• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Dr. Steven Davis

Davis Cosmetic Plastic Surgery

  • Home
  • About
    • Meet Dr. Davis
    • Meet Our Staff
    • What Our Patients Say
    • FAQ
  • Procedures
    • Face Procedures
    • Breast Procedures
    • Body Procedures
    • HALO
    • Coolsculpting
    • Skin Procedures
    • Male Procedures
  • From Dr. Davis
    • Articles
    • Podcasts
      • The Plastic Surgery Revolution
      • Dr. Davis Video Series
    • Media
      • Dr. Davis Video Series
      • In The Media
      • Television Appearances
      • Dr. Davis on the Radio
      • Davis CPS In The News
      • Print Articles / Publications
  • Photos
  • Shop
  • Contact
    • Cherry Hill, NJ Location
    • Northfield, NJ Location
    • Philadephia, PA Location
  • 856-424-1700

What’s the Difference Between a Plastic Surgeon and a Med Spa?

June 25, 2019 by Davis

We’re seeing new med spas pop up all the time, but what are they, exactly? The reality is they run the gamut from glorified nail salon to state-of-the-art skincare clinic.

Med spa (short for medical spa) is actually more of an umbrella term than a precise descriptor. It encompasses everything from a treatment room within a plastic surgeon’s office to a storefront in a strip mall where you can get a mani-pedi with a side of Botox.

A big reason for the discrepancy is that med spas are pretty loosely regulated. A med spa, for example, can be affiliated with a doctor, but even that can mean anything from having a board-certified plastic surgeon on site, supervising every procedure, to a doctor who doesn’t even specialize in skincare merely lending his or her name to the establishment (for a cut of the profits, naturally).

Which, then, begs the question: Why take the risk, even for a procedure in which the risk of complication is relatively slight?

So, beyond the extent of the treatments, the differences between most med spas and a board-certified plastic surgeon’s practice basically come down to mission and expertise.

If you like that, you’ll love this

A med spa, in a nutshell, provides treatments that target cosmetic concerns. But its aim is to capitalize on those treatments, yes, by luring you back for additional treatments but also by selling you products that supposedly complement your treatment.

Back in the day, when department stores were a thing, you’d step up to the glass skincare display and ask for a particular facial moisturizer. But it was never that simple because the woman behind the display was compelled to show you serums and oils and other creams from the same collection, all of them meant to function as a whole, not in pieces, she’d say.

Most med spas are kind of like the modern-day department store skincare counter. You may come in for a particular treatment, but you shouldn’t expect to leave without being bombarded with multiple sales pitches.

What’s really going on here?

Now, if you anticipate it, there’s not necessarily anything wrong with that—unless you interpret it as a truly comprehensive approach to your skincare and wellbeing. The treatments at a med spa are provided by an aesthetician, not a board-certified plastic surgeon, which means that no diagnosis is being made. Nor is the treatment taking into consideration anything other than your immediate concern.

An aesthetician specializes in skincare from a purely cosmetic perspective, not a medical one. You could walk into a plastic surgeon’s office and ask for the same treatment, but that doctor’s going to take a much different approach, a more clinical one. He or she understands the nuance of the anatomy and aging, so they’ll consider your medical history, skin type, and sensitivities that influence the use certain products and procedures.

It’s a more meticulous approach to your concern. The surgeon is not only treating it but also trying to pinpoint the underlying reason for it. So, where a med spa may send you home with an armful of products and the promise of a better tomorrow, the surgeon is the only one actively working toward that end.

Spread the love

Filed Under: Articles

Primary Sidebar

About Dr. Steven L. Davis

Dr. Steven L. Davis is Board Certified in Cosmetic Plastic Surgery, a Fellow in both The American College of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons and the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.

Schedule Consult

Follow Us

Contact Us

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Our Locations

Cherry Hill
1916 Marlton Pike East
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
856.424.1700

Philadelphia
1546 Packer Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19145
215-334-9900

Northfield
2306 New Rd (Rt. 9)
Northfield, NJ 08225
609-653-0500

© 2023 · Davis Cosmetic Plastic Surgery • Privacy Policy • New Jersey Web Design by Trinity Web Media