Medical Spa Insider

If a regulator walked into your med spa today, would your daily operations match your written policies? In this episode of Medical Spa Insider, host Alex Thiersch talks with Joel Slesinger, CHC, CPHC, senior compliance professional at MedSafe, about the compliance risk he’d tell every med spa owner to address first: improper or absent physician oversight. Drawing on 25 years in dental, medical and aesthetic compliance, Joel explains why owners underestimate the rules, how a single new hire can unravel a compliant practice, and why cookie-cutter programs create liability. Plus, learn how to prepare for an audit and take the first steps toward a compliance program your team will actually follow. Discussion points include: 11:05 The Physician Oversight Gap 14:32 Putting Policies Into Practice 17:35 Making Training Stick Through Turnover 19:13 Avoiding Cookie-Cutter Compliance 24:50 Preparing for Audits and Inspections

In this episode of Medical Spa Insider, host Alex Thiersch sits down with Olivia Salmen, FNP-BC, CPSN, a renowned nurse practitioner, certified plastic surgery nurse, and prominent industry speaker working alongside Cool Springs Plastic Surgery in Nashville. With 11 years dedicated to a single plastic surgery practice, Olivia shares her remarkable journey from the operating room to heading up the non-surgical side of a thriving aesthetic practice. Alex and Olivia explore the massive shift in nursing school pipelines—examining how social media has sparked a massive rush among younger nurses to enter aesthetics—and why foundational clinical experience in surgical settings remains the gold standard. They also dive into why Olivia has resisted the allure of opening her own independent shop in favor of stability, partnership, and lifestyle design, how she developed her commanding stage presence as a national speaker, and what she is most excited about in the future of aesthetic medicine, including the growing excitement around peptide therapies.

In this episode of Medical Spa Insider, host Alex Thiersch sits down with plastic surgeon, researcher, and LYMA Life Aesthetic Director Dr. Graeme Glass to examine the science behind photobiomodulation and its impact on the medical aesthetics industry. Dr. Glass shares how his background in immunology and stem cell research led him to question traditional "no pain, no gain" aesthetics—where tissue damage and pro-inflammatory responses are required to stimulate repair—and explore non-thermal, gene-modifying cellular rejuvenation. The discussion points include The Physics of Photobiomodulation Laser vs. LED Technology Shifting from Repair to Rejuvenation Integrating At-Home Cold Lasers with Clinical Treatments Disrupting Modern Skincare Formulations

In this episode of Medical Spa Insider, Alex Thiersch is joined by Patrick Urban, President of Merz Aesthetics North America, and Cheryl Haseeb, DNP, FNP-BC, founder of Pura Medical Aesthetics and the Aesthetic National Institute. They delve into the major shifts transforming the aesthetic medicine landscape, starting with Merz's recent FDA approvals for Belotero Volume and Belotero Intense, and what these additions mean for addressing consumer "filler fatigue" with natural-looking, tissue-integrated results. Discussion points include: 02:08 FDA Approval of Belotero for Lips and Cheeks 03:53 The Shift Towards Natural Results 06:49 Regenerative Aesthetics and Industry Evolution 11:01 Patient Expectations and Education 13:47 The Role of Proper Training and Technique 17:11 Industry Collaboration and Standards 23:49 The Importance of Evidence-Based Practice 28:12 Younger Patients and Preventative Care

Many medical spa owners excel at patient care but struggle to navigate the complex financial realities of running a business. In this episode of Medical Spa Insider, host Alex Thiersch sits down with Whitney Morrison, CFP, founder and CEO of Holistic Money and fractional CFO for service-based businesses. Whitney shares her personal journey into financial management and breaks down why high-revenue med spas often struggle with cash flow. Together, they walk through a practical breakdown of a $100,000/month med spa P&L, introducing key benchmarks for inventory, direct clinician labor, marketing, and overhead. Whitney explains her custom "cost of delivery" concept, how to set target multiples for injector revenue generation, and how owners can structure their compensation between salary and profit distributions to optimize tax efficiency and build long-term wealth. Discussion Points - Moving Beyond Bank-Balance Decisions - The "Cost of Delivery" Framework - Evaluating Injector ROI - Optimizing Operational & Marketing Allocations - Structuring Owner Compensation & Tax Strategies