$413 for Botox injections
$831 for chemical peels
$423 for laser hair removal
$201 for micro-dermabrasion
$273 for sclerotherapy

With the number of these procedures performed in the U.S. in 2004 being:

Botox: 2,837,346 procedures
Laser hair removal: 1,411,899 procedures
Chemical peel: 1,110,401 procedures
Microdermabrasion: 1, 098,316 procedures
Hyaluronic acide (Hylaform, Restylane): 882,469 procedures

Medical spas are outperforming non-medical spas, producing margins upward of 35-40%. Although profitability is largely being generated from the extraordinarily high margins generated by the procedures mentioned above, most of the medical spas surveyed report at least a 35% return on gross revenue.

Pricing at destination, resort and medical spas continues to increase as consumers of spa services are willing to invest personal income in looking and feeling better, while overall labor costs have lowered as spa operators continue to redesign compensation strategies and the labor pool of spa practitioners continues to increase. Medical spas are leveling the playing field for employees as they primarily employ nurses, surgical techs and medical assistants.

These healthcare professionals are used to set salaries or hourly wages, most of which do not exceed $36 an hour (for a seasoned R.N.). Medical spa owners and operators are advancing labor rates as a fixed dollar amount per procedure administered as compared to their non-medical spa operators, most of which are still paying labor at approximately 35-42% of treatment revenue.

Overall revenues for the medical spa were reported to be:
$269 million in 2002
$301 million in 2003
$328 million in 2004

Forecasts for revenue are:
$362 million in 2005
$410 million in 2006

A substantial amount of the revenue reported for the medical spa industry is generated through medical spa franchises or licensed syndicated operations.

The Medical Spa sector is still virtually untapped but growing as more and more baby boomers reach middle age.

The age of Integral Spa Medicine will help to increase healthcare literacy and medical spa professionals will begin to serve as intermediaries for consumers looking to see beyond the spin of traditional healthcare and pharmaceutical marketing. For healthcare operators a myriad of spa services are becoming legitimate streams of revenue that pose minimal risk for malpractice. New Spa Medicine business models will emerge and challenge present day medical delivery vehicles.

For millions of Americans, arthritis, depression, menopause, cancerthese and other health concernsare not being adequately addressed through conventional medicine. Many are turning outside the medical mainstream to approaches that embrace the whole personmind, body and spirit. In fact, Americans spend more money for complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM, than for all other health care needs. From acupuncture to massage therapy to dietary supplements, CAM approaches, while most notably have been an adjunct to conventional medicine, are now affordable, accessible and sought after through alternative medical clinics and spas. The future of the medical spa industry will most likely grow beyond graded beauty enhancement to include an even more balanced and comprehensive approach: integral spa medicine.

The Integral Model is a quantifiable systematic approach to enhancing health, beauty and restoring the bodys natural balance. This takes many forms but at its core is the integration of the best western and alternative therapies. The following acronym outlines what programming and procedures an integral medical spa of the future could contain.

 I.N.T.E.G.R.A.L. program and process related to
I inflammation control-strategies to reduce silent inflammation.
N nutrition-strategies to integrate the best up-to-date nutritional information.
T toxin reduction-strategies to deal with reducing exposure to both personal and environmental toxins.
E exercise and body therapy-strategies that integrate the best fitness philosophy with massage and body work as performance enhancement aids and stress reduction techniques.
G graded beauty enhancement-predominant medical spa programming right now. Supported by the additional medical spa modules, beauty is health made visible.
R replacement of hormones-strategies to balance hormones by gender, to help consumers live fuller lives longer.
A aggressive supplementation-strategies to support customized nutritional objectives by supplementation with the right amount for the objective in mind.
L lifelong mind-body learning-strategies and programs that help consumers increase awareness, attenuate stress and integrate mind, body, spirit and soul.

From a multi-dimensional integral view, the best strategies and treatments can be customized for patients/clients while taking into account the emotional and spiritual needs of each individual living in a complex culture.

The Medical Spa sector is still virtually untapped but growing as more and more baby boomers reach middle age. Today, there are only about 700 medspas in the United States. It is estimated that nearly 10,000 will open in the next seven to ten years, driven by escalating demand from customers and the realization that medspas offer significant profits. The medical spa business is scalable: Is your business ready to capitalize on its success?

About the author
Katie Hurley is a Medical Spa industry veteran. She is considered one of the leading authorities on Medical Spa development and management in the U.S.