Med Spa Confidential - Exposing the Risks, Rewards, and Business of Beauty

Dr. Kate Dee | Medical Spa Founder & Safety Advocate

Exposing the Good, the Bad and the Ugly secrets of the Medical Aesthetics Industry.Dr. Kate Dee takes you inside the medical spa industry, an unregulated mix of medicine and marketing where the results can be stunning… or dangerous. As a board-certified Physician who left hospital medicine to found GLOW Med Spa, she’s seen both sides: the art, the science, and the shady practices that put patients at risk.You’ll hear insider stories, expert conversations, and practical advice that help you spot who’s qualified, who’s not, and how to stay safe while still looking your best.Subscribe to become a smarter patient and find out what questions to ask and how to figure out who is cutting corners in the wild west of the medspa world

  1. 2d ago

    Why I Say NO to Body Skin Tightening (Doctor Explains) | EP 111

    Find or Get Your Medspa Certified: https://medspaboard.com/ What if the body-tightening treatment being sold to you produces results so subtle that you barely notice them? In part four of her Why I Say No series, Dr. Dee takes on one of her biggest industry pet peeves: body skin tightening. Body skin tightening is often marketed as a nonsurgical way to create a tighter stomach, firmer arms, or smoother thighs. But before you spend money on a treatment package, Dr. Kate Dee wants you to understand what these devices can and cannot realistically accomplish. You will learn why the smoother skin you see immediately after some treatments may be temporary swelling rather than genuine tightening. Dr. Dee explains how heat-based devices stimulate collagen, why she considers one heavily marketed device overhyped, and which treatment method she prefers for the right areas. But there is an important catch. A treatment that creates a noticeable improvement on the face or neck may produce a disappointing result on the abdomen, arms, or thighs. Dr. Dee explains why body skin behaves differently, who might see a modest improvement, and why even a technically successful treatment may still leave most patients wondering whether it was worth the money. If you have loose skin after pregnancy, weight loss, GLP-1 use, or aging, listen before purchasing a body-tightening package Press play to learn where skin tightening can deliver, where it usually falls short, and why an ethical provider should sometimes talk you out of treatment. Grab Your Copy of Medspa Mayhem the Book Today: HERE Learn about The MedSpa Board — the national registry that verifies legally compliant, doctor-led med spas. Find a certified provider near you → MedspaBoard.com Want the anti-aging essentials I actually use: Download my FREE  Gift Guide Follower Instagram: instagram.com/drkatedee Please leave us a review on Apple Podcast: HERE  Catch full podcast episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKateDee GLOW Medspa - Seattle, WA: https://glowspaseattle.com/ Disclaimer:  This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before any aesthetic procedure. Med Spa Confidential with Dr. Kate Dee exposes illegal practices, compliance failures, and patient safety risks inside the medical aesthetics industry. Consumers learn how to find licensed injectors, avoid counterfeit products, and make safer treatment decisions. Med spa owners and providers get real accountability, industry standards, and a pa...

  2. Jul 29

    My Real MedSpa Consult From Start to Finish | EP 110

    Find or Get Your Medspa Certified: https://medspaboard.com/ Ever look at a famous face and think, "What happened?"  It's usually not aging. It's the wrong treatment, done in the wrong spot, for the wrong reason. In this episode, Dr. Kate Dee does something she's never done before. A live, unrehearsed consult with her girlfriend Deb, 51 and completely cold.  You'll find out the three big things that quietly start changing your skin, some as early as your 20s, and why most people don't notice until it's staring back at them in the mirror. Dr. Dee breaks down what actually works, what's a waste of your money, and which popular treatment she flat-out refuses to do in one risky area of the face because she's seen too much go wrong with it. If you've ever booked something and just hoped for the best, this is the roadmap you wish you'd had first. Whether you're a provider trying to raise your standards or someone who just wants to age well without looking "done," you'll walk away knowing what to ask before you say yes. Chapters: 00:05:18 - The First Place Aging Usually Shows  00:06:53 - When Filler Creates Pillow Face  00:08:00 - The Two Essentials Every Client Needs  00:09:30 -The Easy Fixes Patients Overlook  00:11:50 - Why Sunspots Keep Coming Back  00:13:27 - The Hidden Risks of Under-Eye Filler  00:18:00 - Which Skin Treatment Actually Does What  00:21:30 - When RF Microneedling Makes Sense  00:27:05 - Rebuilding Volume Without Looking Overfilled  00:28:50 - Where Botox Requires Real Expertise  00:34:00 - When Med Spa Wellness Crosses the Line  00:37:50 - Does Drinking Collagen Actually Work  00:40:23 - Is It Ever Too Late to Start  There's one under-eye procedure people keep paying for that can end up somewhere it should never be. You'll want to hear where. Press play and learn what your injector may never tell you before they pick up the syringe. Find or Get Your Medspa Certified: https://medspaboard.com/ Grab Your Copy of Medspa Mayhem the Book Today: HERE Learn about The MedSpa Board — the national registry that verifies legally compliant, doctor-led med spas. Find a certified provider near you → MedspaBoard.com Want the anti-aging essentials I actually use: Download my FREE  Gift Guide Follower Instagram: instagram.com/drkatedee Please leave us a review on Apple Podcast: HERE  Catch full podcast episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKateDee GLOW Medspa - Seattle, WA: https://glowspaseattle.com/ Disclaimer:  This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before any aesthetic procedure. Med Spa Confidential with Dr. Kate Dee exposes illegal practices, compliance failures, and patient safety risks inside the medical aesthetics industry. Consumers learn how to find licensed injectors, avoid counterfeit products, and make safer treatment decisions. Med spa owners and providers get real accountability, industry standards, and a pa...

