Come on in, roll up your sleeves, and say goodbye to that #filterlife. In a world where self-care may mean anything from goat yoga to lemon lemonade, medical spas are making their own path. They combine the feel of a doctor’s office with the luxury of a spa. Ready to feel radiant? Trust You Beauty Lounge, the premier medspa in Anchorage.

Imagine lying down on a hot massage bed with a hot cloth over your face and relaxing music playing. But hold on, there’s a bit more rocket science going on behind the scenes. The licensed nurse with the vampire face is here. No, she doesn’t have any fangs. Yes, you’ll appear more like you just got back from vacation than from a party in Transylvania. Have you ever wondered if your moisturizer could do a little more? Micro-needling, chemical peels, lasers, and injections are some of the things that medical spas use to answer that issue. What do they want? Talk to your skin in a way that it will remember.

Forget what you thought you knew about spas. You can’t just travel to these regions to drink cucumber water and sleep under a heavy blanket. Medical-grade facials, dermal fillers, and PRP treatments may sound sophisticated and scary at first, but once that first fine line goes away, you’ll feel like you’re winning at hide-and-seek.

A friend of mine who is a big fan of serums went to a med spa only to get a glow-up. She didn’t just leave with beautiful skin; she also learnt how to take care of her skin every day, found out that SPF is her new best friend, and shook hands with her real skin problems for good. That’s the secret perk. Most of the people that work here are also skin detectives. They don’t just put on a mask and leave it at that. They find out what’s really going on, make a plan, and encourage you on.

Don’t anticipate to get a lot of treatments in a row. These places are proud of their “choose-your-own-adventure” menus. Some people swear by hydrafacials. Some people want laser hair removal so badly that they never want to use a razor again. IV therapy? Yes, you can get vitamins sent straight to your veins while you look at Instagram.

There’s real science in the mix, yet the atmosphere is anything from clinical. It’s like your favorite bar, but instead of talking about last night’s TV show, folks are talking about retinoids and collagen. If you don’t like needles, the personnel are great at distracting you. They’ll give you a stress ball, get you talking about your plans for the summer, and before you know it, you’re done. No drama. All the results.

Want to know more about downtime? Some treatments can be done at lunch. Some people say you should stay out of the spotlight for a weekend. The goal is still change, but without the hospital gown.

What do people say? These places aren’t only for rich and famous people. It’s easier to book a session than to get a table for dinner on a Friday. Just make sure to plan ahead because everyone knows about it now. Dads are even starting to book, trying to get rid of those forehead wrinkles. The times are changing.

If you do go, don’t feel like you have to do too much. Trust your gut, ask strange questions, joke around with the staff, and remember that sometimes the best glow comes from trying something new. Soon, your friends will be asking you how you take care of your skin, and you’ll be the one talking about creams, lasers, and the beautiful place where medicine and pampering meet.