Dr. Oz: Dangers of Medi-Spas
Dr. Oz kicked off his show by talking about the dangers of “medi-spas”, a new walk-in clinic trend that combines a spa with a medical clinic. These medi-spas often do surgery under the care of someone who is not a trained doctor. Some have been injured and some have even died.
Dr. Oz was concerned, so he sent investigative reporter Elisabeth Leamy to find out about these media-spas. These places offer everything from facials and pedicures to more complex procedures like liposuction, botox, and lasers. Women offer a lower cost and convenience, but there’s a serious downside: regulation is low.
Dr. Oz: Undercover At Medi-Spas
Dr. Oz talked about the dangers of getting cosmetic procedures done at a medi-spa. These procedures are often done by people who are not trained in the area and aren’t even doctors. (Aleksandr Markin / Shutterstock.com)
So Elisabeth Leamy went to half a dozen Virginia medi-spas with her cameras rolling. At each place, they either didn’t have a doctor, only came in at very limited times, or weren’t specialized in cosmetic procedures. The vast majority of states don’t require doctors to be in the room or even in the building during sensitive laser and injection procedures, so some doctors just rent out their names from afar.
She also talked to several women who had botched procedures. One said she went in with dark spots on her face and ended up with more spots than she started with. Another woman got a laser facial and was severely burned and left with nerve damage. Another woman died after getting liposuction at a medi-spa. Women in Florida, Maryland, Washington, and North Carolina have also died going to medi-spas.
Dr. Oz: Questions To Ask
Board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. Terry Debrow and Dr. Paul Nassif came by Dr. Oz. They have a show on E! called Botched. These two correct cosmetic surgeries that have gone wrong. Dr. Nassif said that he sees 5 to 10 patients per month with botched cosmetic procedures and one is too many.
He said that a lot of these women are being lured into these medi-spas and they’re not aware of the right questions to ask, such as whether there’s a certified and trained plastic surgeon dermatologists or maybe a great nurse. They don’t know to ask about how the medi-spa will respond if there’s a complication or what the risks of the procedures are.
Dr. Oz: 3 Cosmetic Procedures You Should Never Do At A Walk-In Clinic
There are three procedures you should never do at a medi-spa: botox, fillers, and lasers.
Botox is a serious medical procedure. When injected improperly, it can cause a number of problems, including droopy eyelids for months. If it’s injected improperly in the neck it can cause breathing problems, swallowing problems, and it’s even been shown to cause death. If filler is injected improperly it can cause blindness. It can also cause impairment of circulation and death of skin in the nose, leading to nose necrosis, which turns your whole nose a deep, dark black.
Some of these complications aren’t reversible. There are procedures you can do to help this, but for example the nose necrosis can lead to loss of the entire nose.
Dr. Oz: Dangers of Doing Laser Procedures Improperly
Lasers are also a problem. If done improperly, it can lead to scarring or pigmentation problems. They need to be used under a doctor’s supervision. Dr. Oz demonstrated that laser procedures are fairly straightforward with light-colored skin, where hairs are a nice contrast. But with dark-colored skin, either from a tan or because you’re born that way, it’s a lot harder. The skin can get burnt very easily by someone who is not a professional.
Dr. Nassif said that if you want these procedures, make sure to go see a board-certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist. He also said sometimes they’ll do a patch test and laser just a small area of your skin to see how you react to it to make sure you don’t get a burn like that.
Dr. Oz: Why Aren’t These Places Better-Regulated?
Dr. Debrow said that it’s the medical board of individual states to regulate this. Medi-spas are often under the radar and a lot of states are too cash-strapped to properly regulate them.
Dr. Oz reached out to the International Medical Spa Association and they said this:
- “As with any medical procedure, it’s important for patients to do their homework. View the medical offices website, ask for referrals, and research the risks involved.”
Dr. Nassif said that this was an unsatisfactory response because they didn’t address why they’re unregulated. Dr. Oz urged people to ask questions at this places, such as: what kind of training does the technician or doctor have, how many procedures have they done, what are the complications for the procedure, how are these complications handled, and will a doctor on-site see you immediately if there is a complication?
Patrick H says
Dr Oz,
Many Med Spas employ highly trained individuals with decades of experience in medical care and aesthetics. One Med Spa that you focused on in your introduction has one the most reputable physician assistant and plastic surgeons in Florida. The physician assistant’s medical knowledge, dedication, and experience is indisputable. Her reputation and following is extremely impressive. To put all Med Spas under one umbrella is irresponsible. I have heard horror stories from people about what their BOARD CERTIFIED plastic surgeon did to them, but I would not state that all plastic surgeons are dangerous.