De-Mystifying the Med Spa
What really goes on at a medical spa? (Photo: Smooth Synergy)
The word medical and the word spa just don’t jibe in my head. When I think “medical,” I think sterile, uncomfortable, sickly, and generally unpleasant. When I think “spa,” I think fluffy bathrobes, endless cucumber water, and blissful hours spent on the massage table. You can see why the whole notion of a medical spa was confusing to me.
For years, my only awareness of medical spas came from passing them in dreary strip malls in my Texas hometown. There was always some kind of special being advertised: Two for one chemical peels! Buy one, get one free laser hair removal treatment! It was unappealing to say the least.
I guess that’s why I was so surprised when I finally stepped foot in an actual medical spa (I was there researching for a story, naturally). Unlike the strip mall versions of my past, Smooth Synergy is tucked up on a high floor of a midtown New York City office building and decorated with modern furniture in cool tones. And while its all-white waiting room admittedly feels more doctors’ office than soothing spa, it is a far cry from the dingy offices in which you find most New York MDs.
My curiosity piqued, I asked Smooth Synergy’s CEO Nicole Contos to give me the scoop. What the heck is a med spa anyway? And why should I be going to one? She kindly obliged, giving me a primer on their most popular treatments from space age sounding cellulite busting machines to plain old facials. In case you too are curious, here’s what I learned:
First of all, a medical spa by definition is a place where there is a licensed doctor (though in some cases it ends up being a “health care professional” of more dubious background, so be careful) on premises and available for consultation. In Smooth Synergy’s case, this doctor also happens to be Nicole’s husband, Dr. George Liakeas. “He does all the injectables, like Botox or Restylane,” she explains. “But he’s also there to advise on other cases. So, if we’re doing a body contouring treatment, which is totally non-invasive, and we find out that a client has high blood pressure, he can check them out and decide whether it’s okay to proceed. It really puts the clients at ease.”
Contos actually prefers to call her business a “cosmedical” spa — a term she coined herself. “We’re basically just doing normal spa treatments like massage, facial, and hair removal, but under a doctor’s supervision,” she says. “Everything we do is result-oriented but non-invasive.”
Turns out, the treatment I was there to try is one of their most popular: the Fanny Facial. Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Long story short, it involved being hooked up to a microcurrent machine by a bunch of wires and pads and having my derriere gently zapped for about an hour. The result? A toned, lifted and cellulite-free rear-end — at least for a few weeks. You need more than one treatment for lasting results. Microcurrent can also be used on the arms, the stomach — basically anywhere that you want lifted and toned.
The microcurrent machine was small and the whole experience was far less terrifying than I expected. So, I peeked into the other rooms to see what else was on offer. Some seriously intense looking machines stared back. “What are those?,” I asked, my eyes wide.
One was the endermologie lipo massage ($150 per treatment) machine. Developed in France (as with most good beauty things), this technique works through rolling and suction. You put on a sock-like body suit and lay down and then a technician runs the rollers over your body. Light rolling works on surface cellulite, while harder rolling breaks up the deep fat pockets. “It feels so good,” says Contos. “We have trainers who are in great shape and even they come in to do it because it just makes the skin so much smoother.”
Another popular treatment is ultrasonic lipo cavitation. “If you’re not necessarily overweight, but you have a trouble spot like a pocket of fat on your stomach or your thigh, this works great,” explains Michelle, one of the med spa’s expert aestheticians. “It works with ultrasound, so basically it vibrates the fat cells and then they are released into the lymphatic system and just exit the body naturally.”
In the realm of less science fiction-y treatments, there are laser hair removal, chemical peels, and facials (plus all kinds of add-ons like oxygen therapy). But, just when I thought I had a handle on all of the treatments, Contos brought out the SQOOM. “We’re the only ones in the US who have it,” she explained. “It’s a machine that has ultrasound ionization and works on a magnetic field with vibration. It has a blue light too.” Created in Germany, the SQOOM is essentially the equivalent of a super high-powered facial. There are all kinds of specifically formulated gel serums that work on issues like acne, psoriasis or rosacea. The machine uses ionization and ultrasound to deliver the specifically formulated gel serums that work on issues like acne, psoriasis or rosacea, deep into the skin, and let it regenerate and renew in a targeted way. Intriguing? Absolutely.
After a few hours exploring Smooth Synergy, I was sold on the merits of a medical spa. I won’t be giving up my fluffy bathrobe experience anytime soon, but there’s definitely something to be said for the results-oriented treatments that these spots have on offer. Of course, you have to be careful. Not all med spas are created equal and not everyone working in them has the proper training. So, do your research and find the right one before you find yourself with a new beauty addiction. All I can say is that a relaxing massage is nice, but a flat stomach and cellulite-free thighs? That’s something worth coming back for.
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