  3. Jul 22

    Med Spa Scope of Practice: Who Can Legally Inject You? | The Legal NP, Jamie Weiland | EP 109

    Find or Get Your Medspa Certified: https://medspaboard.com/ What if the person who approved your injection never actually saw your face? The truth is, they may have never been in the room with you at all. All it takes is a few minutes on a video call, a quick signature, and suddenly there's a needle full of something you can't see going into your body.  This is happening right now in med spas across the country, and most people have no idea it's the only exam standing between them and serious harm. Host Dr. Kate Dee sits down with Jamie Weiland, known online as The Legal NP, who spends her days reviewing the cases that end careers and leave patients disfigured. Dr. Dee brings her own perspective as a physician and med spa founder who has watched this industry cut corners from the inside.  Together they expose who's really allowed to touch your face, and who's gambling with your safety to make a quick buck. You'll learn why the consent form you signed may protect nobody. You'll discover the dangerous gap between a skill someone picked up in a weekend and the knowledge that actually keeps you alive. You'll hear how a routine treatment can turn into a disaster in seconds. Chapters: 00:03:05 - What an RN Cannot Decide 00:06:05 - The Exam Before the Injection 00:09:46 - The Five-Minute Approval Problem 00:11:29 - The Case That Changed Nursing 00:16:45 - Pressure to Work Outside Your License 00:18:29 - When a Medical Error Becomes Criminal 00:27:28 - A Weekend Course Is Not Enough 00:29:24 - Skill Without Knowledge Gets Dangerous 00:32:30 - The Condition Your Injector Might Miss 00:39:39 - The Filler Emergency Most Clinics Cannot Handle 00:41:38 - Who Handles the Complication 00:43:46 - The Consent Form That Proves Nothing 00:49:30 - Fake Botox Can Put You on a Ventilator Stay until the end, when they get into the doctor now facing murder charges over a patient he never even met. Press play and learn what's really going into your body before you say yes. Connect with Jamie: HERE Find or Get Your Medspa Certified: https://medspaboard.com/ Grab Your Copy of Medspa Mayhem the Book Today: HERE Learn about The MedSpa Board — the national registry that verifies legally compliant, doctor-led med spas. Find a certified provider near you → MedspaBoard.com Want the anti-aging essentials I actually use: Download my FREE  Gift Guide Follower Instagram: instagram.com/drkatedee Please leave us a review on Apple Podcast: HERE  Catch full podcast episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKateDee GLOW Medspa - Seattle, WA: https://glowspaseattle.com/ Disclaimer:  This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before any aesthetic procedure. Med Spa Confidential with Dr. Kate Dee exposes illegal practices, compliance failures, and patient safety risks inside the medical aesthetics industry. Consumers learn how to find licensed injectors, avoid counterfeit products, and make safer treatment decisions. Med spa owners and providers get real accountability, industry standards, and a pa...

