Over the past 20 or so years, medspas have been steadily changing the game when it comes to how we look after our skin and bodies.
Offering the perfect blend of advanced non-surgical cosmetic treatments and spa-like relaxation, medspas are meeting America’s demand for less invasive but highly effective skin and body treatments.
But if you’re yet to have tried out a medspa for yourself, we know that you’ll have lots of questions.
Like what exactly is a medspa, what’s important to look out for, what kind of treatments do they perform, and what are some of the best beginner-friendly medspa treatments to get started with?
If these are the questions you want answered, keep reading. We’re here to guide you through the medspa experience and show you why more and more people are turning to medspas to rejuvenate their skin, address specific concerns, and achieve a more youthful, radiant, confidence-boosting appearance.
What is a medspa?
A medical spa, more often referred to as a “medspa,” is a hybrid between a traditional spa and a medical clinic. This means you get the best of both worlds: the luxury and comfort of a spa combined with the medical expertise and advanced care of a medical facility.
Medspas offer advanced, non-surgical cosmetic treatments – always under the supervision of licensed healthcare professionals – that address a wide range of cosmetic concerns, including:
- Skin rejuvenation and anti-aging treatments
- Acne treatments
- Scar removal
- General skincare maintenance
- Permanent hair removal
- Weight loss
- Body contouring
- And much more
Medspas are very different from day spas, which focus mainly on relaxation and basic beauty treatments such as massages and standard facials. While day spas are great for a pampering experience, they don’t offer the medically supervised, results-focused procedures you’ll find at a medspa.
On the other hand, medical clinics – where more targeted medical procedures can be performed – often feel sterile and clinical, lacking the calming atmosphere of a spa.
Medspas bridge this gap. They provide a more comprehensive approach to skin health and beauty, with a focus on not only rejuvenating and repairing your skin, but also helping protect it from further damage to support long-term skin health and a youthful appearance – and all in an environment designed to help you relax and unwind.
Types of treatments available at medspas
Medspas specialize in non-invasive and minimally invasive treatments, which are key to achieving visible results without the recovery time (aka “downtime”) and risks associated with surgery.
Non-invasive treatments, such as facials and LED light therapy involve no needles, injections, or other types of skin penetration at all. These procedures are entirely surface-level yet sufficiently advanced in other ways as to yield excellent results. Minimally invasive procedures, such as microneedling or Botox, involve tiny needles or devices that lightly penetrate the top layers of skin, but are a long way from representing anything “surgical” and thus still offer minimal recovery time.
Medspa treatments offer the unique advantage of being both highly effective and very convenient. The types of treatments offered at a medspa are typically quick and pain-free, with most treatments taking anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete, after which you can walk straight out and carry on with your day. Yet despite this apparent “ease”, the results you can expect from these advanced medical-grade treatments are exceptional.
Medspas typically offer a wide range of services designed to improve both your skin and your body. Here’s an overview of some of the most common treatments offered by medspas:
- Injectables: Wrinkle relaxers (e.g. Botox) and dermal fillers
- Laser treatments: Laser skin resurfacing, IPL photofacials, laser hair removal, BBL
- Microneedling: Standard microneedling or RF microneedling
- Facials and chemical peels: HydraFacial, Glo2Facial, other anti-aging facials, dermaplaning, light to medium-depth chemical peels
- Body contouring: e.g. Emsculpt NEO for muscle toning and fat loss
- Light therapy: LED light therapy for acne, redness, and anti-aging
- Weight loss: e.g. Semaglutide advanced weight-loss treatment
- Hair loss: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for hair loss
Beginner-friendly medspa treatments in Cleveland
If you’re new to the medspa experience, we know that choosing your first treatment can be a little nerve-wracking.
This is why initial consultations are so important. Not only is it the opportunity for your chosen medspa to assess your skin or other concerns and advise you of the most suitable options for your needs, but it’s also your chance to ask as many questions as you like to ensure you’re 100% comfortable with your chosen treatment.
But to give you a taster of what’s available, here are some of the most popular beginner-friendly treatments offered by most medspas, and some of our most popular here at BodyTonic in Cleveland, Ohio:
- Medical facials (including HydraFacial, Glo2Facial, and more): Medical facials are a great starting point for anyone looking to improve their skin’s appearance. Treatments like the HydraFacial use gentle suction and nourishing serums to deeply cleanse, exfoliate, and hydrate your skin, leaving it glowing and refreshed. Facials are perfect for all skin types and provide immediate results with no downtime.
