Mon. Jun 25, 2007 | 6:09 PM

A Medi-Spa, also known as a Medical Spa or Medspa, is a medical practice focused on minimally invasive cosmetic procedures, such as Botox injections, laser treatments, and injectable fillers. The people performing procedures in a Medi-Spa typically operate under the supervision of a licensed practitioner, such as a medical doctor. In general, a Medi-Spa differs from a "spa" by its affiliation with a medical director who has the overall responsibility for the care and safety of the patients.

Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, Dr. Calvert, recommends you consider the following things when choosing a Medi-Spa:

MEDICAL DIRECTOR: Ask if the facility is operating under the license of a medical director. Once you know a medical director is involved, make sure he or she has the appropriate credentials, such as a 4-year medical degree. Remember, the medical director is ultimately the person responsible for the safety and wellbeing of the patients under care in the Medi-Spa facility.

STATE LICENSING: Physicians operating as medical directors will be licensed by the state they are practicing in. Check with the state board of medicine to see if the medical director is licensed in the state where you are planning your procedure.

TRAINING: Verify the credentials and ongoing training of the person performing your procedure. A licensed practitioner should be able to show continued commitment to learning the proper and most up-to-date techniques through training certificates or coursework.

ASK FOR REFERRALS: Talk to your primary care doctor, plastic surgeon, family and friends, or patients you know who have had good Medi-Spa experiences. The best referrals come from trusted sources.

CHECK BUSINESS QUALITY: Find out how long the Medi-Spa has been in business and how long the practitioners have been practicing the procedures in that facility. Facilities that have been in business for some time will likely be around for your continued care and treatment.

CHECK EQUIPMENT QUALITY: If there is medical equipment involved in your procedure, check to ensure it has been inspected and is maintained properly. Make sure you are comfortable with the state of the machine being used to treat you.

INTERNET RESOURCES: The Internet can be a good source to discover information about the procedures you are considering. Once you have the information you need about the procedure, ask your primary care doctor or plastic surgeon to see if they can refer you to a qualified Medi-Spa center in your area.

TREATMENT CHOICES: The trained practitioners at a quality Medi-Spa will be able to evaluate you and make proper recommendations through a consultation. Ask about consultations when booking your appointment to make sure your Medi Spa can evaluate your condition to make sure you are receiving the proper procedure.

MALPRACTICE COVERAGE: Verify malpractice insurance coverage. It is important to know if the Medi-Spa has made a commitment to patients by carrying some type of malpractice insurance.

MALPRACTICE HISTORY: Malpractice suits can be checked through a number of avenues, but may require that you make a trip to the county courthouse. You can check the malpractice status of any medical doctor serving as the medical director. In most states, this information is available through the Internet.

PRACTITIONER EXPERIENCE: Choose a practitioner who has experience performing the procedure you wish to have. Some practitioners may have more experience using lasers or injectables than others. Knowing the experience level will help you to get the result you desire.

CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION: It is useful to know if the people performing the procedures attend local and national meetings to keep up on the latest technology and techniques. A commitment to on-going education is a sign that the Medi-Spa has qualified, well-informed practitioners to perform the procedures.

ADVERTISING: Advertising has become quite common for Medi-Spas. The market is competitive and advertising is a way to spread the word. However, a large amount of advertising does not necessarily mean anything. The information given through advertising is often limited and can usually not be relied upon to make a solid choice about a Medi-Spa. You must still look at all of the items listed above and make your own judgment.

