One of the things that sets us apart at Advanced Image Med Spa is that we’re one of the few medical spa facilities that is both physician-owned and physician-operated. Most days you’ll find Dr. Iannitelli on-site consulting directly with patients and performing procedures.
The other big differentiator for us is that we are fully dedicated to educating our patients about all of the options they have to achieve the results they are looking for. We are always committed to providing the best possible outcome so we can help you look as beautiful on the outside as you feel on the inside.
We want you to feel empowered to challenge your care providers (ourselves included) and arm you with the knowledge you need to ask the right questions before you agree to any particular procedure.
Let’s take hair loss as an example – it’s an issue that is more prevalent than most people think. In fact, there is even a National Hair Loss Awareness Month (August). With hair loss – like any condition that noticeably affects our outward appearance – there’s an emotional and psychological component. In many cultures, hair is a symbol of youthfulness, health, wellness, and sometimes even status, both for women and men. The appearance of thinning hair and/or balding can carry a stigma that can devastate one’s self-image and self-esteem.
Patients who are concerned about losing their hair often come in with a mission of just restoring their healthy-looking locks and a full head of hair. But we see our role as medical professionals as more than simply “make the symptom go away” – because that’s what hair loss often is: a symptom. We want to first explore WHY you may be losing your hair. If you’re a patient reading this, we implore you: please get curious for yourself, too.
Hair loss is often one of the first alarm bells signaling that something isn’t right in your body’s system. Envision your scalp as a garden – what is ‘underground’ is the basis of the growth cycle and what we see ‘above ground’ is the result of how that growth cycle is functioning. If you want a lush ‘harvest’, we need to be sure the environment producing it is healthy.
Before we introduce hair restoration interventions, it’s imperative that understand what could be contributing to the hair loss in the first place. At Advanced Image Med Spa, we make it mandatory for patients to get a complete bloodwork panel before we discuss hair regrowth options. We’d love to see it become standard practice for all medical spas. But until then, we recommend you request it even if your provider does not.
Hair loss can be one of the first tell-tale signs of a myriad of health conditions such as thyroid disorders and anemia, autoimmune diseases, or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It could also be a symptom of a reaction to a new medication. The point is, we want to be sure we fully understand what is going on the body before we introduce a treatment that could potentially mask a serious condition, not work, or in some cases possibly exacerbate symptoms.
A full blood screening is covered by most insurance plans. If you’re a patient seeking treatment, please be sure your provider is making these inquiries before offering recommendations and agreeing to treat you. We always will. It’s not because we want to introduce roadblocks to your treatment, it is truly because we care deeply about doing what is best for you.