FEED-BACK.COM E-ZINE
November / December 2007
Volume 10 Issue 6
U.S. Medical Spas
Recently, visitors to Feed-back.com have expressed more interest in "Medical Spa" than any other topic. The U.S. medical spa market is difficult to analyze, even for industry participants. Some general information about medical spas and the overall market is summarized below.
A Billion Dollar Market
According to the International Medical Spa Association, a conservative definition of "medical spa" is a facility that: "operates under the full time, on site supervision of a licensed health care professional working within their scope of practice."[1] Staff is also expected to meet similar criteria established by the licensing boards for each of their specialties.
In 2007, the International Spa Association (ISPA; Lexington KY) published findings from its annual assessment of the spa market. ISPA data indicated that there were 976 U.S. medical spas in 2006, and revenues generated by these facilities reached $1.06 billion.[2]
The Product & Service Mix
A quick online review of medical spa products and services reveals a few dominant themes: looking great (aesthetics/cosmetics) and feeling good (prevention/wellness). High-end skin care products address a range of needs, from acne treatments to mineral make-up, moisturizers, and sunscreens. In addition to carrying branded lines from leading manufacturers, many medical spas offer in-house and signature formulas, while others feature products with natural or organic ingredients.
As noted on one web site, options include "products and services that can be as conservative or aggressive as the patient chooses."[3] Typically, medical spa services range from facials, fillers, injectables, and medical-grade peels to laser and light therapies, massage, and microdermabrasion.
Competitive Pressure
In numerous surveys conducted by Feed-back.com's researchers, medical spa managers and owners identified intense competition as a major barrier to sustaining their businesses. Differentiating their facilities from others and providing niche services were key components for success. Two other commonly cited challenges were the high cost of laser equipment and staff turnover. Many survey respondents called for increased regulation of medical spas to ensure that services are provided by qualified health and medical professionals.[4]
Some state legislators appear to be aware of the problem. In November 2007, an article published by Rocky Mountain News identified Colorado as one of the states that is reviewing medical spa operations and the possibility of strengthening medical supervision requirements.[5] In December 2007, the American Medical Association noted that the growing number of medical spas is prompting state medical boards to look at the issue and consider new regulations. The state of Massachusetts has created a medical spa task force to generate specific recommendations that may be completed in the next month or two.[6]
[1] NCVHS.
[2] "New ISPA Research Reveals. . .", SPATRADE, February 12th, 2007.
[3] Dr. Steve Byrd.
[4] Medical Spa Market Review, Feedback Research Services / Feed-back.com, 2006.
[5] Rocky Mountain News.
[6] American Medical Association.
