What is the most profitable medical spa service?
Med spas are a multi billion dollar business. They have only been around just over twenty years but they are predicted to keep on growing by tens of millions of dollars over the next few years. They combine the medical beauty procedures and treatments that traditionally people would have had at a doctorโs office with the comfortable surroundings of a day spa.
It may not be an easy industry to enter with legislation, rules and regulations needing to be followed strictly but a well run med spa can provide a very profitable business. There are many treatments and procedures available and they also sell many beauty products as well. Indeed they are almost a retail based business.
What services are available
In a traditional day spa you would expect to be able to receive a body or foot massage, facials and various mask treatments. Aromatherapy, pedicures and manicures would normally be available.
In a med spa you could have all of these on offer but also you would be offered a range of services that cannot be carried out in a regular day spa. Chemical peels, botox and fillers, body contouring, laser hair removal and teeth whitening will usually be in the list of services. A med spa has to have a physician associated with it like Teresa Camden from New Medical Spa, unlike a day spa that does not undertake any medical procedures.
Why would someone go to a med spa instead of a doctor?
Generally people visit a med spa instead of a doctor because it is a more comfortable experience than being treated in a doctorโs office. While not as relaxing as a day in a spa it still has the atmosphere of a day spa when you arrive and many people prefer this when receiving beauty treatments.
What are the most popular services in a med spa?
Before we look at the most profitable services what are the most popular reasons for someone to visit a med spa?
Botox
is where botulinum toxin is injected into the patient. It is extremely popular and is used for reducing wrinkles and crow’s feet. Many Hollywood stars use it and it is one of the treatments in reach of the average person.
Soft tissue fillers or dermal fillers
are a popular way to reduce wrinkles, lines and facial folds. They can increase the volume of the lips and improve the appearance of the patientโs face. Hyaluronic Acid or HA is injected into the face to achieve these results. HA is a naturally occuring acid in the human body. It attracts water and thus improves the hydration of skin and joints.
Laser hair removal
has been around for some time and is a popular way to remove unwanted or unsightly hair. Pulses of light are used to destroy the hair follicle. This is not a permanent procedure but can last up to a couple of weeks removing the need for regular shaving and waxing. It can also be useful for removing hair in places that are awkward to reach or shave.
Body contouring
is the name used for describing a variety of non-surgical procedures or plastic surgery procedures designed to improve the appearance of a patient’s body.
Microdermabrasion
is used to treat light scarring and imperfections on the skin. A tool with a very slightly abrasive surface is used to exfoliate the skin gently removing thicker, uneven areas. Usually a course of treatments over a period of weeks will be needed to achieve the best results.
What are the most profitable of these treatments?
A survey was conducted of around 1,000 med spas that were offering roughly the same treatments and products and the results were generally all the same.
It would appear that out of all the treatments Botox, dermal fillers and other injectables were the most profitable treatment along with laser hair and laser skin treatments. These were the most profitable services offered in med spas.
In dermatology practices where they concentrate solely on skin treatments Botox was again the most profitable along with chemical peels. Practices specialising in plastic surgery reported that chemical peels were their most profitable service and after that came the laser treatments.
Summary
While it is clear that the med spa industry is huge and only going to get bigger the results are clear that Botox and fillers are not only the most popular treatments but also the most profitable. Laser hair treatments and laser facials also provide good profit margins and so do chemical peels.
