Medical spas one of the fastest growing medical tourism sectors in USA

The AmSpa 2017 Medical Spa State of the Industry Report provides analysis of one of the fastest growing business sectors across the USA. Revenues have been growing at a double-digit pace since 2010, and by more than 20% year on year since 2013.

The 2017 report from American Med Spa Association (AmSpa), used data from its survey of 500 US based medical spas. It identified 4,200 medical spas in the USA, generating $3.7 billion in revenue.

Report highlights include:

  • 70% of medical spa visits come from repeat patients.
  • 52% of all medical spa patients are between the ages of 35-54.
  • The emergence of large medical spa chains, including Orange Twist, Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Centre and Kalologie 360, are predicted shake things up in 2018.

Treatments that made waves in 2017 will continue to define the medical aesthetic industry in 2018.

  • Microblading is a semi-permanent makeup technique that shot to popularity with the bold brow trend. Medical spas employ this treatment, because it provides an extremely large return-on-investment.
  • Laser-based vaginal rejuvenation. During 2017, it achieved phenomenal success with patient satisfaction ratings reaching upwards of 90%. As more laser companies develop cutting-edge solutions to make this procedure more efficient and less intimidating, it will be widely adopted in medical spas.
  • A longer-lasting botulinum toxin injection (DaxibotulinumtoxinA), is currently in the final stages of FDA approval.
    One in two medical spa owners believe that their revenues will increase more than 10% in 2018.

Millennials have now surpassed Baby Boomers in numbers, making the medical spa future bright as they enter prime income earning years. Millennials currently account for nearly 20% of medical spa patients. This age group (18-34) is dedicated to prevention and enjoys the non-clinical environment along with the shortened wait times for appointments that medical spas offer.

Women still lead the way when it comes to medical spa visits, accounting for over 85% of medical spa clients in 2017. While the concept of maintenance is on the rise, men account for just 15% of treatments.

The top three most common procedures performed at medical spas identified were:

  • Chemical peels
  • Aesthetician services, which include: facials, waxing, sugaring, microdermabrasion, cellulite treatments, body wraps, manicures and pedicures
  • Injectables such as botulinum toxins and filler

The highest concentration of medical spas is in the South, with southern states having 40% of the nation’s medical spas.

The medical spa industry is one of the fastest developing in the United States, with revenues growing at a double-digit pace since 2010, and by more than 20 % year over year since 2013. This growth has created a wealth of opportunity as entrepreneurs and non-core doctors flood the field. It has also generated potential pitfalls for consumers as the lines between who is qualified to perform certain treatments get blurred. 60% of all medical directors at medical spas are neither cosmetic surgeons nor dermatologists.

The good news is that 2017 saw a notable increase in the amount of regulatory enforcement that occurred in medical spas in all states. Many states are working to better define which individuals, in a medical aesthetic setting, can perform which procedures. Nurse practitioners will play an increasingly important role. As training becomes more readily available, nurse practitioners will likely start dominating the industry when it comes to performing injectables and serving as de facto medical directors when doctors aren’t onsite.

The American Med Spa Association defines a medical spa as a hybrid between an aesthetic medical centre and a day spa with four core elements:

  • Provision of non-invasive (non-surgical) aesthetic medical services
  • Under the general supervision of a licensed physician
  • Performed by trained, experienced and qualified practitioners
  • Onsite supervision by a licensed healthcare professional

Each US state has different requirements on what type of licensed professional can do what type of treatment in a medical spa and medical aesthetics environment.