ANNOUNCER: No one enjoys getting older and seeing a changing face in the mirror. And while some age gracefully and embrace the wrinkles of time, more and more people are on a quest for younger looking skin.
ROY GERONEMUS, MD: A wide variety of procedures are considered cosmetic, such as an injection of Botox, the injection of filler substances, most laser procedures, chemical peeling, liposuction. These would all be cosmetic procedures.
ANNOUNCER: If performed correctly, many of these treatments offer successful results, with minimal complications. But dermatologists are now confronting a disturbing trend.
ROY GERONEMUS, MD: We are now seeing, in spas and salons, the practice of medicine by untrained people. We're seeing quite a few burns as well as changes in pigmentation. We're seeing some scarring as a result of some laser procedures that are performed for cosmetic purposes.
ANNOUNCER: Cosmetic treatments performed in a spa or salon are generally administered by aestheticians and other nonmedical professionals. And this setting might be acceptable for some skin treatments. But which ones?
ROY GERONEMUS, MD: I think, in a spa, if you're looking for beauty treatments or to improve the condition of your skin, one should do one can do procedures like facials, very light chemical peeling, massages, procedures that do not necessarily injure the skin or carry risk.
ANNOUNCER: The most problematic procedures are those that are more invasive: laser treatments, certain acne treatments, Botox injections and collagen and other filler injections.
So if people are considering one of these more potentially risky procedures, what can they do to protect themselves?
ROY GERONEMUS, MD: Procedures where there is any type of injury to the skin or the potential for injury really should be done by a physician in a medical setting.
In choosing a physician, there are a number of different ways that you can find the appropriate person for your condition. One is to go to a website, such as the website for the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. The second is to ask your physician, your primary care physician or another skin physician, a dermatologist, who the appropriate person would be to treat the condition that I have.
You'd like to make sure that physician has experience. You would like to make sure that physician is board-certified. These are the questions that you can ask the physician himself or the physician's office. If need be, you can check with the state regulatory bodies to make sure that, in fact, that physician is licensed and is in good standing.
You also want to make sure that the physician has the appropriate treatment or technology for your condition. For example, if you're a dark-skinned patient and you want to go in for a laser hair removal procedure, there are a few lasers you could use and many you can't use.
You also want to make sure that the physician has experience in treating that particular condition over a period of time. That's a fair question to ask the physician: "Have you done this before? Can you show me photographs?"
ANNOUNCER: And one should never be pressured into any procedure.
ROY GERONEMUS, MD: Take your time, don't rush to any particular type of procedure, make sure that you've had a chance to have all your questions answered so you feel comfortable that, in fact, you're seeing someone who is trained, understands your condition and understands how to treat your particular concern.
ANNOUNCER: Additionally, there are several "red flags" that consumers can look for.
ROY GERONEMUS, MD: First of all, if someone promises you that there's a procedure that's totally safe, I would be very concerned. All procedures, no matter how many times they've been performed and how safe they may be, still carry some risk. So there's no physician and no procedure that's 100 percent safe.
And the other thing that I would be concerned about is if you are guaranteed a cure. Not every procedure is 100 percent successful if a physician guarantees you that you'll be 100 percent satisfied and guarantees you, for example, your hair will never grow back or your blood vessels will never return, I would probably walk away.
ANNOUNCER: Several public awareness campaigns have been launched in an effort to warn the public about the risks of these procedures when improperly practiced and some states have enacted laws against unlicensed practitioners. But ultimately, it's "buyer beware," and consumers need to take the responsibility of seeking out the proper practitioner for any cosmetic treatment.
ROY GERONEMUS, MD: Any procedure that carries risk, any procedure that is considered the practice of medicine should not be performed in a spa. It's always best to seek out a physician who has training in these areas to perform these types of services. You'll get the safest result and you'll get the best result, if you do.
ROY GERONEMUS, MD: A wide variety of procedures are considered cosmetic, such as an injection of Botox, the injection of filler substances, most laser procedures, chemical peeling, liposuction. These would all be cosmetic procedures.
ANNOUNCER: If performed correctly, many of these treatments offer successful results, with minimal complications. But dermatologists are now confronting a disturbing trend.
ROY GERONEMUS, MD: We are now seeing, in spas and salons, the practice of medicine by untrained people. We're seeing quite a few burns as well as changes in pigmentation. We're seeing some scarring as a result of some laser procedures that are performed for cosmetic purposes.
ANNOUNCER: Cosmetic treatments performed in a spa or salon are generally administered by aestheticians and other nonmedical professionals. And this setting might be acceptable for some skin treatments. But which ones?
ROY GERONEMUS, MD: I think, in a spa, if you're looking for beauty treatments or to improve the condition of your skin, one should do one can do procedures like facials, very light chemical peeling, massages, procedures that do not necessarily injure the skin or carry risk.
ANNOUNCER: The most problematic procedures are those that are more invasive: laser treatments, certain acne treatments, Botox injections and collagen and other filler injections.
So if people are considering one of these more potentially risky procedures, what can they do to protect themselves?
ROY GERONEMUS, MD: Procedures where there is any type of injury to the skin or the potential for injury really should be done by a physician in a medical setting.
In choosing a physician, there are a number of different ways that you can find the appropriate person for your condition. One is to go to a website, such as the website for the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. The second is to ask your physician, your primary care physician or another skin physician, a dermatologist, who the appropriate person would be to treat the condition that I have.
You'd like to make sure that physician has experience. You would like to make sure that physician is board-certified. These are the questions that you can ask the physician himself or the physician's office. If need be, you can check with the state regulatory bodies to make sure that, in fact, that physician is licensed and is in good standing.
You also want to make sure that the physician has the appropriate treatment or technology for your condition. For example, if you're a dark-skinned patient and you want to go in for a laser hair removal procedure, there are a few lasers you could use and many you can't use.
You also want to make sure that the physician has experience in treating that particular condition over a period of time. That's a fair question to ask the physician: "Have you done this before? Can you show me photographs?"
ANNOUNCER: And one should never be pressured into any procedure.
ROY GERONEMUS, MD: Take your time, don't rush to any particular type of procedure, make sure that you've had a chance to have all your questions answered so you feel comfortable that, in fact, you're seeing someone who is trained, understands your condition and understands how to treat your particular concern.
ANNOUNCER: Additionally, there are several "red flags" that consumers can look for.
ROY GERONEMUS, MD: First of all, if someone promises you that there's a procedure that's totally safe, I would be very concerned. All procedures, no matter how many times they've been performed and how safe they may be, still carry some risk. So there's no physician and no procedure that's 100 percent safe.
And the other thing that I would be concerned about is if you are guaranteed a cure. Not every procedure is 100 percent successful if a physician guarantees you that you'll be 100 percent satisfied and guarantees you, for example, your hair will never grow back or your blood vessels will never return, I would probably walk away.
ANNOUNCER: Several public awareness campaigns have been launched in an effort to warn the public about the risks of these procedures when improperly practiced and some states have enacted laws against unlicensed practitioners. But ultimately, it's "buyer beware," and consumers need to take the responsibility of seeking out the proper practitioner for any cosmetic treatment.
ROY GERONEMUS, MD: Any procedure that carries risk, any procedure that is considered the practice of medicine should not be performed in a spa. It's always best to seek out a physician who has training in these areas to perform these types of services. You'll get the safest result and you'll get the best result, if you do.