The Ethics Crisis in Medical Aesthetics
The medical aesthetics industry faces an ethics crisis as patient safety incidents reach alarming levels. With physician ownership of med spas dropping to just 37% and unqualified providers flooding the market, practice owners must confront uncomfortable questions about informed consent, realistic expectations, and whether profit motives are compromising patient care. This deep dive examines the regulatory gaps, legal precedents, and practical solutions for building ethical practices.
The Real Concern Behind The FDA's RF Microneedling Warning
On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff. Engineers had known about the O ring problem for nine years. They warned against launching in freezing temperatures. Management overruled them. Seven astronauts died.
Seventeen years later, Columbia disintegrated during reentry. Engineers had documented foam strikes for 22 years. Each time nothing happened, the problem became more normal. Until it killed seven more astronauts.
The pattern that destroyed two orbiters has a name: normalization of deviance. And it's happening in medical spas right now.
The Medical Director Question
The medical director relationship that enables your med spa may also be its greatest vulnerability. Following a patient death in Texas that led to new legislation, regulatory scrutiny of physician oversight is intensifying. Learn what the law actually requires, how to evaluate your current compliance, and why getting this right is a competitive advantage.
Stay Compliant, Stay Confident!
Beyond patient safety, there are many reasons for a medical aesthetics practice to stay compliant. Unlike most things, recovering from regulatory compliance sanctions can be difficult. Worse than the potential fines, the reputational damage can be devastating to a practice. Here are some areas to reflect over as you assess the compliance of your practice.