If you or someone you know has suffered from a disastrous beauty procedure, share your story below to prevent someone else from having the same experience. For more information, visit www.roxspa90210.com and Dr. Calvert's website www.jaycalvertmd.com



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Tyra, I believe you look wonderful. My comment is on botox. I get really mad when I see commercials on botox for cosmetic reasons. I am very thankful for botox for my health. I receive botox every 3 months, I get injections in my eyes and neck. I keep my wrinkles and not get botox if it wasn't for my condition called dystonia. My eyes have a hard time to keep open and my neck turns to the right and spasms with pain. The botox helps deadens the muscles so I can have control over my body. It gave me back my life back some. I was down for 8 months and not able to go anywhere. At least now I can hold my head up,but it still gives me problems and takes good injections to work well. But my point is I get upset with people who have to get rid of there wrinkles where I love my and wish I did not have to have botox. Why can't their be commercials about botox and using for dystonia like there is for every other drug that is out there for many other health issues. See many people think botox is just for cosmetic and that it gives people back their lives.
Posted by Lysa 02/07/07 5:49 AM
 
Hi Tyra, thank you for the show. You have my biggest support on ENCOURAGING WOMEN TO DO THEIR HOMEWORK BEFORE UNDER-COMING COSMETIC PROCEDURES.Surprisingly I have the view from the other side. I am esthetician (licensed in Europe) and I was performing permanent makeup back in Europe before I moved to U.S., it's the tattoo on the face (eye lines, eyebrows, lip lines).I took my job very seriously and was very responsible. It is serious procedure and it can go wrong if not done properly. I have seen some horror cases when the women spend hours in the morning trying to cover with make up what was done badly on their faces, nightmare. As performing the permanent make up, I was many times so shocked how careless some clients were, I had to force them sometimes to have consultation with me prior the procedure, they were so anxious to have it done and leave for home with new face.But the trust was needed both ways, I had to trust them that they will responsibly do the after treatment at home. Sometimes I had to turn the client down (and the good profit too) because her expectations were unrealistic or I had trust issue.It is amazing technique and it was very rewarding work. Shocking news was for me that you don't have to be licensed in this country to perform permanent make up and tattoo, is that right? Ladies, if you take your appearance so seriously that you are ready to use some cosmetic procedures to improve it, please do your homework and take it seriously, it is your face, your body that you are putting into somebody's hands. Ask yourself- what do you really know about the procedure, about the person performing it, do you trust them? Until you do -
Posted by Pavlina 02/07/07 3:05 AM
 
Tyra, I watched your show yesterday and I was just shocked to hear about people going to Mexico to get tummy tucks just because they got it for cheaper price. Doesn't that kinda tell someone maybe you should check into it some more? I couldn't believe after the girl even showed her stomach to that other women, she still went! I never would of guessed that just by having a pedicure u could get a flesh eating disease ether. And about the laser hair removal. I'm in the process of getting it done now. I've had two treatments so far and thank god nothing has happened. It really got me thinking though. I just love your show and the topics you discuss. I think you are the most reality talk show there is. Keep it up Tyra!!
Posted by Tiara 02/07/07 1:22 AM
 
Hey!!! Tyra i really hope you read this and everybody who do get's Manicure's and Pedicure's, My name is Kimberly M., i am a Licensed Nail Tech in little rock Arkansas, i have been doing nails for 18 years and i have owned my Business for 10 years now, i see so many people who come into my shop, with their nails, damaged and that have gotten a bad Pedicure, alot of them or more than half have gotten their manicure's,pedicure's,fullsets of nails done at discount nails shops, and alot of people who get their nails,pedicures and manicures are not educated on which spa's are clean or even what to look for when they are having a service done,and alot of them want a service done fast(30min) not knowing the dremile tool they are using is really damaging their nails or they want to pay less for the service, and in the end they are getting what they paid for. as far as the spa chair's, they are nice but when you are paying $20.00 for pedicure,your still getting what you pay for, a half ass job, those discount shops are there to get you in and out fast so they don't have time to stop and clean or sanitize, because they are trying to get that next customer in and out, it is very important to sanitize. the spa chairs should be sanitized after each customer and the filter should be cleaned and sanitized after each customer, even the tools that are used are suppose to be sanitized after each customer even the manicurist table needs to sanitized after each customer,Be aware of all those discount shops, you should be able to ask your nail tech. anything about your service that you are having done and you should be
Posted by kimberly 02/06/07 10:55 PM
 
