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Does a med spa in Oregon need a medical director?

Oversight · part of The Practice Perimeter

Oregon does not let a physician associate practice on an informal understanding: a written collaboration agreement signed by a physician, podiatric physician or employer is a precondition of practicing at all, and the degree of collaboration is set at the associate’s primary location of practice by reference to the patient’s condition, the standard of care and the associate’s own education, experience and competence. The cosmetology chapter draws its own line inside the definition of esthetics: the listed skin and facial care practices — cleansing, stimulating, manipulating, exfoliating and applying lotions or creams with the hands or apparatuses, temporary hair removal including dermaplaning, makeup artistry, eyebrow and eyelash services, and facial and body treatments — count as esthetics only when performed to keep the skin healthy and attractive and NOT for medical diagnosis or treatment of disease or physical or mental ailments. The Board’s device rules then answer the microneedling question by DEPTH rather than by name: an esthetician is limited to mechanical or electric apparatuses, appliances or devices that do not penetrate beyond the epidermis except through natural physiological effects, and the devices an esthetician may use expressly include those used for nanoneedling, microneedling and similar procedures — within that limit. The epidermis is the outermost layer only; an esthetician is presumed to be working below it on exfoliating or removing skin below the epidermal layer or destroying or damaging the dermis or muscle; an esthetic device is not a laser, intense pulsed light or a needle-free filler injector; and an esthetician may not use any device for medical diagnosis or treatment of disease or physical or mental ailments.

Drawn from 8 verified rules in this section · regulatory monitoring, not legal advice

The rest of what Oregon says on this

Every other rule we have verified under physician supervision & delegation, each linked to its primary source.

  • A physician associate may not practice medicine unless the physician associate has entered into a collaboration agreement signed by a physician, podiatric physician or employer.

    Or. Rev. Stat. §677.510(2)(a) · verified Sep 3, 2026

  • A physician associate shall engage in collaboration with the appropriate health care provider as indicated by the condition of the patient, the standard of care and the physician associate’s education, experience and competence. The degree of collaboration must be determined at the physician associate’s primary location of practice.

    Or. Rev. Stat. §677.510(1) · verified Sep 3, 2026

  • Prescription drugs dispensed by a physician shall be personally dispensed by the physician. Nonjudgmental dispensing functions may be delegated to staff assistants when the accuracy and completeness of the prescription is verified by the physician.

    Or. Rev. Stat. §677.089(1) · verified Sep 3, 2026

  • An esthetician is limited to performing services with mechanical or electric apparatuses, appliances, or devices that do not penetrate beyond the epidermis except through natural physiological effects as defined in OAR 817-015-0045. An esthetician may use mechanical or electrical apparatuses, appliances, or devices that include, but are not limited to, the following: (f) Mechanical or electrical apparatuses, appliances, or devices used for nanoneedling, microneedling, and similar procedures;

    Or. Admin. R. 817-015-0040(1), (2)(f) (Definition of Esthetics Device) · verified Sep 7, 2026

  • “Epidermis” means the outermost layer of the skin. The epidermis does not include any layers of the skin below the epidermis, including, but not limited to, the dermis and muscle. An esthetician may not use a “mechanical or electrical apparatus, appliance, or device” beyond the epidermis. An esthetician is presumed to be using a “mechanical or electrical apparatus, appliance, or device” below the epidermis when: (a) The esthetician exfoliates or removes the skin below the epidermal layer. (b) The esthetician destroys or damages the dermis or muscle.

    Or. Admin. R. 817-015-0045(3)-(4) (Esthetics — Natural Physiological Effects) · verified Sep 7, 2026

  • Esthetics means any of the following skin care or facial care practices performed on the human body or face for the purpose of keeping the skin of the human body or face healthy and attractive and not for medical diagnosis or treatment of disease or physical or mental ailments: the use of the hands or mechanical or electric apparatuses, appliances or devices for cleansing, stimulating, manipulating, exfoliating or applying lotions or creams; temporary removal of hair by using lotion, cream, an appliance, wax, thread, sugar, tweezers, dermaplaning, a depilatory or other means; makeup artistry; eyebrow and eyelash services; and facial and body treatments.

    Or. Rev. Stat. §690.005(6) (“Esthetics” defined) · verified Sep 3, 2026

  • An esthetic device is not a: (a) Laser; (b) Intense pulse light; (c) Other advanced esthetics devices as specified in OAR 819-030-0000(3); (d) Needle-free device for injection of dermal fillers or fillers. An esthetician may not perform skin care or facial care practices or use a mechanical or electrical apparatus, appliance, or device for medical diagnosis or treatment of disease or physical or mental ailments.

    Or. Admin. R. 817-015-0040(4)-(5) (Definition of Esthetics Device) · verified Sep 7, 2026

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← All Oregon rules and changes · MedSpaRadar is regulatory monitoring and reference, not legal, medical, or compliance advice. Verify against the linked primary source and consult qualified counsel before acting — rules change and turn on your specific facts. Legislative data via LegiScan (CC BY 4.0).