Medspa Safety & Legislation: Why Tucson Should Follow CA

A new Huffington Post article is bringing a lot of attention to the illegal operation of medical spas across the country. The article discusses the new proposed legislature in California, AB 1548,  which would change the fine for illegal operation of medical spas from $1,200 to $50,000.  Since the early July publication of the Huffington Post article, the legislation has since been passed into law. The legislation was created in response to the thousands of medical spas that opened in the last decade attempting to sell procedures at a cheaper price but without proper medical supervision. Most professionals in the field agree that the cheaper price can often result in a higher cost when it comes to customer safety. Procedures are being performed in illegal medical spas by individuals who are not sufficiently trained to insure the safety of their patients. California law states that all medical spa’s must be owned and supervised by a physician. There have been many documented cases of illegal practice resulting in burn victims from laser procedures and droopy facial features from misapplied Botox or injectables.

Read the Huffington Post article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/11/medical-spa-crackdown-ca-_n_1665216.html

We agree that all medical spa procedures should be performed exclusively by medical professionals such as physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, aestheticians, and certified laser technicians as each individual procedure requires. We also agree that all medical spas should be owned and actively supervised by a trained and experienced physician. Many med spas merely pay an off-site physician a stipend to operate under the physician’s license.We are relieved to know that the issue of unsafe medical spa operation is being addressed in California and we hope that similar legislature happens soon in Arizona. We hope that with enough education things like mail-ordered, do-it-yourself Botox will be a thing of the past right along with illegally or non-professionally operated medical spas sacrificing safety for profit. Safety should be a main priority in all aspects of our lives, but we think it is especially pertinent when it comes to the work that we do in the field of cosmetic surgery. If you get cosmetic procedures, make sure the facility you use is actively supervised by an experienced physician.