Quick trip to pretty
By MELANIE AVE
Published January 22, 2007
Six syringes sit between Stacy Rogers and a younger appearance as she climbs into a blue swivel chair under bright lights at the Simply Injectable Med Spa in north St. Petersburg.
When she leaves two hours later, Botox starts to smooth out the wrinkles on her 31-year-old forehead and around her eyes, while two different skin fillers plump small creases around her mouth and nose.
"It's so worth it," says Rogers, a Tampa television host and model staring at her slightly swollen face in the mirror. "I can tell right away it's going to be good."
Medical spas that do cosmetic procedures without surgery like Simply Injectable, nestled in a shopping center on Ulmerton Road near a Starbucks, are fast becoming the new beauty houses of the 21st century.
At least four medical spas opened in Pinellas County in the past year, including Belleair Bluff's Radiance Medspa, an Arizona franchise. Several opened or were renamed in Hillsborough County, including the Vein Center of Tampa Bay's Stunning Looks Medi Spa.
Another spa welcomed customers for the first time in Pasco County's New Port Richey, Radiance Clinique Med Spa.
"They're popping up like 7-Elevens," said Denise Merdich, a nurse practitioner who performs many of the scalpel-free procedures at Simply Injectable, named about a year ago as part of Dr. Christian Drehsen's Clinique of Plastic Surgery & Rejuvenation Institute. "Everybody's trying to do it."
A quick fix
While some people rely on the gym, hair salon or diet doctor to slow Father Time, others like Rogers race to medical spas.
Rogers, a lanky blond, has been seeking treatment since wrinkles started appearing on her fair skin at age 25. She estimates she spends about $10,000 a year, roughly $2,000 a visit.
"I'm addicted," Rogers says, laughing.
Medical spas, hybrids of a medical facility, cosmetic surgery office and relaxing spa, are the go-to place for men and women wanting a quick, though temporary, fix from wrinkled, sagging and spotted skin, or body hair in all the wrong places.
A lot of the procedures work at least for several months.
Against a backdrop of soothing music, waterfalls and candles, the spas specialize in nonsurgical procedures like Botox, a facial muscle relaxant; dermal fillers that inflate skin crevices; and laser and radio frequency treatments for wrinkles and discolorations.
Many also offer hair removal, facials, massages, waxing, manicures and pedicures.
"It's quick," said Linda Paguni, coordinator at Radiance Medspa. "It's affordable."
Locally, a treatment of Botox between the eyes runs about $200 to $400. Some services, like microdermabrasion, can cost less than $100 while other others, like laser hair removal on the full back can cost $3,000.
Growth industry
In some cities, like Dallas, medical spas have opened in shopping malls.
The International Medical Spa Association in New Jersey, with 400 members, says medical spas are the fastest-growing segment of the spa industry.
The association estimated medical spa revenues would exceed $1-billion last year, more than double the $450-million in 2004.
"The industry is driven by the baby boomers," said association founder and director Hannelore Leavy. "They're hitting the 50- and 60-year mark and they don't want to get old."
Belleair resident Lois Nelson, 60, spent about $500 at Radiance Medspa last fall for Intense Pulsed Light therapy on her face to reduce discoloration from sun and aging.
"I think we boomers have a different outlook on life than our parents did," said Nelson, a marketing assistant vice president. "When I was growing up your mother looked like your mother.
"People my age want to continue to look younger. I don't want to look 30 but I don't want to look 60 either."
Since 1997, nonsurgical procedures increased by 726 percent, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. In 2005, Americans had more than 11.5-million cosmetic procedures, with 81 percent of them being nonsurgical.
Since the Food and Drug Administration okayed the use of Botox as a cosmetic treatment in 2002, every few months skin care companies unveil something new to tighten the face, reduce wrinkles, eliminate fat or zap away hair.
Clients get younger
Spa owners say while aging boomers are their regulars, they are noticing a younger clientele who want to prevent aging.
Alison Reeder, a 27-year-old St. Petersburg saleswoman, has become a frequent face at Embrace Medical Spa near St. Anthony's Hospital in St. Petersburg. She started coming shortly after it opened in the spring.
"I know I'm a little vain but I just want my skin to look good," she said last week before a 15-minute Botox treatment before work. "If you can have your skin smoother, why not have your skin smoother?
"I wouldn't want to go under the knife for my face," Reeder said. "This is easier. It's like makeup."
Dr. Stephan Baker, a Coral Gables plastic surgeon, said medical spas have made cosmetic procedures more appealing - and less costly - to the masses.
"If you're presented with a spa environment it takes away some of the fear factor," said Baker, a spokesman for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. "Plastic surgery used to be very esoteric, movie-star type stuff. Now days it's just kind of maintaining yourself as you get older."
In Florida, medical spas must be overseen by a licensed physician. Last spring, lawmakers restricted the number of offices that could be overseen by a doctor.
More types of doctors are entering the beauty field, heretofore dominated by plastic surgeons and dermatologists, as a way to offset declining health insurance payments and soaring malpractice insurance fees.
The influx is not without controversy, especially among some plastic surgeons and dermatologists who question if other physicians have the full knowledge necessary.
"It's like in an orchestra," said Dr. Drehsen, a plastic surgeon. "Do you want a flute player or the band leader who knows all the instruments?"
But to Dr. Scott Graham, 32, who opened Embrace next door to his family practice office last year with partner Dr. Michael Stanford, 35, also a family practice doctor, all physicians receive the same training on the cosmetic procedures.
"They go to the exact same courses we do," he said. "But when it comes to cutting and putting skin back together, I definitely bow down to them."
Baker, of the plastic surgeon's group, encourages medical spa customers to research facilities, find out who administers treatment and check their credentials.
"Buyer beware," Baker said. "It's your face."
Times researcher Angie Drobnic Holan contributed to this report. Melanie Ave can be reached at 727 893-8813 or mave@sptimes.com.