breast augmentation. Many of these same women may not take issue with laser hair removal, chemical peels, or botox and would prefer to direct their business to establishments that offer medical but non-surgical procedures.

There is also a fear, in this case mostly unfounded, that a plastic surgeon will try to pressure a woman to consider procedures which they might not have considered on their own.

If as the owner of a medical spa, you compete against a number of local plastic surgeons, it is worth giving some thought to what is behind your clients’ decision to choose you over them. The more you know about your clients and their motivations the better you will be able to meet their needs in the future.

The FDA warned six U.S. based medical spas and a Brazilian company to stop making false claims about the drugs used in these procedures.

There’s no proof the procedures work and serious side effects can occur, agency says

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

Sold on the Internet and used by some spas, lipodissolve is a procedure that its proponents claim will eliminate fat. U.S. companies claim that the drugs used in the procedure are safe and effective, but these products have never been approved by the FDA, the agency said.

“We are concerned that these companies are misleading consumers,” Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a prepared statement. “It is important for anyone who is considering this voluntary procedure to understand that the products used to perform lipodissolve procedures are not approved by the FDA for fat removal.”

Lipodissolve involves several injections that supposedly dissolve and remove small pockets of fat from areas of the body.

Lipodissolve is also known as mesotherapy, lipozap, lipotherapy, or injection lipolysis. The drugs most often used are combinations of phosphatidylcholine and deoxycholate.

Sometimes other ingredients such as vitamins, minerals and herbal extracts are added into the mix, the agency said.

However, there is no “credible scientific evidence that supports the effectiveness of any of these substances for fat elimination, and their safety when used alone or in combination is unknown,” the FDA said.

The FDA has asked for a written response from the U.S. companies within 15 days outlining how they plan to correct the violations and prevent future violations. Failure to correct the violations could result in legal action, the agency said.

Each company has been cited for a variety of violations, including making “unsupported claims that the products have an outstanding safety record and are superior to other fat loss procedures, including liposuction,” the FDA said.

Also, some of these companies have claimed that lipodissolve can treat certain medical conditions, such as male breast enlargement, benign fatty growths called lipomas, excess fat deposits and surgical deformities.

“The FDA is not aware of clinical evidence to support any of these claims,” the agency said.

FDA officials have received reports of negative side effects from people who have tried the procedure, including permanent scarring, skin deformation, and deep painful knots under the skin in areas where lipodissolve drugs were injected.

Warning letters were sent to: Monarch Medspa, King of Prussia, Penn.; Spa 35, Boise, Idaho; Medical Cosmetic Enhancements, Chevy Chase, Md.; Innovative Directions in Health, Edina, Minn.; PURE Med Spa, Boca Raton, Fla.; and All About You Med Spa, Madison, Ind.

The Brazilian company receiving the warning letter sells lipodissolve products on two Web Sites: zipmed.net and mesoone.com, the FDA said.

The FDA also has issued an import alert against these Internet sites to prevent the drugs from being imported and distributed in the United States.

Liposuction is a procedure that helps many people but there are many misconceptions about liposuction in  general circulation. Some people believe that liposuction is a cure all for every type of excessive weight condition, and that simply is not the case.

Liposuction is a tool used by a skilled, board certified plastic surgeon that can have positive benefits. It can be used in combination with other procedures to remove fat deposits that diet and exercise just can’t handle. But those who are chronically overweight should not look at liposuction as a substitute for diet and exercise.

Of course, popular TV shows like Nip/Tuck and the admission of many celebrities that they have had liposuction have led to its increased popularity. Abdominal liposuction is quite popular. Some people however think it is cheating to have abdominal liposuction and  refer to it as a cop out. Of course many of those people who consider it such are those who do not have weight problems, and perhaps have metabolisms that burn off the calories. Your clients should visit with a plastic surgeon to determine if they are good candidates for liposuction. The doctor can discus pros and cons including risks associated with the procedure. Many women have suffered from weight gain from pregnancy. Many men and women both have suffered from weight gain due to sedentary lifestyles that come from the types of jobs we perform these days. Many people have physical disabilities that have made weight gain more common and easy. For many of them liposuction is a valid, and even a good option. However, while it is one of the most commonly performed plastic surgery procedures done in the US, it is not cheap and generally insurance does not cover it as it is an elective cosmetic procedure.

Liposuction is not complicated but there is a healing process and recovery time involved, The healing  period can take a few months. A strict diet is a part of it. Also the patient should be aware that there will be bruising and lumps may form around the fat extraction area. This is temporary however, and will eventually go away.

As an esthetician, you should have basic knowledge of plastic surgery procedures in general, including liposuction. Your clients may ask about it.