  4. Jul 15

    Why I Say No to Filler: 5 Areas I Refuse to Inject (Doctor Explains) | EP 108

    Find or Get Your Medspa Certified: https://medspaboard.com/ What if the treatment you have been asking for is the one your injector should be talking you out of? Dr. Kate Dee believes filler can produce excellent results when it is used for the right patient, in the right area, for the right reason. But she has also seen it used to treat problems it was never designed to fix. In the second installment of her “Why I Say No” series, Dr. Dee explains where she still uses dermal filler, where she usually refuses to inject it, and why she has no filler in her own face. Her biggest concern is when filler accidentally enters or compresses a blood vessel and blocks blood flow. Although it is uncommon, it can cause tissue damage or necrosis, and many clinics may not be properly equipped to recognize and treat it. In this episode: The areas of your face where Dr. Kate Dee says filler is never worth the riskWhy "pillow face" happens, and what's really going wrong underneathThe safer alternative her office switched to years agoThe one question that tells you if your injector is ready for an emergencyThe look she'll refuse to give you, no matter how much you askDr. Dee shares where she still uses filler when the goal is to restore volume that has genuinely been lost. But when skin laxity, movement, or another issue is causing the concern, she believes a different treatment may be safer and more effective. For patients, this episode explains what to ask before agreeing to filler and why your injector should be prepared to say no. For providers, it is a clear example of clinical judgment putting patient safety ahead of making a sale. Listen before booking your next syringe and learn which areas Dr. Dee believes they are worth treating and which ones are not worth the risk. Grab Your Copy of Medspa Mayhem the Book Today: HERE Learn about The MedSpa Board — the national registry that verifies legally compliant, doctor-led med spas. Find a certified provider near you → MedspaBoard.com Want the anti-aging essentials I actually use: Download my FREE  Gift Guide Follower Instagram: instagram.com/drkatedee Please leave us a review on Apple Podcast: HERE  Catch full podcast episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKateDee GLOW Medspa - Seattle, WA: https://glowspaseattle.com/ Disclaimer:  This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before any aesthetic procedure. Med Spa Confidential with Dr. Kate Dee exposes illegal practices, compliance failures, and patient safety risks inside the medical aesthetics industry. Consumers learn how to find licensed injectors, avoid counterfeit products, and make safer treatment decisions. Med spa owners and providers get real accountability, industry standards, and a pa...

  5. Jul 8

    Peptide Injections: When It Crosses Into a Felony (Doctors Explain) ft. Dr. Flora Waples | EP 107

    Find or Get Your Medspa Certified: https://medspaboard.com/ What if the injectable everyone's raving about is not what's actually in the bottle? From BPC-157 for healing, growth hormone secretagogues for muscle, bone, sleep, and skin, to tanning peptides that can turn pale skin dark in a matter of weeks.  Host Dr. Kate Dee sits down with Dr. Flora Waples, a Colorado physician who's studied peptides more closely than almost anyone willing to talk about them plainly. Together they walk through the most popular ones: what the science actually shows, what's still mostly theory, and which peptides Dr. Waples won't prescribe, no matter who's asking. Your feed is full of people swearing these tiny compounds changed their lives. What most of them aren't saying is where the vial came from. A lot of people self-injecting peptides are buying them from gray-market sources, often overseas, with no reliable proof of what's actually inside. Then it gets complicated. The FDA restricted many of these peptides in 2023, and an advisory meeting set for July 2026 could shift how compounding pharmacies handle some of them.  You'll find out what's actually legal to buy, when injecting someone crosses into practicing medicine without a license, and why one person in Seattle nearly died after ordering what they thought was Ozempic Chapters: 00:01:30 - Why Peptides Are Everywhere 00:03:10 - What Peptides Actually Do 00:09:30 - Does BPC-157 Really Heal Faster 00:11:30 - The Long-Term Risk Nobody Knows 00:15:53 - Growth Hormone Peptides Explained 00:20:48 - TB500 and the Wolverine Stack 00:25:41 - Why Melanotan Raises Red Flags 00:28:08 - Selank, Semax, and Feeling Better 00:32:09 - How Illegal Are These Peptides 00:40:16 - The Supply Chain Problem 00:46:43 - What to Check Before Injecting If you've thought about trying peptides, or you treat patients who have, this episode hands you the questions to ask before anyone picks up a needle. Because the real question isn't just whether a peptide works, but whether you can prove what's in the bottle. Press play and find out which peptides might be worth it, and which ones could put you in the hospital. Connect with Dr. Flora Waples: https://www.restormedicalspa.com/ Find or Get Your Medspa Certified: https://medspaboard.com/ Grab Your Copy of Medspa Mayhem the Book Today: HERE Learn about The MedSpa Board — the national registry that verifies legally compliant, doctor-led med spas. Find a certified provider near you → MedspaBoard.com Want the anti-aging essentials I actually use: Download my FREE  Gift Guide Follower Instagram: instagram.com/drkatedee Please leave us a review on Apple Podcast: HERE  Catch full podcast episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKateDee GLOW Medspa - Seattle, WA: https://glowspaseattle.com/ Disclaimer:  This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before any aesthetic procedure. Med Spa Confidential with Dr. Kate Dee exposes illegal practices, compliance failures, and patient safety risks inside the medical aesthetics industry. Consumers learn how to find licensed injectors, avoid counterfeit products, and make safer treatment decisions. Med spa owners and providers get real accountability, industry standards, and a pa...

