Medical Spa
The shortcut: Most people who open a med spa think the money is in lasers and body contouring. The money is in a needle. Botox and filler are 50-70% gross margin and refill themselves every 3-4 months — build the practice around two injectors and a quiet exam room before you spend a dollar on a CoolSculpting machine.
Industry: Beauty & Wellness
Investment level: High — $150,000-$400,000
Time to launch: 6-12 months (state-specific medical-director structure, build-out, equipment financing, and authorized-distributor accounts gate the launch)
Best for: A medical professional (MD, DO, NP, or PA) who wants to own the practice, OR a non-medical owner partnered with a real medical director who will actively supervise — not sign paperwork from a different state. What you'll likely make: $0-$15,000 month 3, $25,000-$60,000 month 6, $50,000-$120,000 month 12. Math is in Section 4.
Market Opportunity
A vial of Allergan BOTOX costs you roughly $400-$600 wholesale and contains 100 units. You bill those units at $12-$25 each. That's $1,200-$2,500 of retail off a $500 vial — and a typical face takes 40-60 units across forehead, frown lines, and crow's feet. The math is the entire model. Every other med-spa decision (rent, equipment, staffing, marketing) becomes a question of how fast you can fill chairs with people getting injected.
The medical aesthetics industry crossed $17 billion in 2024 and is adding more than $1B/year, with injectables driving most of the growth — AmSpa 2024 State of the Industry Report. Med spas now move more total injectable volume than traditional plastic surgery practices. A 35-year-old who would never book a surgical consult will walk into a clean storefront on her lunch break and pay $600 cash for tox.
You don't compete with the $5M plastic surgery practice down the street. Your wedge is a smaller, faster space where the average ticket is $400-$700, the visit takes 20 minutes, and the client comes back every 3-4 months without you spending a dollar to re-acquire her.
Start with this idea — free signup, no card required.
