By, Victoria Perry *Podcast available below* Let’s face it, literally, the “Fountain of Youth” or “Magic Potion” to completely reverse aging skin is still a mythical, urban legend. In the arena of cosmetic injections, laser, peels and active cosmeceuticals, it can be quite overwhelming on how to begin a start-up of a Med-Spa department in your salon company. Depending on how extensive you want to develop your service menu, there are certain factors that must be in place to ensure success.  What is a Medical Director and do I need one?  Medical Directors are licensed physicians who oversee proper training and implementation of advanced corrective skincare services within a Med-Spa department. Typically, a Medical Director is a Plastic Surgeon or Dermatologist who is looking to expand their outreach to new guests within a salon and spa company. Partnering with a salon and spa company, can result in a great referral relationship for the Medical Director. Defining services that can be performed within your Cosmetology or Esthetic License Scope of Practice will be the first step in deciding if you need to partner with a Medical Director and how active your Medical Director will be in your company.  What are different services? Chemical peel The depth of a chemical peel ranges from very superficial to deep. Very superficial chemical peels affect the outer layer of the skin and can be performed within in most scope of practices without a Medical Director. However, the deeper the peel goes, the more active it is and this is where a gray area begins on who can perform the chemical peel. Microneedle and Lasers for hair removal or skin rejuvenation These services can achieve great results in correcting skin concerns. In some states, those services must be performed by the Medical Director or RN/LPN. Regulations are changing constantly, to protect yourself and your investment, always contact your state board to ensure you are servicing within your scope of practice  Botox and Fillers Botox and Fillers may only be performed by a licensed medical professional. If this is a service you are wanting to offer to your guests, start with a “Botox Happy Hour” event. This is a great way to introduce your Medical Director to your guests and is an opportunity for consultations on advanced cosmetic procedures. During this event, demo new corrective skin services and provide complimentary skin analysis’ to help prescribe the best at home product regimen for their skin with call to action offers.   How do you Get Started? Define your brand to target your consumer. Do you live in an area that is savvy on advanced corrective skincare? Is there a potential Medical Director that you can see yourself partnering with? Remember, this is another business relationship that will need to time to foster and develop. How much liability or investment do you want to take on to venture in this new department?   Start with a simple service menu of chemical peels that may be performed within your scope of practice. Chemical peel formulations now are very effective even at a minimal invasive approach. Educate your service providers so they are skillfully trained to help ensure success in the treatment room. Partner with professional brands that will help support training with your service providers and help market your new services to your guests.   At SSBC, we are excited to have a Med-Spa specialist on the consulting team to help you develop your new service department. Contact [email protected] for more information.     What do you think? What is your biggest question when it comes to a Medi-Spa?