What to Look For in a Skin Care Clinic

Medical Director, RenewSkin Clinics
Dr. Greta McLaren

Flip through a newspaper or magazine, or switch on the radio or TV, and you’ll be bombarded with ads for skin care treatments. Laser treatments, skin resurfacing, Botox injections, chemical peels, and other 21st-century innovations really can restore youth and vitality to sun-damaged and aging skin, remove scars and tattoos, and eliminate unwanted hair. The proliferation of skin care spas and clinics across the country attests to the great demand for these services.

But all skin care clinics are not created equal. You’ll find a wide range of services offered, but the qualifications and training of the people who provide those services is all over the map. Before committing your money — and your skin — to a treatment, here are a few things to look for:

Trained, Professional Staff
It’s important to remember that these are sophisticated medical treatments that must be supervised by trained and experienced professionals. Look for treatments provided in a medical setting, with qualified physicians in charge. Trained clinicians should take a thorough medical history to provide you with the best possible care and be aware of any potential for adverse reactions. They will also have the experience to recommend the best treatment for your specific skin problems, because they are thoroughly grounded in the skin’s anatomy and physiology and understand the changes that take place with aging and exposure to sun and the environment.

Technology
Above all, seek skin care founded on medical science. Look for a clinic — not a “medical spa” — that employs experienced medically trained professionals on-site to supervise all treatments. Be sure all equipment is FDA-approved and extensively tested before it is used on clients. Assure yourself that the technicians who use the equipment are thoroughly trained and are supervised by medical professionals.

Comfort
Comfort is of course as important in a clinical setting as it is in a spa, but it must also contribute to a successful treatment. While you will feel more comfortable in a clinic that offers welcoming colors and plush treatment chairs, avoid spas or salons that offer services like pedicures or massages — your clinic should focus its energy on medical skin treatments. Also look for high-quality professional lighting — that assures proper administration of skin-saving treatments.

Industry standards
The medical skin care industry is undergoing explosive growth, but there as yet is no single accrediting or licensing body that assures the qualifications of anyone who claims to offer “medical” skin care. That’s why it’s vitally important to be sure there is a full-time physician on staff, because he or she alone has the medical background and experience to properly select and supervise the estheticians and technicians who administer today’s high-tech skin-care treatments. Only then can you feel confident that such clinics won’t just meet industry standards, they’ll set them.

Summing up — it’s your skin
Erasing years is easier and more affordable today than ever before, and advances in laser technology have made it possible to achieve dramatic results without surgery and with minimal, if any, down-time. By doing your homework and checking out the qualifications and background of a medical skin care clinic before you sign up for a treatment plan, you’ll be assured of a good result — and younger, healthier skin for a long time to come.

Greta McLaren, M.D. is the medical director for RenewSkin Clinics. She is recognized in the medical community as an expert on a variety of skin care procedures, including cosmetic procedures, aesthetic laser and light devices, and cosmetic fillers. RenewSkin has clinics in Lone Tree and Cherry Creek North. Please call 303-438-0500 for more information or to reach Dr. McLaren.

Comments

[Olga Moore]

Hello, thank you for the useful information you have provided. Could you please advise on the best clinic for Botox injections in LA?

[Laura Cooke]

I'm interested in the skin tightening procedure. I live in Georgia in the Atlanta Metro region. Do you have any referals for this area?