Laser Treatment MD

December 2, 2009

Medical Spas a new resort for day spas.

Medical spas that provide Botox wrinkle treatments, laser hair removal, and liposuction and facial toning are faring better amid times of slower consumer spending. [Jupiter Images]

Spas and salons in New Jersey are hurting, along with the rest of the economy, but the relatively pricier medical spas among them seem to be better off, so says Hannelore Leavy, executive director of the International Medical Spa Association, in Union Township, which has 350 members worldwide, including about 30 in New Jersey.

The medical spa industry is faring better because its patrons are more affluent than those that patronize conventional day spas, Leavy said.

“In every recession, people buy more cosmetics because they want to look and feel good,” she said. Medical spas provide that “instant gratification,” she said.

Medical spas typically provide Botox wrinkle treatments, laser hair removal, and body contouring procedures like liposuction and facial toning, many of which have to be done under medical supervision, Leavy said.

Salons providing basic services like haircuts and nail jobs are also handling the recession better than expected because those are necessities, said Leavy, who also heads the 800-member Day Spa Association from her Union office. The day-spa industry has been badly hit because massages, facials and herbal wraps are considered luxuries, not necessities, she said.

Leavy said she is seeing the impact of the recession on the membership rolls of both her associations. The Day Spa Association, for example, has lost some 10 percent of its members over the past year.

But there is opportunity even within the day-spa industry, said Rosemary Weiner, chairwoman of the Association of Salon and Spa Professionals, also in Union Township. She said she found a ready buyer last December for her 3,500-square-foot Brass Rose Spa and Salon, in Blairstown, and secured a price just a couple of hundred dollars apart from what she sought.

Weiner said her association helps its roughly 100 members with counseling on retaining customers, better packaging of services and cost-control strategies. Leavy’s Day Spa Association has also put out a recession survival guide for its members, and has designated members in each state on the lookout for legislative changes.

One recently proposed legislative change fought by Weiner’s association was the state’s effort to ban Brazilian waxing, or waxing of the genital area, citing injuries. The association persuaded the state to drop the ban proposal, instead rewriting the legislation to address concerns.

“New Jersey would have been the only state in the country to ban it,” Weiner said. “It would have impacted salon and spa owners, and caused them a huge loss of revenue.”

The state remains one of the most stringent in terms of regulating medical spas, Leavy said, requiring doctors to serve as their promoters or investment allies — but she said her association welcomes such regulation.

“It’s not easy to hang out a shingle and start a [medical spa] business,” she said.

via njbiz.com

Filed under // Botox cosmetic surgeon Laser Clinic laser hair removal laser treatment Medical Spa medical spa advertising medical spa marketing plastic surgeon advertisng plastic surgeon marketing skin clinic

Comments [0]

November 23, 2009

How to run your medical spa or laser center in turbulent times.

If you’re involved with or own a medical spa, this question is no doubt on your mind.

In this article, I will give you several tips and tools to evaluate your laser centers culture and operations, so you can successfully navigate any economic downturn… And live to sell another day when the inevitable upturn comes around.

What is the Passion and Purpose of Your Medical Spa?

You reap what you sew. When you engage proactively and passionately in your business you will undoubtedly be successful and see your practice expand. It helps to articulate your passion for your medical spa.

At Assara Laser, our passion is to “help clients look and feel great, not fake.”

Why the Recession Drastically Affects Your Laser Clinics Bottom Line

You’ve probably noticed that generating revenue is not as easy as it once was. There are myriad reasons for this; from the decline in disposable income, to unemployment hitting record highs and tanking real estate valuations. As if these facts were not bleak enough, credit markets are virtually frozen so business owners are finding it nearly impossible to obtain small business loans and lines of credit. Refinancing current loans has become difficult for small businesses.

In short, we're operating in the perfect storm.

Accepting Reality and Responsibility Today

The easy way out is to close up shop and blame the recession. This will not help you going forward, it will not pay your devoted employees their wages, and most of all, it will not help your clients “look and feel great, not fake.” So, accept responsibility.

The hardships of the recession create a fact-pattern, problem to be solved; not a reason for failure. To paraphrase Michael Jackson, start, first, with the man in the mirror. Think about the following questions. And pay attention - there will be homework at the end of this article!

Finding Your Medspas Winning Competitive Difference?

Let’s be honest. The quality of your laser clinc's treatments are probably not drastically better than that of your competitors. The proprietary equipment and IPL or laser systems (Thermage, Fraxel, Titan) that you use are, for the most part, available to the competitive skin clinic market at large.

You may believe (and tell clients) that your microdermabrasion treatments are better because you use a diamond-tipped wand or aluminum oxide crystals. You may think that your IPLs or laser hair removal treatments are better because you use cryo-cooling or because you use chilled air cooling, or because you use a diode laser or because you use alexandrite lasers . . .

BUT . . .

Step in to your clients' shoes. To them, the bells and whistles of your Thermage or Fraxel device don't matter. Your clients already expect expert advice and cutting edge cosmetic lasers, IPLs and skin tighening equipment, so merely meeting this fundamental requirement is not a winning competitive difference.

