What is a medi-spa?

If you want more than a rejuvenating facial or healing massage, you might consider a medical spa or medi-spa, a facility whose medical program is run under the strict supervision of a licensed healthcare professional, usually a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. Medical spas blend spa services with conventional and alternative healing therapies, and their numbers are on the rise—nationally, medical spas have increased from 250 to 1,250 in the last five years.

Medical spas offer facials, massages, and body treatments, along with more invasive skin therapies like laser treatments and collagen injections. Many offer holistic healing practices such as acupuncture, biofeedback, and other therapies. Some spas provide health testing such as bone density scans, lipid analysis, and electrocardiograms. The physician on staff of the medical spa can help evaluate and treat lifestyle problems such as chronic stress, headaches, sleep problems, weight management, muscle or joint discomfort, and more.