Medical Spas: How the quest for beauty could cost you your health

June 27, 2009 - PRLog -- Let's face it, we humans can be really vain creatures. We all have our imperfections, and there's a popular type business that may just offer you the cure. Beauty Spas are the new fad for treating those  certain flaws we'd like to do without, but could your quest for looking sexy ultimatly disfigure you for life?

There has been a growing number of reports on the danger of treatments that some medical spas offer, one of the more popular being Laser hair removal. This process uses a high powered xenon lamp not unlike  that of a camera flash to remove dark hair from unwanted spots by heating the root of the hair, called the follicle, and damaging it. When performed by a trained professional, such treatment is safe with  little to no irritation of the skin. However, misuse can cause first and second degree burns, as well as noticeable changes of pigment.

In a 2008 report by News 2 Colorado, They interviewed Dr. Dave Verebelyi of The Colorado Center for Photomedicine, who recalled a case of one of his patients who was burned on her legs by a botched hair  removal operation. His patient, known as "Jennifer", suffered severe burns on her legs after a Laser hair removal procedure after visiting one of these unqualified spas.

"What we have now is a laser company who will sell to whoever wants a laser. The proliferation of spas and clinics leaves people like Jennifer vulnerable" Says Dr. Verebelyi, who is medically licensed to  perform the procedure, now cares for Jennifer. "If someones had a single day of training, that's not somebody you want working on you"

Since then, state regulations have tightened on medical spas and their procedures. Each facility is required to have a licensed physician present or within a 30 minute to inspect and make sure every staff  member is qualified to carry out operations. However, Dr. Verebelyi says it's not enough.

"No matter what the operation is, you can have side effects. You want to make sure there's an expert on site who can get you the best results possible if one of those things do happen" He adds, warning his  patients to do their homework by checking the staffs credentials and training, and not to go some place just because it will save you a few dollars, because it just might cost you your skin.

Dr. David M. Verebelyi is the Medical Director at The Colorado Center for Photomedicine, and one of the leading experts in newly developed laser skin treatments.  An honored graduate of St. George's  University School of Medicine, Dr. Verebelyi is also a member of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. His Current project is to develop online learning modules by studying with several of the  most prominent laser surgeons in the US. By doing so, he wishes help more doctors understand how to best use light-based technology. For more information about Dr. Verebelyi, and The Colorado Center for  Photomedicine, visit http://www.coloradoskincare.com