You run the studio and the clients trust you. Some of what they ask for, from neurotoxin to deeper microneedling to laser hair removal, is a medical act in most states, and it can only be offered through a physician who examines, orders and delegates. MDside supplies that physician, the good faith exams and the protocols, so you can add those services lawfully or know clearly which ones stay off your menu.
What changes when a physician is behind the service
- Good faith exams by a licensed provider before anything is prescribed or injected, documented in the chart. How the exam works in each state.
- A licensed MD or DO as medical director, with the availability your state requires.
- Protocols and delegation documents matched to the license of the person performing each treatment: RN, NP, PA, or esthetician where the state allows delegation at all.
- Defensible product sourcing for prescription items. 503A and 503B, explained.
For estheticians
Esthetics licenses do not cover injections, and a physician cannot delegate past what the law allows. A few states, Texas among them, let a physician delegate cosmetic injections to a trained person under a written protocol with supervision rules attached; there the esthetics license adds nothing, and the person acts as the physician’s delegate. Where your state permits delegation of a device service, such as laser hair removal under the state’s rules, a physician makes it possible. Where it does not, the answer is a licensed injector working under a physician, with you running the business side. Who may inject, state by state.
For RNs and nurse injectors
An RN injects on a prescriber’s order after a good faith exam, in every state. Owning the studio is a separate question with a state-by-state answer. Can a registered nurse open a med spa? covers both halves. If your state keeps medicine in licensed hands, the usual route is a physician-owned practice with you owning the management company. How that structure works.
Frequently asked questions
Can an esthetician hire a medical director and then offer Botox?
Not on the strength of the esthetics license, which does not include injections. In most states the lawful version is a licensed injector, such as an RN, NP or PA, treating under a physician’s order in your space. A few states, such as Texas, allow a physician to delegate cosmetic injections to a trained person under a written protocol; that is the physician’s delegation, with its own training and supervision rules.
Does a solo RN injector need a medical director?
An RN needs a prescriber who examines the patient and orders the treatment, and in most states a physician who delegates and supervises. Whether the role is titled medical director depends on the state. The physician has to exist either way.
Can my studio offer laser hair removal?
It depends on your state’s rules for who may operate the device and what supervision applies. Some states allow delegation to trained non-physicians under a physician, others require a licensed clinician or a physician on site. We read your state’s rule before anything is added.
Book a call and tell us your state, your license and the services you want to offer.
General information, not legal or medical advice. Requirements differ by state and change often. Confirm your obligations with counsel licensed where you operate.