Medical spas need to be smarter than ever.  With the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down a large percentage of practices, remaining med spas are looking to make the best business decisions to guarantee the health and longevity of their practices. To stay in the game, today’s med spas need to focus on offering the top med spa treatments in terms of results, popularity, and revenue. 

While many new treatments on the market promise “amazing” results, med spas need to consider the high cost of specialized equipment and the often low demand for many new treatments on the market. When all factors are considered, the newest (untested) trend on the market might NOT be the best investment for your growing practice.
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Instead, consider these five tried and true treatments below that have become industry and household staples.

Before we get into our list of top med spa treatments, it's important to note that many of today’s patients are looking for med spas that incorporate “total wellness” offerings. 

Patients are wary of overdone or misapplied treatments and want to make sure that their non-invasive treatments look “natural” with the appropriate dosage for their needs and goals.

Instead of jumping right to a medical aesthetic procedure, many are looking for a consultation and analysis where they can come up with a long-term health and beauty plan. Skincare regimens, nutrition, and lifestyle changes should be worked into the plan to help maintain patient results and contribute to their overall health. Tailor your med spa's marketing to promote a holistic health experience.

BOTOX and other neurotoxin treatments have become the “bread and butter” aging treatment for medical spas. With regularly rebooking patients, no expensive equipment, and a steady stream of revenue, this remains the #1 med spa staple. 

So how do neurotoxins work? BOTOX, Xeomin, Dysport, etc. injections temporarily block or “freeze” muscle’s nerve receptors. With these muscles “frozen” frequent movements are limited that lead to wrinkles, lines, etc. Many patients use these injectables to reduce crow's feet and eyelid hooding while softening forehead lines and raising sagging eyebrows.

Much cheaper than a  plastic surgery overhaul, this non-invasive treatment is done quickly with no downtime and immediate results. Plus, it is seen as a preventative measure that limits future wrinkles and lines. 

Beyond skin smoothing and tightening, there are other uses for BOTOX. It’s used to treat migraines, muscle spasms, and recently has been found to lower patient anxiety levels. 

Although BOTOX can have low margins, it can be the lifeblood of your practice. BOTOX marketing can bring in new patients based on the brand’s reputation alone. Don’t miss out!

While BOTOX works by “freezing” nerve endings, popular dermal fillers work by “filling” wrinkles through skin hydration. 

Hyaluronic Acid attracts water to the skin to fortify the structure and add volume and plumpness throughout the face. This injection is a popular solution to reduce fine lines and counteracts the sunken or sagging appearance that comes from the face’s muscles, fat, bones, and skin thinning with age. 

Hyaluronic acid appeals to many because it’s already naturally found in the body. HA is a natural sugar in our skin that naturally helps retain water. Its water retention properties can be enhanced through a needle and cannula combination injection. 

Different HA fillers are better at targeting different regions of the face. For example, Juvederm, with its larger particles, is used for the cheeks and chin. On the other hand, Vollure has smaller HA particles to deal with fine smile lines. 

While it can cause temporary redness and soreness, dermal fillers can be easily tweaked and adjusted to counter unwanted results or to minimize future side effects.

Focusing on dermal filler outcomes and treatment journeys can help you extract revenue from multiple treatments versus a one-and-done treatment. When it comes to dermal fillers, setting expectations from the get-go will help you gain patients' trust.

When diet and exercise aren’t enough to reach the desired look, many turn to body sculpting (or body contouring)  to remove unwanted fat. A popular non-surgical alternative to invasive treatments like liposuction, body sculpting treatments on the market use different methods such as heat, cooling, ultrasounds, or injectables to target stubborn fat. 

We will briefly go over four main body sculpting treatments.

