How to add medi-spa offerings to your medical practice

Patients are turning to medical spa treatments to enhance their physical appearance and boost their confidence. Whether you are thinking of opening a stand alone med spa practice or adding services to your existing location, here are some marketing tips and ideas to assist.

Aging-conscious and skin conscious patients want more from their doctors than traditional medical treatment. These patients turn to medical spas for a way to improve their appearance and boost their confidence. 

Read on to get answers to common medical spa marketing questions asked by physicians who are considering expanding their practice to include a medical spa.

A medical spa — also known as a medical spa or medspa or medi-spa — is a spa-like facility that offers elective, often appearance-improving procedures under the care and direction of a trained physician and a team of nurses and aestheticians. These elective medical spa procedures vary in nature, but almost all of them have the same goal: to rejuvenate or pamper the patient.

Patients flock to med spas to receive a different type of care than that which doctors offer in their traditional practices. Although insufficient regulations render it impossible to accurately determine the number of medical spas in the United States, experts agree on the industry’s rapid growth. Patti Biro, education director for the International Medical Spa Association, confirms this. “Medi-spa treatment is more than a trend,” she said. “It is a movement.”

Physicians, physician’s assistants, registered nurses, and licensed aestheticians perform almost every service provided at a med spa. A physician manages the medical spa, but is not always required to be on-site. Most states lack strong regulations for med spas, creating worrisomely lax standard across most of the country.

“It’s not like hospitals that have to be inspected by the Department of Health,” says  Jeff Howell, Director of Government Affairs for the Missouri State Medical Association. “An industry like this develops and regulation seems to follow. It’s like Uber or payday loans, the regulations come after.”

Internet articles warn would-be clients about the perils of med spas not directly overseen by a physician. Provide patients access to the services they desire without putting them at risk by opening a safe, sterile, and well-staffed med spa within or adjacent to your doctor’s office.

Although your practice should already aim to make patients feel prioritized and unrushed, most visits to a medical office are no day at the spa for your patients. Medical spas offer a slower-paced, relaxing, and patient-centric experience. A med spa provides your patients with the opportunity to truly discuss with you their wants and desires, not just their illnesses and symptoms.

Dr. Monica Gavin, who runs a med spa in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, explains to Everyday Health that going to a medical spa is “like going to a day spa, but for medical treatments.” Med spas, the article continues, boast top-notch customer service and feel luxurious. Med spas typically do not accept insurance, as they offer almost exclusively elective procedures that improve appearance. Patients pay fully out-of-pocket, so they expect extraordinary service.

Physician-run med spas offer a wide variety of services, including:

Dr. Faramarz Samie, a Philadelphia-based dermatologist in Philadelphia said: “The key is to go to a medispa where a physician determines your treatment plan and oversees the way it’s carried out.”

Take a look at your local competition, ignoring any shady or non-reputable operations. You want to compete with best-in-town physicians and their med spas.

Dr. Bela Pandit, a foot and ankle specialist with a practice in Chicago, explicitly lists her pricing on her user-friendly, information-rich website. Some services cost only a little, but most are expensive.

Again, med spas rarely accept insurance, so instead of trying to advertise a bargain, your med spa marketing strategy should focus on the quality of your medical spa services. Your medical spa marketing efforts should demonstrate a commitment to safety, serenity, and luxury with professional pictures that show off your clean, modern spa. Prove to your potential patients that your med spa is worth every penny.

The Medical Board of California implores consumers to research five key facts prior to undergoing treatment at a med spa. Address your potential clients’ concerns head-on by following these steps:

The first step in a strong med spa marketing strategy is defining how you’re going to market your successful, modern medical practice: with robust service content about med spa treatments and compelling visuals (before-and-after pictures work well here).

Your medical practice should consider offering online booking so that potential customers can schedule an appointment at any time, create separate social media pages for your meds spa, and add med spa services to your Google My Business profile and all directory profiles.

Med spas provide a unique and increasingly popular way to pamper your patients with services they desire. If you decide to add these services, utilize proven medical spa marketing strategies that grow business and improve your online reputation. Create a serene, sterile environment for your patients to enjoy a spa-like experience under your care. They’ll be paying spa-like prices, so pamper them!