Lack of Regulation and Enforcement has Enabled a Large Number of Medical Spas to Offer Medical Procedures by Inadequately Trained or Supervised Persons to an Unsuspecting Public
For optimal patient safety, ASDSA supports medical spa procedures based on patient outcomes and quality care, as well as appropriate on-site physician supervision, oversight and training.
ASDSA encourages patients to ensure medical procedures are performed or directly supervised by a physician, especially by a board certified dermatologist as recommended in the “Medical Spa Safety Act.” This model legislation calls on states to regulate medical spas and keep medical procedures under the oversight of physicians, along with requiring medical directors to have training on all procedures being performed. The model bill also includes additional staff education requirements, notification to the public if a physician is not on-site and options for mandatory adverse event reporting.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a guidance in 2023 to state that anyone considering a neurotoxin or dermal filler should consult with a licensed provider who is experienced in injecting dermal fillers; knowledgeable about fillers, anatomy, managing complications; and knows the risks and benefits of treatment.
If you encounter any adverse events associated with a procedure, please report them to the Cutaneous Procedures Adverse Events Reporting (CAPER) registry at caper.net.
We urge patients when visiting a med spa to ask:
Dermatologic Surgery Studies:
ASDSA Recent Press Releases / Statements
ASDSA Model Legislation / Position Statements