Cupcake Momma

When you step into a medical spa, you’ll definitely smell lavender, see people in white lab coats, and hear people talking quietly about stress rashes and injections. This is not the same kind of spa your grandma went to. Medical spas are places where science and self-care come together. You might see needles and numbing cream next to herbal drinks on the shelves. In the waiting room for ten minutes, you can hear everything from jokes about Botox to quiet confessions about wanting jawlines like movie stars. Curious about our rejuvenating treatments? Read more and explore the options.

Let’s start by talking about facials. Do you get facials often? You could leave with red cheeks. Facials at a medical spa? We’re talking about lasers that can fry a marshmallow, chemical peels that can make your skin look five years younger, and devices that sound like spacecraft. A client told me that her chemical peel made her skin tingle so much that she felt it was a lie detector. Someone else remarked that the facial massage was so relaxing that she almost revealed the esthetician all of her childhood secrets.

We need to talk about injectables. There are not only stories about Botox that make your face look frozen, but also ridiculous anecdotes of individuals trying to obtain fillers before they pick up their kids from school. There is always one small bruise, spoiler alert. Some folks get creative and call it “modern art.” Some folks use it to break the ice during yoga.

Skin needling is also very popular. People were creating pizza dough and pushing little needles into their faces. People read the brochures, grimace at the phrase “collagen induction therapy,” and then remember that anything with the word “therapy” in it must be good for you. Is that correct?

There are also things on the menu that you probably won’t find at a day spa. What are treatments that use platelet-rich plasma (PRP)? It seems that science fiction made its way onto the esthetics menu. A technician will put your blood in a tube and spin it around before gently patting it on your skin. No vampires are needed, even if everyone suddenly becomes very interested in hemoglobin.

Let’s go back a step. There are a thousand reasons why individuals go to medical spas. Some folks want answers that don’t entail taking drugs or getting surgery. Some folks need a little extra confidence before big occasions. And then there are folks who merely wish to get rid of the sun spots that are still there from the irresponsible days of summer.

Trust is everything. A client once told me that choosing her injector was like choosing a tattoo artist: skill comes first, then price. Having good bedside manner doesn’t hurt. If a nurse practitioner can quote “Mean Girls” while getting ready to give you a shot, you’re in good hands.

The rhythm of meetings is different too. There are no pink robes, but there are a lot of iPad consultations and close-up images taken with daytime lighting. Every before-and-after picture and every question about downtime is looked at from the point of view of reality and major social networking apps.

A good medical spa is like a science lab, a therapy office, and a coffee shop all in one. You might come for the laser and remain for the chat about how to live your best life. You’ll never think of “self-care” the same way again.