HI, I GOT A PEDICURE ABOUT 4 WEEKS AGO AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY ABOUT 3 DAYS AGO I WENT TO THE DOCTOR ABOUT THESE BUMPS ON MY LEGS THAT WERE SORE AND I HAD A FEELING WHAT THEY WERE BECAUSE I JUST GRADUATED FROM COSMETOLOGY SCHOOL AND WE HAD WATCHED A VIDEO ABOUT IT, BUT I WASNT FOR SURE, BUT WHEN I WENT TO THE DOCTOR HE SAID HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT THIS WAS AND I TOLD HIM, COULD THIS BE FROM A PEDICURE AND HE BLEW IT OFF AND SAID NO...THEN, THEY WERE GETTING WORSE IN ONLY THE 3 DAYS SO, I AM GOING TO A DIFFERENT DOCTOR TOMORROW.. I HAVE DONE MY RESEARCH AND YOUR SHOW TODAY HAS HELPED ME REASSURE MYSELF THIS IS WHAT IT IS.. SO I CAN ACTUALLY GET THE RIGHT HELP BEFORE IT GETS ANY WORSE! THANKS!!
Posted by Heather 02/06/07 9:42 PM
 
Hi Tyra, Although your show had alot of good information I don't feel bad for any of the women that were on your show... Because i have done almost my full body with laser hair removal and i have had amazing results. I think it depends on the place that you go to. I must say that i was a little scared to go to the place i went to considering it was in a MALL, but they explained evreything to me and basically told me what could happen and that you are very likley to get burned... they also said that they had the number one laser in the industry and that the chances are unlikley but possible. The information i was given through my consultation was very valid and after doing RESEARCH on the company, the laser and the docter i purchased my first package... started with my underarms and did evreywhere else you can imagine after that. I was pleased with the results that i recieved and i recomended all my friends to the med spa that did my treatments. There are alot of good med spa's out there that i don't think should put in the same category that med spa's in the show visited... Once again it depends on the laser that you use... if you can't pay for the right treatment then don't spend your money on something thats a lower price... If it's expensive it's probably the quality of the laser that your paying for.
Posted by Jessica 02/06/07 8:05 PM
 
I saw the show today just hours before going for my first laser hair removal treatment, and I have to say it made me very wary of the process. I jumped on the computer to re-research my facility and I was truly impressed by their professionalism, advanced technology, and the way they customize all treatments to suit each person's skin & hair type. I have no complaints - no burning, scabbing, not even any pain during or after (and I have a VERY LOW pain tolerance). Credentials & certificates were posted everywhere and it was very easy to tell that the technicians were knowledgeable about the proper protocols of the procedure. I highly recommend it to anyone who is considering laser hair removal (they provide other services I haven't tried, so I can't speak about those).
Posted by Kelli 02/06/07 7:41 PM
 
Tyra!! That show had me so freak out. I didn't want to go get my brows waxed.
Posted by Sunshine 02/06/07 7:00 PM
 
I HAD SURGERY IN MEXICO WITH MY FRIEND THAT APPEARED ON THE SHOW. Tina and I had surgery on 1/9/07. She had a tummy tuck with liposuction. I had rhinoplasty and liposuction of the waist and abs. Our Doctors went out of there way for us. They were compassionate and appeared to have more patience than those docs here in the states. The doctors office was immaculate and had marble floors. Every one spoke english. The office was full of Americans and repeat clients due to their excellent reputation. Please don't be fooled into thinking all medical facilities in Mexico are inadequate and dirty. I would never go to another facility even if I had the extra money for this work. We also recovered at a 5 star hotel with excellent service. There has never been a show discussing the beautiful work that is done outside the U.S. For instance, there is a reason the ladies in Brazil are so beautiful. The doctors are so good and innovative when it comes to plastic surgery that they have trained many of our American plastic surgeons. It is unfortunate that TV only shows the disasters that happen outside of the US. Of course there are disasters when people go into any surgery blind.These things happen over here as well. People sighn their rights way here and cannot get their money back and have to accept botched results here if something goes wrong. I know someone who was is deformed due to plasic surgey here in California and she didnt get a dime back! Anyhow, Tina has had beautiful results! Her tummy is flat and she has a beautiful new shape. I am thrilled with my rhinoplasty and am enjoying my liposuction results. Everyone please do research before concluding that all doctors outside
Posted by Mara 02/06/07 6:49 PM
 
