By David Macaulay, Veritas Legal Media
Spending a few hours at a day spa may seem like a relaxing way to unwind but recent lawsuits have revealed a your day out may lead to months if not years of misery.
Although accidents at day spas remain rare, a rapid growth in both the number of day spas and the range of treatments available has increased the risk factor.
In a disturbing recent case in Florida Edna Viviana Ayala, the 39-year-old owner of a day spa, the Viviana’s Body Secrets Spa in Doral, was arrested after allegedly injecting customer Isabel Gonzalez with a substance that left her face badly infected and deformed, the Huffington Post reported.
The report suggested Gonzalez paid $890 to the beautician for two rounds of what she thought were vitamin treatments.
What happened to Gonzalez demonstrated that just because a treatment is high end doesn’t mean it’s safe.
Just a week after the second round of treatments, Gonzalez started to realize all was not well. Her symptoms included itching, swelling, redness and infection.
Soon her condition became so grave she was admitted into an emergency room. Her face ended up badly deformed.
The Huffington Post reported public safety officials later learned that Ayala was not licensed to perform the injection, which is considered to be a medical procedure. She was arrested last week on charges of aggravated battery, practicing medicine without a license and causing serious injury by practicing as a health care professional without a license. Her attorney insists the day spa did not inject Gonzales with anything.
Although this may seem like an extreme case, it illustrates the potential problems in the fast-growing day spa sector.
Although day care staff may wear white coats and look professional, it does not mean they are medically qualified. While this may not be a problem in the case of a facial, a manicure or a pedicure, more day cares are offering invasive treatments that may be considered medical procedures.
One of the best ways to safeguard yourself at the spa is to make sure you are receiving services from a licensed and certified individual. Check out his or her medical credentials before your visit.
You should also check a provider for any public health violations. A report published in 2004 suggested that more than half of all public hot tub spas in the U.S. had recorded a public health violation. Of about 5,000 spas inspected, 57 percent violated at least one safety violation. Poor water quality was the most common reason for a violation.
Notwithstanding the recession there has been a rapid growth in day spas in the United States. As of 2008 there were about 21,300 day spas and the number of providers has grown at an annual rate of 21 percent in the last five years.
If you receive a serious injury at a day spa you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney.
Contact David Macaulay at veritaslegalmedia@hotmail.com