What does matter to your clients are presentation, client interaction, customer service, reliability and consistency. Consider this carefully.

What is each of your medspas clients worth?

At Assara Laser, one of the most popular packages is our $449 per month Unlimited Laser Hair Removal Program. On average, a client that signs up for this program will remain a member of the Program for 7 months, depending on the results they wish to achieve. How much is a single unlimited client worth to us? A client in the program for 7 months, making a monthly payment of $449 is worth $3,143. For many laser clinic owners, a single laser hair removal client is worth more than a home mortgage payment!

Do you treat every single potential laser treatment client that contacts your laser clinic as if they’re worth $3,000?

What is your time and effort worth?

Before my partners and I built Assara Laser, I was an attorney. I still practice corporate law as a labor of love, when a friend or business contact has an exciting deal. I normally discount my rate to about $400 per hour, as law isn’t my primary source of income.

Assume an hour of your time is worth $400. Assume further that, every time your customers complain, you are willing to give a discount, or a free treatment and that, collectively, free and discounted treatments account for a 20% loss in your revenue. To make up for this lost revenue, how much more work do you have to do?

Well, let’s add 20% to your 10 hour day, which now makes it a 12 hour day. If your annual sales are say $1,000,000 per year, you’ve lost $200,000. This translates into 500 hours more of work you must do to bring your revenue back to status quo!

Is there a big difference between a day that starts at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 7:00 p.m. versus ending at 9:00 p.m. You betcha there is! Is there a big difference between a loss of $200,000 and a loss of zero. You betcha there is! And these differences drastically affect your quality of life.

How Can You Avoid Mistakes?

Mistakes are costly. A happy client is worth more than $3,000, and will likely refer business, the best and cheapest form of marketing. A single angry client will result in you working 2 hours more per day for the following seven work days, and will possibly diminish your reputation by badmouthing your medspa.

A lot of people think excellent customer service means free treatments. It doesn’t. Excellent customer service means delivering what you promise. You know the limitations and effectiveness of your treatments so promise only what you can deliver and do it consistently, with a smile on your face!

via Medical Spa MD

Filed under // Assara Laser Cutera Titan Fraxel IPL laser center laser clinic laser hair removal laser treament medical spa medical spa training medspa skin clinic Thermage

Comments [0]

November 2, 2009

Looking for a medical spa? Finding A Non-Surgical Specialist

There are many medical anti-aging options available today, but most are less effective and more time consuming than the newest batch of non-invasive cosmetic medicine. With the popularity of these treatments skyrocketing, it may not be difficult to find a service provider. Before booking an appointment at your local medical spa, skin clinic or laser treatment center, remember, this is a medical procedure. Taking the time to locate a qualified practitioner within a medical spa ensures your safety and satisfaction.

Use the following tips to select your provider:

1. Opt for a consultation before booking any treatment. Use this opportunity to check out the medical spa, skin clinic or laser clinc physicians and staff.

2. Pay attention to your comfort level with the staff and level of customer service provided. Are your questions and concerns addressed to your satisfaction? Are you treated warmly and with respect? It is important that you feel comfortable and trust your provider.

3. Inquire if a physician is always present in the facility and sees every patient before they are treated. State laws (as well as medical ethics) require that a medical doctor physically be on site to monitor laser or medical treatments. If there is not a physician on-site, they are breaking the law and putting their patients at risk.

4. Determine the specialty of the staff physicians. Physicians who specializes only in non-surgical / non-invasive medicine, is preferable to a general dermatologist or plastic surgeon, for example. Many doctors are buying a piece of technology, taking an hour long class, and branding themselves an expert. Look around. If the clinic is run by a plastic surgeon, how can he specialize in non-surgical treatments?

5. Ask how many different medical devices they have. If the answer is just one or two, they aren’t really specializing in non-invasive medicine and are probably an “add-on” clinic. Look for a clinic that has multiple devices of different types.

6. Make sure that your skin type is accurately determined if you’re having a laser or IPL treatment. If your skin type is determined with a questionnaire, go elsewhere. Questionnaires have been determined to be inaccurate 70% of the time. The best clinics use a special “skin-type” meter (spectrophotometer) to scientifically determine exactly how much melanin is in the treatment area.

7. Discuss any issues for your skin type that may arise during treatment. You'll want to know side effects to expect, or if a specific piece of equipment is best suited for you. A knowledgeable professional is willing to discuss your concerns, and is familiar with options.

The key to finding the right provider is to actively research your options, and voice your needs. You want to only work with a specialized medical practice; one that addresses your concerns and welcomes your questions. Managing your treatment will improve the level of care you receive, and your satisfaction with the procedure's results.

By Catherine Hayes (MedSpa.Com)

Filed under // laser clinic laser hair removal laser treatment medical spa medspa skin clinic skin treatment

Comments [0]

Tags

laser hair removal

Medical Spas a new resort for day spas.

How to run your medical spa or laser center in turbulent times.

Looking for a medical spa? Finding A Non-Surgical Specialist