Why You Shouldn’t Go To a Med Spa for Skin Lesion

🧠 What Exactly Is a “Skin Lesion”?

The term “skin lesion” refers to any abnormal bump, growth, discoloration, or sore on the skin. This includes:

• Moles
• Cysts
• Lipomas (fatty tumors)
• Warts or skin tags
• Precancerous lesions (actinic keratoses)
• Skin cancers (like basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma)

Some lesions are completely benign (harmless). Others require treatment or surgical removal, and in some instances, early diagnosis can be life-saving.

⚠️ Why Med Spas Aren’t Equipped for Lesion Evaluation

Many patients are surprised to learn that most med spas are not medically equipped to diagnose or manage skin lesions beyond cosmetic concerns.

Here’s why:

1. Lack of Diagnostic Training

Med spa staff (often aestheticians or non-physician injectors) are not trained to:

• Identify skin cancers
• Perform biopsies
• Interpret pathology reports

That means a lesion that appears harmless might go untreated, or worse, be treated with an inappropriate cosmetic procedure (such as laser or freezing) that delays proper diagnosis.

2. No Biopsy or Lab Support

Suspicious lesions should be biopsied and sent to pathology. Med spas typically don’t perform biopsies or collaborate with dermatopathologists, which means they can’t confirm the true nature of a lesion.

3. No Surgical Expertise

Removing a lesion isn’t just about getting it off the skin—it’s about:

• Ensuring it’s completely removed
• Avoiding recurrence
• Minimizing scarring
• Preserving function and appearance

This level of care requires dermatologic surgery, not cosmetic skin care.

🩺 What Does a Dermatologic Surgeon Do Differently?

A dermatologic surgeon is a board-certified dermatologist with advanced training in the medical, surgical, and cosmetic management of skin conditions, including skin cancer, cysts, lipomas, and complex lesions:

✔️ Medical Evaluation First

Before removal, we perform:

• Full skin exams
• Dermatoscopic analysis
• Medical history reviews
• Biopsies if needed

This ensures we know exactly what we’re treating.

✔️ Precision Surgical Removal

Whether it’s a mole, cyst, or skin cancer, our approach ensures:

• Complete removal (including root or capsule, if needed)
• Clean margins when appropriate
• Minimal damage to the surrounding tissue
• Cosmetic closure techniques to minimize scarring

✔️ Safety + Sterile Protocols

Our procedures follow strict medical safety guidelines, with:

• Local anesthesia
• Sterile instruments
• Wound care instructions
• Follow-up and pathology review when needed

🧾 Real Risks of Treating Lesions at a Med Spa

Unfortunately, we’ve seen the consequences when patients go to med spas first:

• Skin cancers being treated as “age spots” with laser or cryotherapy
• Incomplete cyst removals that lead to infection or scarring
• Misdiagnosed lipomas that were aggressive growths
• No follow-up when lesions change or return

In these cases, early intervention by a dermatologic surgeon could have prevented serious outcomes.