If you’ve been in the medspa world for any length of time, you already know things have changed fast.
The medspa market has turned into a $17 billion industry employing over 100,000 people, and it’s still climbing. Between 2022 and 2023 alone, the number of medspas operating across the U.S. jumped from roughly 8,900 to nearly 11,500. That’s six times more locations than existed just 15 years ago.
The Gap Nobody Wants to Talk About
Here’s the reality of where the industry stands: there are no standardized federal regulations written specifically for medspas. We operate in the space between state laws and broad federal guidelines, and that gap has real consequences.
As more people seek out aesthetic and wellness treatments, and as more businesses open their doors to meet that demand, the question of who’s actually holding medspas accountable becomes harder to ignore.
What Does Accreditation Actually Mean?
Accreditation is a voluntary process that puts a medspa through a rigorous evaluation against standards built specifically for this industry, covering everything from infection control and staff training to emergency preparedness and safety protocols.
The idea is to bring medspas in line with the same operational standards expected of other outpatient clinical settings.
QUAD A’s Non-Surgical Aesthetic & Wellness accreditation program is built around exactly that. What sets it apart is the expectation of 100% compliance, not just a passing grade or mostly compliant.
It includes an initial survey, annual self-reporting, and re-surveys every three years.
Why It Matters for Your Patients
From a business standpoint, accreditation is a differentiator. But from a patient standpoint, it’s something more fundamental. It’s how they decide whether to trust and choose you.
Research backs this up. When patients were educated about what QUAD A accreditation actually requires, 82% said they were more likely to believe an accredited facility delivers high-quality care, and 80% said they were more likely to trust that facility’s safety practices.
A Personal Note Before You Read On
I wasn’t just watching this accreditation framework come together from the outside. I had the privilege of serving on the QUAD A task force, working alongside some exceptional KOLs in this industry to help build the standards that now define what compliant aesthetic medicine actually looks like.
The task force included a cohort of industry experts, such as Mark Jewell, MD, Renato Saltz, MD, Robert Singer, MD, FACS, and Jennifer L. Walden, MD, FACS – just to name a few.
Getting to be part of that work, and then watching it become real, has been one of the more meaningful things I’ve done in this business. And nothing made it feel more real than this conversation with Jenny Hartley.
Jenny leads Skin Synthesis and became the first medspa in the world to achieve QUAD A accreditation. I sat down with her to talk through what that journey actually looked like and what she believes it means for the rest of the industry.
Terri: Jenny, when we first started talking about accreditation, what stood out to you, and why was this so important for you?
Jenny: After nearly 20 years in hospital-based medicine, I was shocked when I entered aesthetics and saw there were no consistent standards to adhere to.
In the hospital, everything is built around patient safety, oversight, and continuous improvement. That simply didn’t exist in this space.
Terri: And that’s exactly the gap we were trying to solve through QUAD A. The goal was to create a framework that actually reflects how aesthetic medicine should be practiced: structured, accountable, and measurable.
When you heard about the initiative, you moved quickly. Why?
Jenny: I first heard about QUAD A through your podcast, which I listen to religiously, and I have attended your 4S Sales and Business Summit. Once I found out about this opportunity, I had to be a part of it.
Because if a higher standard exists, you don’t wait. You build toward it. I’m driven by a commitment to deliver the highest level of patient care. After your podcast, I immediately reached out to QUAD A and secured a spot in the pilot program to help test and validate the standards ahead of launch.
Terri: Let’s talk about the process. A lot of people don’t realize what it actually takes to get accredited.
Jenny: It’s a full operational build. Policies, procedures, training, documentation… it all has to be structured and auditable. This isn’t about checking a box. It’s about building systems that support safety across the entire business.
Terri: And that’s the shift the industry needs to understand. This is about systems, not surface-level compliance. From your perspective, what does this change for the industry?
Jenny: It creates a benchmark. For the first time, there’s a clear standard that practices can be measured against, and patients can start to recognize the difference. It sets the stage for establishing the standard the entire industry will now be measured against.
Terri: What does this mean for patients?
Jenny: It brings clarity. Patients now have a way to identify clinics that are operating with defined safety protocols, trained staff, and medical oversight.
Terri: And ultimately, that’s the goal, creating transparency and accountability in a space that hasn’t had it. So let’s end here. What happens next?
Jenny: My hope is that more aesthetic practices step up and pursue accreditation. We shouldn’t be the exception. This should become the standard.
Terri: That’s exactly where the industry needs to go. Skin Synthesis has set the benchmark. The question now is whether the rest of the industry is willing to rise to meet it.
Jenny, thank you so much for sharing your experience. I am so unbelievably proud of you and grateful I could be on this journey with you.
The medspa industry is at an inflection point.
Patients are paying closer attention, regulators are starting to catch up, and the practices that built real systems (not just a great Instagram presence) are the ones that will still be standing in ten years.
If you’re serious about longevity in this business, accreditation is the way of the future and will help you stand out in a competitive, commoditized space.
To learn more, visit QUAD A. And if you want a thought partner to help you figure out what this looks like inside your specific practice, reach out to my team at sales@terriross.com.