A parallel effect

The Lipstick Effect—derived from a phrase recently re-coined by Leonard Lauder, chairman of Estée Lauder, when he saw a huge jump in lipstick sales after Sept. 11, 2001, in spite of economic uncertainty—is compared in the survey to the 80% of board-certified facial plastic surgeons who reported an increase in noninvasive cosmetic procedures within the past year. This increase was due to consumers looking to delay the effects of aging and to avoid more costly surgeries. The most requested procedures? Botox, 96%; dermal fillers, 93%; and ablative skin resurfacing treatments, 92%.

Despite a repressed economy, both women and men are willing to spend hard-earned money on noninvasive procedures to help them look and feel refreshed, with some even opting for procedures in order to stay competitive in the workforce. “In challenging economic times, clients want value when it comes to investing in their health and the appearance of their face,” says Donn Chatham, MD, president of the AAFPRS. “Value does not mean cheap, it means quality gained for the investment.”

According to the International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine (IAPAM), “During times of economic uncertainty, consumers load up on affordable luxuries as a substitute for more expensive items.” Medical spas and medical aesthetic practices are seeing patients choosing dermal fillers over face lifts, and laser lipolysis over surgical liposuction.

Reprint Citation: Melinda Taschetta-Millane Skin Inc.

The process results in tightening of the muscle and the fascia of the abdominal wall and is often performed on women who have loose tissues due to pregnancy and those individuals who have sagging after major weight loss. The operations themselves vary in their scope and are divided into categories depending on the extent of the surgery.

A complete abdominoplasty can take from one to five hours, a partial abdominoplasty or mini tuck can be done in one, perhaps two hours.A full or mini tummy tuck involves an incision  made from hip to hip just above the pubic area, another incision  made to free the navel from the surrounding skin, detachment of the skin from the abdominal wall to reveal the muscles and fascia to be tightened and tightening of the muscle fascia wall  with sutures. The remaining skin and fat are tightened by removing the excess and closing the opening. The old belly button stalk will be  brought out through a new hole and sutured into place.

It is also common for liposuction to be used to refine the transition zones of the abdominal sculpture. A dressing and sometime a compression garment are applied and  excess fluid is drained from the suite.With the mini or partial abdominoplasty a smaller incision is made, the skin and fat of the lower abdomen are detached in a more limited manner from the muscle fascia, the skin is stretched down and the excess skin is  removed. Sometimes the belly button stalk is divided from the muscle below and the belly button slid down lower on the abdominal wall. At times a portion of the abdominal muscle fascia wall is tightened. As with a full abdominoplasty liposuction is often used to contour the transition zone. The flap is stitched back into place. Abdominoplasty is a component of a procedure called a lower body lift and it can be combined with breast reduction, breast lift, liposuction or hysterectomy, depending of course on the reason for the hysterectomy.

As with any type of surgery the best candidates are those who are in good physical, mental and emotional health and have reasonable expectations of the result to be achieved. As with any type of cosmetic surgery a board certified plastic surgeon should be consulted before making final decisions.

Mammoplasty - Image Compliments of NIH

More than 30,000 women had breast enlargements surgery last year. These surgeries replaced or repaired lost breast mass resulting from  mastectomy or lumpectomy surgical procedures. While many women have been helped by this procedure even more have chosen to have elective breast augmentation or breast enlargement to enhance the shape and size of the breast, to balance uneven breasts, and to bring new life and firmness to breasts as they sag with age or after pregnancy.

Breast enlargement or augmentation involves insertion of a breast implant  behind the breast tissue or under the pectoral muscle which will then push the breast tissue forward, making the breast appear fuller. Breast augmentation is performed in a plastic surgery center or a hospital and usually requires general anesthesia. Sometimes an overnight stay in the hospital is needed.

After surgery most patents experience mild to moderate pain and discomfort, and generally a sedative or pain control medication will be proscribed. The patients are, however,  generally active again within two days. Bandages are removed within three days and a surgical support bra is used to stabilize the breast. This will also reduce discomfort and ensure that the incisions are not overstressed. Nipple sensitivity is common but goes away as the bruising dissipates and within about ten days the stitches are removed. Within about five weeks all swelling is usually gone.

As with any type of surgery the best candidates are those who are in good physical, mental and emotional health and have reasonable expectations of the result to be achieved. As with any type of cosmetic surgery a board certified plastic surgeon should be consulted before making final decisions.

While the aesthetician is not a specialist, or even a doctor for that matter, an aesthetician is in an allied profession, often working closely with plastic surgeons and is trusted by her clients. You may find yourself in the position where your client is asking your opinion or seeking general information about mammoplasty, and therefore you should arm yourself with basic information.