According to a Dove survey of 8,000 men between the ages of 30 and 55 in seven countries, it appears that men are bothered by how they're portrayed in advertising. According to Michael Kaufman, Dove gender expert consultant, "These are bad news about what our standards of men's bodies should look like, they're impossible images. Men can't live up to that."
Dove launched an ad campaign during the NFL's Super Bowl for its new line of men's skin care products. What Dove's new ads convey and what their survey reveals is that reak men are not the fit, toned and buffed male models we see in ads. Men are just as frustrated by those portrayals as women are annoyed by fashion images suggesting all women should looked like photoshopped-to-perfection super models.
Sharon MacLeod, a director at Unilever which owns the Dove brand reports "What our campaign does is look to celebrate men who have different responsibilities in life and are comfortable in their own skin," Ms. MacLeod says. "These are not guys who are ladies men or heroes or power-hungry. These are real men with real lives" -- film directors, business people -- and the campaign is "about their definition of success."
Of note: Dove's survey found 65% of Canadian men are comfortable using women's skincare products but only 24% are prepared to admit to using women's products to their friends.
Outside of toiletries; other articles indicate that male demand for fillers, injectibles, liposection, laser hair removal and other cosmetic procedures are on the rise. Does this indicate that it is time of use promotional marketing materials (brochures, posters, countertop displays, DVDs) which show men - in and around your practice? Should your web site and advertisments appeal to your male patients? Should your practice offer product lines for retail with a focus on male concerns? Are male patients the new demographic? It's an equal opportunity world of aesthetics!
Wendy Lewis, acclaimed author and expert in aesthetic consultancy, has a helpful article on "Instilling Loyalty in Cosmetic Patients" in the October 2009 issue of Plastic Surgery Products.
Wendy recommends offering your loyal clients a reward program to encourage repeat business and referrals.
Customer Loyalty Programs may include:
courtesy vouchers
offer of extra service
complementary product
volume discount
refer-a-friend bonus
discount on particular treatment
trial of a new product or technology
Even offering a "thank you - using personal notes, calls or emails can be enough to make them feel special. I highly recommend saying thank you after any aesthetic laser treatment such as laser hair removal or skin rejuvenation or injectible; and keep them coming back for more.
Irregular pigmentation of the face is one of the most common signs of photoaging. Pigmentation occurs because of the uneven production of melanin—a brown pigment produced by melanocytes—in the skin. Many different patterns can be seen on the faces of people of different ages.
Clients often are seeking an advanced skin care consult for pigmentary issues. An aesthetic Laser system may be used as part of the treatment plan to address the pigmentary needs. Laser Genesis and LimeLight facial are often combined with light chemical peels, cosmeceuticals, sunblock and good client education about sun protection to decrease the appearance to pigmented lesions.
Karen and her team offer ancillary marketing services to Cutera customers. She has a wealth of experience managing and marketing several successful and competitive aesthetic practices in Palm Beach county and has conducted meticulous marketing research. She will share her tips for success for marketing services using aesthetic laser systems, fillers, injectibles, retail products and body shaping. If you or your staff need a boost with your practice marketing - please attend Karen's session on Saturday, August 15.
Are you baffled by Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn? We are also considering a session on "Understanding & Leveraging Social Media Networks" at the San Francisco Intercontinental hotel on Friday afternoon. Karen has dived into social media and has great tips and ideas on how (and why!) to use these tools (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter).
Please post a comment or contact me if you would be interested in attending this informal session with Karen on Friday right before the Clinical Forum.
Skin Disease Education Foundation sent a very interesting newsletter by email. They co-hosted the Cosmetic Dermatology Seminar 2009 this past weekend in Santa Monica, CA. Skin and Allergy News provided real-time coverage on Twitter. Reading the Tweets was fascinating - what a great idea!
Joel Schlessinger, MD had an interesting article in Practical Dermatology on the benefits to dermatologists in providing both clinical dermatology services with aesthetic. Offering a balance of both medical and cosmetic is good advice for any practice; i.e. diversification will help you ensure that revenues come from many sources.
This kind of aesthetic laser system purchase involves asking thorough questions to ensure the decision is good for your practice.
Questions to Ask Before Buying an Aesthetic System from a Third Party
Does the seller have a clean title on the system? Most aesthetic systems are leased. For any system that is less than 3 years old, there may be a sizable payment remaining on the lease. Until the lease is paid in full, the lien holder (usually the lease company) has rights to the system. At a minimum, you should call the manufacturer to check the serial number on the system to verify the title is clear.
How old is the system? What is the pulse count on the handpieces? Are you buying the system sight-unseen? Is the system in good condition?Are the handpieces at the end of their life-cycle for pulse count?
