Medical Aesthetics and the art of providing therapeutic anti-aging treatments and skin care is one of the industries that is considered high growth and potential, so much so, that everyone wants a piece of the revenue pie. According to The National Laser Institute, “Americans spent over $16 billion on cosmetic procedures last year.” The whole marketplace is moving into new markets resulting in increased revenue, more jobs, innovative treatments, and substantial business opportunities.
In 2016, the top 4 minimally invasive in-office procedures were – no real surprise here – Botox injections, fillers, chemical peels, and laser hair removal. The growth of these procedures in the last decade are staggering. The American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS) stated that the growth of procedures from 2015 to 2016 was 3% but that translates into a total of 17.1 million procedures.
So what should we look forward to in 2018 and beyond? The American Spa Association, during a recent seminar, highlighted a number of beauty trends that Spa/Salons, Day Spas, and Medical Spas should be aware of. The biggest beauty trends (and these may not be new) include the continued search of long, lush lashes; the search for foundations that best match a wide range of skin tones individually, and not the thought that “one size fits all”; moving away from heavily made-up lips but looking for a more natural looking lip dressing. Also, the use of facial rollers to enhance skin therapies. Also on the product front, masks will continue to make inroads into the skin care regimens. The main points are for total customization of makeup regimens and a more natural makeup look.
What about the trends in the medical directed spas? Some of the trends involve minimally invasive procedures but it is important to know what is happening. Dermal fillers, particularly bendable filers, will remain high on the list of cosmetic procedures requested and used in medical aesthetics. Some Day Spas and Salon/Spas are adding a Nurse injector one day a week to add the services to the menu. A qualified dermal filler provider will be the best option for providing the procedure. The key is that the filler is customized to the patient and to the site. Three additional, more invasive cosmetic procedures, are high on the list for 2018. Vaginal rejuvenation, injectable rhinoplasty, and transgender/feminization procedures are all sought after and will make major advances during this year.
What about business trends? One major business direction is pursuing the millennials in full force. They are not completely tagged for marketing campaigns, so go after them with programs designed to bring them into your shops. As a subset of this group, are the programs designed for “mantainence” and keying in on the hardest group to touch, the male population. You will see a greater emphasis on this target group throughout 2018 and beyond. Also, the use of the term “Prejuvenation” as a new popular buzzword for the future. Use this term rather than rejuvenation (which can still be used with certain demographics) for the idea of being proactive with treatment regimens, proactive to start non-invasive beauty and skin treatments early to prevent aging skin rather than correct or repair.
2018 will be dynamic with many opportunities to add clients, patients, treatment modalities, and in the end revenue to your business.