This is an important question as medical treatments trigger specific requirements–face-to-face consult with a doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant, to name one–that non-medical treatments do not. A medical treatment is a treatment that impacts or affects the living tissue of the body. For example, most states believe that any treatment that affects anything outside the dead skin cells, i.e. the epidermis, is considered to be a medical treatment. There is some confusion about whether certain treatments constitute medical treatments, such as microneedling and dermaplaning. Most states do believe these are medical treatments and it’s always better to err on the side of caution. It’s never a bad thing when a doctor performs a treatment or is on site.
AmSpa encourages consumers to be aware that oftentimes noncompliant medical spas will indicate that medical spa treatments are not medical treatments, when they are in fact considered medical treatments by the state. Body sculpting and laser treatments are often considered medical treatments, for instance, even though they are often advertised as nonmedical treatments. It’s in your hands to do the proper research. There are medical spas out there that aren’t necessarily always honest or even aware about compliance and legalities. The laws are changing and difficult to find, therefore it’s incumbent upon all of us to be aware of the legalities of the industry.