The Med Spa Surge: An Incoming Boom or Doom?

Driving through West Hollywood, Los Angeles one cannot help but notice the sheer number of medical spas plastered on almost every block. The glistening-white minimalist interiors, elegant cursive storefront signs, and posters of picture-perfect models receiving Botox injections capture every Angeleno’s eye. This same phenomenon is quickly becoming the norm in Scottsdale. But why are there so many medical spas? What services do they provide? Who owns them? And most importantly, are they qualified?

         A medical spa or “med spa” for short combines medicine and aesthetics to provide cosmetic or minimally invasive surgical treatments in a spa-like ambience. These include but are not limited to: Botox injections, fillers, chemical-peeling acne therapy, laser hair removal, IV infusions, and cool sculpting (a minimally invasive fat loss treatment). Its global market size is currently valued at $16.4 billion and is projected to pass $41 billion by 2029, highlighting the renaissance the sector is currently experiencing. But why are they so popular in the first place?

         The biggest driver of the medical spa industry is the growing desire for anti-aging skincare solutions, whether they be topical, minimally invasive surgeries, or invasive surgical procedures. With modern medicine inching closer and closer to manufacturing its own fountain of youth, people are eager to take their sip. The core product of the med spa space has always been injectables. With their immense popularity, fast turnover rates (20-minute visits), profit margins as high as 200%, and the guarantee of clients returning every 3 months for a touch-up, it seems obvious why almost every med spa offers them. But that’s not all med spas are known for.

         Due to its rapid growth, the med spa market is constantly refining itself by ever-shifting customer demands. This is due in part to social media connecting people to new and innovative treatments focused on anti-aging and facial rejuvenation. The cycle of a new med spa treatment goes as follows: a med spa/doctor takes to their Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok to advertise their newest bespoke therapy. Their celebrity patients (like the Kardashian family in Los Angeles) either appear in the social-media advertisement or repost it to their own account. Suddenly, in order to keep up with the “best and newest trend” demanded by all the followers of said celebrity, med spas across the world adopt this new bespoke treatment. This is done either by buying the license and material from the original manufacturer/inventing physician or adopting their own nuanced (and lawsuit-free) version of the treatment. The cycle repeats when the next newest treatment comes to market/social media.

         In this frenzy of social media fueled trends, a certain clientele is left out of the loop: men. The med spa market is currently struggling to attract male clientele, with men only making up 15% of the customer base. This may be due in part to the lack of treatments geared towards men, or a lack of male celebrities using their platforms to advertise the newest male-centric product. This sharp discrepancy is prompting a shift in the industry to the development of products and techniques catered more towards men, most notably hair transplants and cool sculpting in the breast and abdominal areas. However, not everything about med spas is as flawless as the gleaming white interiors of its entrance area.

         Due to the number of minimally invasive and surgical treatments offered at these spas, one would naturally assume that they must be owned and led by some type of physician overseeing a staff of other physicians, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants. While such hierarchies are mandated in some states, they are absolutely not the default. This is particularly true in Arizona where anyone can open a med spa and employ a variety of healthcare professionals under their supervision. What is arguably more surprising is the variance in scope-of-care from state-to-state extends to the amount of education/advanced training required in order to practice said procedures. Some states like California and Colorado mandate Advanced Botox Training or Botox Certification before a medical professional may begin administering injectables while others, including Arizona, do not.

         This creates an incredibly precarious situation for new clientele. Underqualified, undertrained physicians, NPs, or PAs can market themselves as “cosmetic dermatologists” or “cosmetic specialists” with absolutely zero training to supplement the title. It is at these types of med spas where patients are far more likely to become “botched”, a catch-all term used for any procedure or treatment at a med spa gone awry.

         Regardless of the differing scopes of qualifications needed to open and practice at med spas across the nation, the fact is that they are here to stay. It is imperative that young and old clientele alike are educated on how to find board-certified and accredited physicians capable of delivering top-of-the-line care so that they may receive their ideal results without any of the headache.

Alec Simoni

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Alec Simoni is a medical student of the Class of 2026 at The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix. He graduated from UCLA majoring in Psychobiology and minoring in Classical Civilization. When he's not spending his time skating around the streets of Downtown Phoenix in search of a new lunch spot, Alec enjoys reading classical Roman and Greek literature and working out at the gym. Feel free to contact him at @alecsimoni on Instagram or alecsimoni@arizona.edu

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