7 Healthcast: Spa safety

There are a lot of cosmetic procedures that don't require surgery, and some are being offered at medi-spas with and without doctors on staff.

Now, plastic surgeons are cautioning you to do your homework first, so you'll understand exactly what you're getting and by whom.

"When I looked in the mirror before I didn't like what I saw at all, but I certainly didn't want to go under the knife," Carmela Toma said.

So, Toma had eight laser treatments and several Botox injections at a medi-spa.

"The range of services that are performed at a medi-spa could be facials, micro-dermasion, chemical peels, up to injections of Botox, deep and superficial fillers to light and laser therapies," Dr. Barry Dibernadrdo, of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, said

But the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons have issued a patient safety advisory on medi-spas.

"The advisory was to educate patients to do their homework to ask questions as to what is the environment, [and] who is doing the procedure. Are they qualified to do that procedure in that particular state? If it is not a physician doing it, is it supervised by a physician?" Dr. Dibernadrdo said.

Medi-spas can be found in a variety of location from doctor's offices to hospitals, even malls. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons urges patients to find a medi-spa that has a physician on staff, who can help determine the right treatment plan for you.

Another tip: find out who's performing your treatment. Depending on the state, injections and deep peels may be performed by a doctor, nurse or physician's assistant.

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