my friend val got sugery in mexico and she almost died from the sugery.it was such a tragic thing.she is still in the hospital now
Posted by kyanna 02/06/07 6:37 PM
 
I would like comment to all of the women out there who are getting plastic sugery, is to just STOP and THINK about what you are getting yourself into. Plastic sugery may can fix whats on the outside, but not whats on the inside. And if you are doing it to please someone, then its not worth it. Women you have to learn to just love what GOD gave you and be thankful for what you got. Thank you Stacie
Posted by Stacie 02/06/07 5:26 PM
 
Hey there, I only caught the last 10 minutes of the show, but I caught the part where it talks about places where you get chemical peels done, and such...Anyway! I'm 19 years old, and i work at a place that performs microdermabrasion, as well as the glycolic chemical peel. Now, i've never had anything go wrong on myself...but I perform these procedures, daily, not micro, but Glycolic....I've been, "trained" but i promise it's been a fast-ass training. I wrote a test and now i am all of the sudden certified. I know what i'm doing yes...but i always wonder, i'm putting acid on peoples faces for 75 bucks a pop...Anyway it just caught my eye, and i just feel really guilty i guess! I want to know, what do you have to do to be 100% certified to be able to perform such drastic procedures, and have i been trained properly. Thanks a ton. ~Kate~ ♥
Posted by KAte 02/06/07 5:11 PM
 
very emotional show today....tina's friend (i forgot his name) is a friend to die for, what a great guy. please keep us updated on tina's situation....there is nothing wrong in wanting to better your appereance but in nicer words, what an irrogant woman.....truly a sad story.
Posted by wendy 02/06/07 4:10 PM
 
Tyra, I know that I have already posted once today but after I posted I started looking on the internet for stories about bad surgies. There was alot of things on mexico plastic surgery, but one thing that caught my attention was this on plastic surgery in the Dominican Republic. Just thought you might like to read it. It is really sad. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7222253/page/2/
Posted by Yvonne 02/06/07 4:00 PM
 
In the fall of 2005 I was celebrating my sweet 16. The night before the party I had shaved to be all ready for my big day. I was getting a manicure and pedicure done the day of my party since it was a special day. My nails and party turned out great, however several weeks later I noticed a small, irritated bump on my leg. My mother thought maybe it was a bug bite so she left it alone- but I thought it was more. The area around the bump was red and hot, and day by day I swore it was growing. It began to hurt very badly to the point where I was limping, so we went to the E.R. The doctor said it was a spider bite, something that they see all the time. He prescribed me with some antibiotics and I felt reassured. The bump, which had opened a little, went away. About a week later, it reappeared along with several other bumps. We thought they were pimples, or ingrown hairs. "There's no way they're more spider bites," we thought. The "pimples" didn't go away. My doctor said that they were flea bites, possible from fleas from one of our pets (although we got our pets checked and they were fine, so none of these details connected). I was prescribed more medication, but the swelling persisted. The bumps grew with more swelling, redness, and intensity than previously. They became open wounds, and began to puss and ooze. Two of them became festering soars. We went to another doctor, who mumbled something to her assistant about a follicle infection (yet failed to inform me). This doctor drained the two worst soars. (By the way, the skin around these wounds was blue, and we later found out
Posted by Lauren 02/06/07 3:27 PM



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