  6. Jul 1

    Why I Stopped Offering Kybella | Fat Dissolving Injections | EP 106

    Find or Get Your Medspa Certified: https://medspaboard.com/ Why would a doctor stop offering a treatment that is FDA approved, supported by studies, and still available at some med spas? Host Dr. Kate Dee starts a new series on treatments she says no to, beginning with Kybella, the fat-dissolving injectable used for under-chin fat. She explains why she offered it early on, how deoxycholic acid is supposed to break down fat cells, and why her real-world experience changed her mind. You’ll learn: Why FDA approval does not automatically mean a treatment is the right choice for every patientWhat patients should know about cost, swelling, bruising, downtime, and unpredictable resultsWhy patient selection matters, especially when skin laxity is part of the problemHow to tell whether a provider has truly thought through a treatment, or is simply offering what is being marketed to themAs the founder and medical director of GLOW Medi Spa, Dr. Dee has spent years watching aesthetic treatments rise in popularity, only to become less impressive once real patients, real costs, and real outcomes are involved.  Her standard is simple: if she would not recommend it for herself, she will not casually recommend it to her patients. And you have to hear the patient story she shares because it became the moment that made her stop offering Kybella for good. Press play to learn why “approved” does not always mean “worth it,” and what questions to ask before you spend money on any aesthetic treatment. Grab Your Copy of Medspa Mayhem the Book Today: HERE Learn about The MedSpa Board — the national registry that verifies legally compliant, doctor-led med spas. Find a certified provider near you → MedspaBoard.com Want the anti-aging essentials I actually use: Download my FREE  Gift Guide Follower Instagram: instagram.com/drkatedee Please leave us a review on Apple Podcast: HERE  Catch full podcast episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKateDee GLOW Medspa - Seattle, WA: https://glowspaseattle.com/ Disclaimer:  This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before any aesthetic procedure. Med Spa Confidential with Dr. Kate Dee exposes illegal practices, compliance failures, and patient safety risks inside the medical aesthetics industry. Consumers learn how to find licensed injectors, avoid counterfeit products, and make safer treatment decisions. Med spa owners and providers get real accountability, industry standards, and a pa...

  7. Jun 24

    Complaints, Hidden Cameras & Suspended Licenses: Inside Med Spa Investigations ft. Shonra Weiss, NP-C | EP 105

