Baby Boom to Spa Boom
VITAHL Medical Aesthetics
Denver, CO
Article by Janet Forgrieve, Rocky Mountain News
September 2, 2005
The spa's dark hardwood floors, stone fireplace and warmly painted walls welcome clients and aim to put them at ease.
Visitors to Vitahl are called clients, not patients, despite the fact that many are there for treatments that until recent years they could get only at the doctor's office.
Vitahl, one of four new Cherry Creek North medical spas is owned and run by Tahl Humes, a physician who practices internal medicine at Rose Medical Center.
"I turned 30 last year, and I started thinking of what I would want in the future," Humes said. "Also, I was hearing the complaints from my mom that she couldn't get in with the doctor for Botox."
Plus, there's a payoff for doctors who get paid directly from clients and don't have to answer to HMOs or insurance companies.
Removing wrinkles, unwanted body hair and facial sun spots are all becoming more popular as baby boomers age, the numbers show. Medical spas offer these features, often with some more typical spa treatments such as massages and facials.
U.S. consumers paid $12.5 billion for cosmetic procedures last year, $4.7 billion of it on nonsurgical treatments like Botox and laser hair removal, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
Largest by far was Botox Cosmetic.
Allergan Inc., which makes the wrinkle-removal drug, estimates that fiscal 2005 sales of the product will reach between $800 million and $840 million, with 42 percent going for cosmetic uses, according to the company's SEC filings.
Women obtained 90 percent of all cosmetic procedures last year, the association said.
About 45 percent of the procedures went to people ages 35 to 50, and a quarter of them were obtained by those 51 to 64. Both are growing groups, as baby boomers continue to age.
"It's why people like me are putting money into it," said Michael Chacho, who plans to open Denver's first Radiance franchise this month. "There's a huge, huge market, and we've only realized the very tip of it."
Baby boomers - those born between 1946 and 1964 - are getting older, but they don't feel it and they don't want to look it, medical spa owners say.
"We are staying young, vital and healthy," said Hannelore Leavy, who co-founded the International Medical Spa Association four years ago. "We all live longer, and we don't want to be rocking-chair bound - we want to travel and be vital."
Medical spas are so new in this country that the association can only estimate the number at somewhere around 750 that qualify under the association's definition, she said.
The association considers true medical spas to be those that are "under the full-time supervision of a licensed medical professional," Leavy said.
Some states say only doctors can perform Botox injections and laser treatments.
In Colorado, medical spas must have a medical director who oversees the practices, but injections and treatments may be performed by trained clinicians.
At Vitahl, Humes said, all injections will be done by physicians.
Each of the new spas says it will offer something a bit different, in addition to the standard menu of Botox, Restylane - similar to collagen - and laser hair removal.
And all four say they believe there's enough business to go around.
Cosmetic dentist John Quiqley sold his Lakewood practice to pay for La Fontaine, which he plans to open later this year in partnership with medical doctor Ken Olezek. It will be the only one of the four to offer cosmetic dentistry.
In addition, said Quiqley, whose spa will likely be the last of the four to open, La Fontaine will also include Thai massage as well as a focus on natural health.
"Part of my reasoning in wanting to incorporate more of the wellness side is that we can only do so much improvement of the outside appearance without addressing what's going on inside," he said.
Two of the spas, Radiance and Ageless Remedies, are franchises. Chacho has an area developer agreement for Radiance, he said, and expects to eventually add suburban locations.
Ageless Remedies co-franchisee and medical director Herb Parris said he looked at several models before choosing the Atlanta-based company, partly because of the amount of training it offered.
Begun in 1999 in Atlanta's upscale Buckhead neighborhood, Ageless Remedies was the brainchild of two veterans of the beauty business.
Maureen Herman and Jennifer Curtain were account executives with cosmetics lines. Over the years, the pair gained experience helping doctors set up their offices for cosmetic procedures, Herman said.
Eventually, the pair struck out on their own. Today, they've got two Atlanta stores and plan to franchise in Florida as well as Colorado.
