Some of us follow every bit of industry news that hits the journals and blogs and some of us are not as up on the latest trends and tips before they even make it to the mainstream market. If you fall into the first category you might be able to skip most of this blog – but don’t skip it entirely. We want your feedback and comments! Your insights will help the rest of us stay ahead of the curve. Thank you!
For everyone else, the vast majority of us, what follows is going to be the type of great advice that can help us get out in front of what our customers and patients will be looking for. This will help us get our practices, clinics and spas geared up and ready to accommodate them. Afterall, maintaining a competitive edge in the marketplace is a great way to keep our businesses vibrant and profitable and the people who have helped us build them happy.
Cosmetic procedures and esthetics trends are largely driven by the consumers who push the popularity of procedures and brands through their participation in forums like Instagram. According to Forbes Magazine, in fact, the entire beauty industry has experienced growth like no other and is projected to continue grow.
There are three unique circumstances that continue to prop up the beauty industry:
- Consumers, mostly women, are on a journey of exploration. They are enjoying new products and finding new brands. This is part of a larger generational shift of younger consumers rejecting the large brands their parents preferred and seeking out locally-made, artisanal, natural products in all consumer categories. The need to be Instagrammable at all times also helps.
- Young, independent brands (great examples are listed below) are supporting a surge in creativity. It seems like every day there is a new brand with a new idea about how to become or remain beautiful. Entrepreneurship is boiling over in the beauty industry. These young brands are supported by the physical retail beauty channel.
- Acquisitions by the major beauty companies of ever-smaller companies at very high values are drawing in more founders and driving more creativity every day. The acquisitions are taking place because the big beauty brands are threatened by the young, independent brands that consumers want now.
Those trend influencers are very real, and have helped to drive the trends that we expect to see in 2019. (Of course all of these will be highlighted at SCALE 2019, so be sure to attend to get a deeper dive and an early hint at the 2020 trends that can help your practice or spa).
Trend: Botulinum Toxin
It would seem that consumers just can’t get enough of this injection. Botox prevents wrinkles from appearing in the skin and smooths out what is there through a mild paralysis induced by the injection. As a minimally invasive, non-surgical, injectable there are hints that something even better may come onto the market by 2020. However, according to Plastic Spot, this rumor seems to be completely unfounded:
In 2017, there were 7.25 million Botox procedures and this number is predicted to keep on rising. In the upcoming year, though, plastic surgeons predict that a newer procedure will replace Botox. Michigan based plastic surgeon Anthony Youn is one of such surgeons. He stated that it is very likely that another procedure will surface in 2019 that will be even better than the Botox. However, despite these claims, no one really knows what this procedure will be.
It may prove, however to be on its way out of the ironically named Silicon Valley, hints Modern Aesthetics. “A … biotechnology company called Revance has developed a longer-lasting botulinum toxin injection (DaxibotulinumtoxinA), which is currently in the final stages of the FDA review process.” If this in fact comes on the market in 2019 it is likely to be an aggressive competitor with Botox.
Trend: Dermal Fillers
As an alternative to surgery, this procedure uses hyaluronic acid. Naturally occuring in the human body, medical researchers have discovered that it is a fast, low risk alternative to surgery. Fillers last up to two years and the procedure can be completed in under 15 minutes, in most cases. (Source).
There is also a huge rise in people getting filler around their eyes to reshape them, and their lips. Cheeks and chins are also popular areas to receive filler.
According to The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, this procedure is great as a temporary fix for:
- Plump thin lips
- Enhance shallow contours
- Soften facial creases and wrinkles
- Improve the appearance of recessed scars
- Reconstruct contour deformities in the face
- Decrease or remove the shadow of the lower lids
Trend: PRP Injections
These Platelet Rich Plasma injections are fliply referred to in some circles as ‘vampire injections.’ This is due to the fact that the materials that are injected into the body are made from the blood of that person. Here is how this works. A patient’s blood is drawn, typically from their arm. That blood is then spun and the platelets are then injected back into that person. According to The Consumer Guide to Plastic Surgery, “These injections can reduce fine lines and wrinkles and help brighten gaunt or ghoulish-looking skin. They may also help refresh and add volume to certain areas of the face, such as the under-eye hollows. In addition, many doctors are studying the use of PRP in wound healing.” The injections are usually low-risk with few side effects, due to the product being the person’s own blood which their body does not reject. (Source).
What is driving this trend is major celebrity influencers who swear by the procedure, such as Kim Kardashian. It may seem over the top and shocking, but it appears that this is one trend that is going to be big in 2019.
To learn more about these and other emerging trends, make sure you follow SCALE 2019 and attend as many of the workshops and talks as you can. We look forward to seeing you in May in Nashville, Tennessee, the Music City.