    Find or Get Your Medspa Certified: https://medspaboard.com/ What does it actually take for the nursing board to show up at your med spa with a hidden camera and a badge? Dr. Kate Dee sits down with Shonra Weiss, a nurse practitioner, med spa co-owner, and consultant who reviews cases for the California nursing board. Shonra has seen what these investigations look like from the inside: the complaints, the undercover visits, the social media evidence, the patient records, and the mistakes that can put a license at risk. This episode reveals how nursing board investigations actually start, what triggers them, what investigators look for, and why doing the right thing for your patient may not be enough if the rest of your practice does not hold up. You’ll hear about providers practicing on suspended licenses, nurses treating patients without proper good faith exams, standing orders being misunderstood, and medical directors who are too remote to manage the complications happening under their license. Shonra also shares the cases that are harder to forget: patients dismissed when they reported serious symptoms, one case involving permanent injury, and another involving scarring that may never fully heal. Chapters: 00:02:30 - How Med Spa Complaints Start 00:03:23 - Are Investigators Watching Instagram? 00:04:54 - When RNs Treat Without Orders 00:06:05 - Standing Orders Are Not Blanket Permission 00:10:00 - Remote Medical Directors Put Patients at Risk 00:14:17 - What a Real Patient Evaluation Requires 00:19:36 - When Complications Get Ignored 00:21:46 - The Filler Risks Patients Never Hear 00:23:21 - Informed Consent Is Not a Form 00:26:20 - What Safer Filler Aftercare Looks Like 00:30:13 - Why Bigger Violations are Missed 00:32:49 - What Real Medical Oversight Looks Like 00:37:24 - How Complications Happen  00:40:20 - Raising the Standard for Med Spas But here’s the part that matters most: some of these providers thought they were doing everything right. If you work in a med spa, own one, or book aesthetic treatments, you need to understand what is happening behind the scenes right now. Press play and learn what the nursing board already knows, and what it could mean for the med spa you're trusting with your face. Connect with guest: https://www.aestheramedspa.com/ Find or Get Your Medspa Certified: https://medspaboard.com/ Grab Your Copy of Medspa Mayhem the Book Today: HERE Learn about The MedSpa Board — the national registry that verifies legally compliant, doctor-led med spas. Find a certified provider near you → MedspaBoard.com Want the anti-aging essentials I actually use: Download my FREE  Gift Guide Follower Instagram: instagram.com/drkatedee Please leave us a review on Apple Podcast: HERE  Catch full podcast episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKateDee GLOW Medspa - Seattle, WA: https://glowspaseattle.com/ Disclaimer:  This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before any aesthetic procedure. Med Spa Confidential with Dr. Kate Dee exposes illegal practices, compliance failures, and patient safety risks inside the medical aesthetics industry. Consumers learn how to find licensed injectors, avoid counterfeit products, and make safer treatment decisions. Med spa owners and providers get real accountability, industry standards, and a pa...

  8. Jun 17

    IV Therapy: Expensive Urine or Legitimate Medicine? (Doctor Explains) | EP 104

    Find or Get Your Medspa Certified: https://medspaboard.com/ Is sticking a needle in your arm better medicine than drinking a glass of water? IV hydration therapy has become a multibillion-dollar wellness business, built on the promise that a drip can do what your body supposedly cannot. Host Dr. Kate Dee breaks down what actually happens when your body absorbs water, vitamins, and electrolytes, and why many healthy people paying for IV drips may be buying very expensive urine. She explains when IVs are legitimate medicine, who is legally allowed to prescribe them, and why a nurse handing you a menu and taking your order may be a bigger red flag than most patients realize. She also covers what can happen when IV therapy goes wrong. Not in theory. In real cases. Patients have died after walking into wellness clinics for elective IV treatments, including cases involving improperly handled electrolyte formulas and IV ingredients that never belonged in a vein. The growth of IV bars did not happen because the science suddenly got stronger. It happened because the margins are high, the demand is real, and oversight has not kept up. Stay until the end, because Dr. Kate Dee explains what a legal, ethical IV service should actually look like, what questions to ask before anyone touches your vein, and when the safer choice is simply water, electrolytes, and time. Press play and learn why a billion-dollar industry might be built on something your body never needed. Find or Get Your Medspa Certified: https://medspaboard.com/ Grab Your Copy of Medspa Mayhem the Book Today: HERE Learn about The MedSpa Board — the national registry that verifies legally compliant, doctor-led med spas. Find a certified provider near you → MedspaBoard.com Want the anti-aging essentials I actually use: Download my FREE  Gift Guide Follower Instagram: instagram.com/drkatedee Please leave us a review on Apple Podcast: HERE  Catch full podcast episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKateDee GLOW Medspa - Seattle, WA: https://glowspaseattle.com/ Disclaimer:  This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before any aesthetic procedure. Med Spa Confidential with Dr. Kate Dee exposes illegal practices, compliance failures, and patient safety risks inside the medical aesthetics industry. Consumers learn how to find licensed injectors, avoid counterfeit products, and make safer treatment decisions. Med spa owners and providers get real accountability, industry standards, and a pa...

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About

Exposing the Good, the Bad and the Ugly secrets of the Medical Aesthetics Industry.Dr. Kate Dee takes you inside the medical spa industry, an unregulated mix of medicine and marketing where the results can be stunning… or dangerous. As a board-certified Physician who left hospital medicine to found GLOW Med Spa, she’s seen both sides: the art, the science, and the shady practices that put patients at risk.You’ll hear insider stories, expert conversations, and practical advice that help you spot who’s qualified, who’s not, and how to stay safe while still looking your best.Subscribe to become a smarter patient and find out what questions to ask and how to figure out who is cutting corners in the wild west of the medspa world

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