- Light chemical peels: These gentle peels exfoliate the top layer of skin to address a range of issues such as wrinkles, skin discoloration, and other imperfections, and reveal a new, brighter, smoother complexion. With minimal downtime, they’re a great choice for those looking to refresh their skin quickly and effectively.
- Microneedling: Microneedling is a popular medspa treatment that uses lots of tiny needles to create controlled micro-wounds to the top layer of skin, which stimulates collagen production and improves skin texture. The wounds are so controlled that they don’t hurt and there’s minimal downtime. It’s a fantastic option for those ready to take their skincare routine to the next level without diving into more intensive treatments, and the SkinPen® in particular is ideal for beginners.
- Laser hair removal: Perfect for those tired of constant shaving or waxing, laser hair removal offers effective long-term hair reduction within just a few sessions.
- Light therapy: LED light therapy is a gentle treatment that uses different wavelengths of light to calm and improve acne, redness, and signs of aging. It’s completely non-invasive, pain-free, and perfect for maintaining a healthy, balanced complexion, as well as speeding up healing processes following other treatments.
- Injectables (Botox and fillers): For those looking to soften fine lines and wrinkles or add a bit of volume, injectables like Botox and fillers offer subtle yet extremely effective results. Starting with small doses allows you to enhance your natural features gradually.
These beginner-friendly treatments are a great way to discover the types of treatments medspas have to offer. You can find detailed information about all these different treatments in our blog, or schedule a consultation with BodyTonic today to discover which treatments are right for you.
Combining medspa treatments with medical-grade skincare
Another benefit of medspas is that they usually offer exclusive access to top-quality medical-grade skincare products.
Unlike over-the-counter skincare products, medical-grade skincare offers higher concentrations of active ingredients and is backed by clinical research. These products are specifically formulated to address deeper skin concerns and deliver visible, long-lasting results that you simply can’t get from regular skincare.
When you combine medspa treatments with medical-grade skincare, you create a comprehensive program that not only repairs and rejuvenates your skin but also helps prevent further damage. This dual approach supports healthier, younger-looking skin and helps maintain your results for the long term.
At BodyTonic, we offer a curated selection of medical-grade skincare products that are designed to complement our treatments and enhance your results. Our team will recommend the best products for your unique needs, and can help you create a personalized skincare plan that’s easy to follow and wonderfully effective.
What to look for in a quality medspa
Choosing the right medspa is crucial to getting the results you want.
Always look for a spa with experienced providers and proper licensing. Medspas must be overseen by a fully licensed medical physician in addition to a range of other healthcare professionals, such as nurse practitioner (NP), physician assistant (PA), registered nurse (RN), and more.
The person doing your treatment will depend on what it is and the medical licenses and expertise required to perform that specific treatment.
A thorough consultation is essential for achieving the best outcomes, and we firmly believe these should always be offered free of charge, as well as include a detailed analysis of your skin.
At BodyTonic, we offer free, no-obligation consultations, during which we use the 7th Generation VISIA® Skin Analysis System – a cutting-edge tool that analyzes your skin at a deeper level. This technology provides insights into your skin’s health, including sun damage, wrinkles, and pore size, allowing us to recommend the most effective treatments for your individual needs.
We also believe that a quality medspa should offer a relaxing environment that feels both welcoming and professional. At BodyTonic, we’ve worked hard to create a serene space where you can not only feel confident in the care you receive, but leave feeling relaxed, refreshed, and like you’ve treated yourself to a glorious dose of pampering and wellbeing – both inside and out.
Book a free consultation with BodyTonic today to explore our range of medspa treatments and see exactly how our expert team can help you achieve your skincare and aesthetic goals.
Ready to discover what a medspa is first-hand?
If you’ve been wishing you could turn back the clock on your skin, or want to stop the worst signs of aging in their tracks, it’s definitely a good time to make your first visit to a medspa.
Medspas offer a unique combination of advanced medical treatments, personalized care, and a relaxing ambiance to help you truly look and feel your best.
With medical supervision that ensures every procedure is safe, effective, and tailored to your unique skin needs, medspas like BodyTonic provide a comprehensive approach to beauty and wellness. So from wrinkle-relaxing injectables to skin rejuvenating laser treatments, you can trust that you’re in expert hands.
Contact us today to learn more about our beginner-friendly medspa treatments or book your free consultation with us today!