Medical spa owners say they give clients an alternative to the more sterile environment of a doctor's office. Spas also are growing as cosmetic treatments become more socially acceptable.
Spas also can make running a medical practice easier. None of the cosmetic procedures is covered by health insurance, Leavy said.
So, doctors can practice without worrying about piles of insurance paperwork and wondering when, whether and how much they'll get paid, she said.
"Any doctor is thinking right now of opening a medical spa - it's a cash cow," she said. "There's no paperwork, no HMO, no intake forms, no waiting for payment. Clients are all willing and able to pay for their services. And, for the doctors, it's a pleasure to work on healthy people and not to deal with sick people." Vitahl
A doctor-owned startup
• Size:
2,300 square feet; seven treatment rooms
• Botox:
$14 per unit, 20 to 30 units for a treatment that lasts three tofour months
• Restylane:
$500 per syringe; one to four syringes for a treatment that lasts six months
• Laser hair removal:
$225 for one treatment for lower legs; typically need a series of four or five to permanently reduce leg hair
• Facials:
10 different kinds, with an average price of $85
• What makes them different:
All injections will be done by doctors
Radiance
A franchise headquartered in Arizona
• Size:
1,850 square feet; five treatment rooms
• Botox:
About $15 per unit, amounts differ, for a treatment that lasts three to four months
• Restylane:
$500 per syringe; the number of syringes varies for a treatmentthat lasts six to 10 months
• Laser hair removal:
$350 for lower legs; usually requires between four and seven treatments
• Facials:
$85 to $100; seven different kinds
• What makes them different:
Includes IPL (intense pulsed light) laser treatments for hairremoval and skin rejuvenation with a $140,000 Palomar Starlux machine
Ageless Remedies
Opened in October, a franchise headquartered in Atlanta
• Size:
2,133 square feet; six treatment rooms
• Botox:
$400 per area; one area is usually 25 units (so, about $16 perunit); lasts three to four months.
• Restylane:
$600 per syringe; the number of syringes varies; lasts an average of six to eight months
• Laser hair removal:
Lower legs $400 per treatment, or a package of six treatments for $1,755. Permanently reduces hair growth
• Facials:
Eight different facials range from $80 to $125
• What makes them different:
In addition to medical-type procedures, also offers airbrush tanning
La Fontaine
Opened late October, a startup by a doctor and a dentist
• Size:
3,000 square feet; seven treatment rooms and two outdoor cabanas
• Botox:
About $10 per unit; Treatments last three to four months.
• What makes them different:
Will feature cosmetic dentistry and some Eastern medicine, including acupuncture and Thai massage
VITAHL Medical Aesthetics
 Dr. Tahl N. Humes
Dr. Humes owns and serves as the medical director to Vitahl Medical Aesthetics in Denver, Colorado. She graduated with a BS from Indiana University, completed Medical School at Touro University in California, and Residency at Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver. In addition to serving as Medical Director for Vitahl Medical Aesthetics, she is a National Laser Trainer and National Spokesperson for Cutera® Lasers.
In addition, Dr. Humes trains physicians, RNs, and PAs from across the nation in advanced injection techniques of BOTOX® and advanced dermal fillers, including Juvederm, Restylane, Radiesse, and Sculptra. Dr. Humes has performed thousands of aesthetic treatments with lasers and injectables. She is in the top 1% of Botox injectors in the country and also the is in the top 5% of Juvederm injectors in the country. She was invited by Allergan to participate in the Juvederm Experience Trials prior to the product’s release to the general public. In addition, Dr. Humes is known for her expertise in laser medicine. By offering some of the best laser technology on the market, Dr. Humes and Vitahl are known for their cutting edge laser treatments, such as Pearl and Titan. Dr. Humes is considered an expert in her field on various websites. She has been interviewed for her cosmetic medical expertise by news affiliates ABC, CBS, and NBC, and has served on expert panels for Cutera® Lasers at national presentations. Additional Procedures Offered:
MC1
 VITAHL Medical Aesthetics
Dr. Tahl N. Humes
251 Steele Street, Suite 100
Denver, CO
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