• ‍CoolSculpting
  Freezing fatty tissue under the skin, FDA-approved CoolSculpting is the oldest non-invasive fat removal treatment on the market (since 2010) with a long history of proven results. With the downside of the longest treatment time (around an hour), patients enjoy no downtime, needles or anesthesia. While results appear after one treatment, many spa’s recommend at least two treatments for best results. 
• Kybella
  Kybella is an injectable used to target the tricky double chin. Kyeblla is a synthetic form of Deoxycholic Acid, a bile naturally produced in our skin to absorb fat. This injectable destroys fat cells under the chin, minimizing the area’s current and future ability to store fat. Patients can return for six treatments, spaced every month or more, for the best results.
• Emsculpt
  Emsculpt treatments send electromagnetic pulses throughout the muscles to synthesize intense workouts. Inducing rapid muscle contractions, these rays generate fat burning and muscle building. Results are achieved over a time frame of six 30 minute sessions every few days over 3 weeks. Another 2 rounds of sessions are encouraged about two months later to maximize and maintain the results.
• SculpSure
  SculpSure targets stubborn fat using heat. The SculpSure device has four tubelike applicators that can be arranged differently across the skin depending on patient focus area/s (abdomen, thighs, etc). Once placed, the lasers will heat up to 107.6-116.6°F to target and dissolve fat while leaving surrounding tissue unaffected. Described as a relaxing experience with comfortable warmth, each treatment takes about 25 minutes with no side effects. Results appear around 6-12 weeks after treatment, as the body flushes the dead cells. 2-3 sessions may be needed.

As destroyed fat cells naturally flush out of the body, patients will begin to see results from each body contouring route. As you consult and come up with a treatment plan, make sure you talk about practices to MAINTAIN these results. While body contouring treatments can remove fat, your patients will need to maintain the look through exercise, nutrition and healthy habits.

As a popular alternative to injections, microneedling is a serum-free treatment used to increase patients’ natural COLLAGEN production. Collagen, a natural protein found in our bodies, acts as a building block for bones, muscles, hair, etc. More collagen in the skin results in smoother, healthier skin.
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So how does microneedling increase collagen production? Microneedling uses hundreds of tiny needles to puncture a patient’s skin. As these minuscule punctures heal, patients’ skin produces more collagen, which reduces fine line and wrinkles, sagging, and acne scarring while boosting overall volume and smoothness. 

Due to the injury and healing process, patients can expect some temporary swelling, skin flakiness, and redness. Microneedling is said to be a great overall skin treatment, while other services may be better at targeting specific areas.

Today’s aesthetic lasers are powerful tools to help patients target a variety of trouble areas to reach their beauty goals.  

With these treatments, achieving the desired outcome should be first and foremost. It’s important to set proper patient expectations from the get-go that multiple treatments are needed to achieve the results they are hoping for. These expectation provide a pathway to getting the best results possible as well as increasing revenue for a practice.

Here are three common laser treatments available at many med spas.  

• Skin Rejuvenation
  ‍For many, laser treatments have replaced chemical treatments to target wrinkles, acne scars, and other skin blemishes. Similar to a chemical peel (but without the chemicals), lasers remove the outer damaged skin layer to bring a fresh smooth under-layer to the surface. Lasers also enhance collagen production to produce healthier, fuller skin.
• Hair Removal
  ‍This laser treatment prevents or delays hair growth by permanently damaging hair follicles with targeted heat.  Laser hair removal often takes multiple rounds to be effective. Make sure your patients are prepped to shave the target area beforehand to avoid burning and better allow the pigment melanin to absorb the laser heat.
• Tattoo Removal
  ‍Whether it’s removing a botched microblading job or getting rid of tacky tattoos older patient regrets getting at 18, laser tattoo removal works through a series of treatments to target and flush out tattoo ink. A laser light uses targeted heat to break down the ink in the tattoo into harmless by-products that the immune system can absorb. Depending on image size and skin tone, tattoos generally need 6-8 sessions for complete removal.

The non-invasive beauty and health options available to patients are greater than ever. It's your med spa’s job to make informed and strategic decisions about which treatments to offer to your patients. 

Invest in treatments whose results continually bring in new and returning patients. Whether you are opening a med spa or looking to expand, consider BOTOX, dermal fillers, body sculpting, microneedling, and laser treatments as part of your core offerings.

As you focus on adding and specializing in the top med spa treatments on the market, you will see your revenue increase with each new booking!