Who Is Holding the Syringe? A Survey of Truth in Advertising Among Medical Spas.

BACKGROUND: The degree of supervision and level of expertise required for performing cosmetic procedures differs significantly from state to state. Medical spas providing cosmetic procedures have seen exponential growth since 2020. OBJECTIVE: To provide a representative sample of the medical spa industry in the Unites States regarding the expertise among providers performing cosmetic procedures and the degree of oversight at medical spas offering these procedures. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Descriptive study based on a standardized telephone interview performed by a secret shopper in Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Data were then extracted and analyzed. RESULTS: Of 127 medical spas reviewed, a supervising physician was not on-site at 81.1% of the facilities. Patients were informed of this at 64.6% of the surveyed medical spas. CONCLUSION: There is considerable variation in the oversight and in the training among those performing cosmetic procedures at surveyed medical spas. As cosmetic procedures become increasingly popular among the public, further regulation of medical spas is warranted to protect patient safety.