It’s happened in Florida and now in Massachusetts. State legislators and physicians are trying to establish some guidelines and laws to protect the public from sustaining injury by unlicensed or untrained service providers.

We’ve read the of the lipodissolve horrors where people are offering lipodissolve, laser treatments and botox in their garage for heaven’s sake! It’s hard to believe it has come to this, but cosmetic medicine has turned into a “cash cow” for anyone!

I’m getting so sick of the turf wars amongst doctors of which specialty should be doing what... I mean seriously... can’t you all get along? Instead of fluffing your feathers to establish dominance over cosmetic medicine you should ban together to eliminate the bottom feeders who are performing services in their garages to protect the practice that IS cosmetic medicine! These are the people who are ruining your reputations! The unskilled, the unlicensed, money grubbers (and yes, I am also including lawyers here!)!

Let us also not forget that nurses and aestheticians are fighting over positions as well. There’s no certifying board for aesthetic nurses, or medical aestheticians. Here’s a funny story... when I started our medical spa with my husband years ago, I contacted both the heads of the nursing board and the cosmetology board. Since I hold both licenses I asked if I was allowed to perform a facial. I was told it’s a gray area. The nursing board said I could, in fact, perform a facial under the direct orders of a physician if the facial were deemed medically necessary. What physician do you know who will write an order for a facial? What physician wants to manage facials, and waxing, and massage, and the products which are dispensed? The cosmetology board said I could not perform a facial because the practice isn’t licensed or inspected by the board.

Huh?

With the economy the way it is, it’s no wonder everyone is jumping on the “medical spa” bandwagon! I mean, it’s like an ATM machine with no fees and no penalties. The perspective boards are all looking at each other and wondering who’s responsibility it is to be monitoring them.

The time is now upon us where legislation will take precedence, once again, on how we perform medicine and who may perform it. The powers that be will decide for us exactly if IPL is a medical device, or not. If the removal of a sunspot or tattoo can be removed by a physician, PA or nurse. Who may do cosmetic procedures, what training they must have and what certifications must be obtained prior to plucking an eyebrow (I digress, but you get my point).

Although we agree that certain treatments be performed or directly supervised by a physician, the fact is, there are many other services that aren’t deemed medical in nature. Should a physician be controlling those as well?

No current board has jurisdiction over all professions within a medical spa or laser clinic so, most likely, a new board will emerge with regulations, standards and licensing fees to add to our current practice.

It will take a few years to establish a task force and develop legislation for most states. But when all is said and done, what will arise is higher fees for service for the client, more inspectors showing up on our doorstep, higher licensing fees and insurance rates, and less control, once again, on how we treat our patients.

Are you ready for another government agency to take control of YOUR profession?

Author: Paula D. Young RN runs internal operations and training at Young Medical Spa and is the author of the Medical Spa Aesthetics Course, Study Guide, and Advanced IPL & Laser Training course for medical estheticians and laser technicians.

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