How long will it take to service your system? Each day your system is not operating can cost you thousands of dollars. Without access to parts and with a limited staff, how long will it take for your system to be repaired?
How will the system be calibrated after repair? Many companies use proprietary tools and software for system repairs. Do your patients want to be treated with a system that may not be calibrated properly after repair?
How will you receive certified clinical training on the system? Many insurance companies require training on the device for a malpractice insurance policy to be activated. Will your insurance company honor training not performed by a manufacturer’s representative?
Do you have access to the latest technology? Technology evolves faster today than ever before, and patients have access to the latest information through the internet. Will you have access to the most recent innovations to offer your patients the procedures they are demanding?
The American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS) released statistics today, indicating "ethnic cosmetic procedures increased 11 percent in 2008, with more than 3 million performed, while procedures among Caucasians dropped 2 percent. Cosmetic procedures among Hispanics, the largest and fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S., experienced the greatest growth; up 18 percent."
That is great news for any practice offering aesthetic procedures with a diverse patient population.
"We're seeing a rise in Hispanics opting for cosmetic procedures that coincides with the growth we're seeing in the nation's population," said ASPS President John Canady, MD. "Less social stigma, as well as, advances in procedures allow patients to maintain their ethnic look. While the majority of patients continue to be Caucasian, the profile of the typical patient is changing."
Tripti Burt, MD, is shown here treating her hispanic patient with fillers and Cutera's Laser Genesis to improve her skin's tone and texture.
Things to ponder: What are you doing to reach out to your diverse patient base? What aesthetic laser (and other) procedures can you perform safely on these patients? Do they know these options are available to them?
A very important element of the patient consultation and skin care treatment plan are uniform photos of the treatment area. Patients often forget how much hair they had before starting Laser Hair removal. Pictures help to identify changes in pigment. This is important when performing a Limelight facial for pigmented lesions or Laser Hair removal. Pictures really are worth a thousand words.
Having a simple protocol for patient photography is essential. This means taking steps to standardize not only the method of taking representative photographs, but also of storing/cataloging them for efficient retrieval for presentations and patient use.
The key to this is to simplify the process and make the number of photos required for each patient uniform.
Advanced skin care that includes Laser based technology, ablative and non-ablative combined with cosmetics may produce a rare complication of contact dermatitis.
Despite product testing by cosmetic companies before new product releases to the public, adverse reactions are still experienced by consumers of cosmetics. Cosmetics can cause reactions such as, but not limited to, irritant contact dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, photocontact dermatitis, contact urticaria, pigmentary changes and acneiform reactions.
Source: Skin & Aging Volume 17 - Issue 3 - March 2009 MARIA ELENA MIYAR, BA, AND LESLIE BAUMANN, MD
GAM VI separates sales of the ten top aesthetic markets into four regions (North America, Europe, Asia, South America) with comprehensive analysis of competitors, market and economic trends in each area. Included are manufacturer sales, number of practitioners, procedure volume and treatment fees for all segments."
For more details on Medical Insight, Inc.'s studies, visit their web site.
Finally some really good news: The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery conducted and published results from its annual Procedural Survey.
The most remarkable finding is the move toward non-invasive laser treatments. "During the past three years, cosmetic surgeons have seen a significant increase in both males and females electing to have laser resurfacing."
"Demand for cosmetic laser technology procedures seems to be thriving despite the U.S. economic downturn."
Any signs of acne should be treated as soon as possible. The longer acne is left to progress without treatment, the higher the possibility of scarring. Acne treatment primarily depends on the type of acne and its severity. Your dermatologist can best prescribe the appropriate treatment for your acne but it pays for you to be knowledgeable about this skin condition. Here are some of the common procedures in treating acne.
Infrared technology of aesthetic laser systems can be used to treat textural issues from acne. However, it is very important to control the breakouts prior to starting any treatment. Laser Genesis is effective to help decrease the redness and improve textural issues of mild acne scars.
Minimally-invasive anti-aging procedures will continue to secure the majority of the aesthetic medical procedures’ market over more invasive, expensive surgical offerings.
The public will choose these less expensive and less risky procedures over surgeries. People generally desire to look 10 years younger, and minimally-invasive procedures can achieve this desired outcome. “During hard economic times, men and women look to non-invasive cosmetic treatments such as Botox Cosmetic, Dermal Fillers and Skin Rejuvenation as a means to feel and look better about themselves physically and emotionally,” says Dr. Alexander Ataii of Laser Clinque in San Diego.
Source: International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine
Women appear to believe cosmetic procedures can give them the edge in an increasingly competitive workplace.
Source: February 11, 2009 Healthy Aging.
Women consider laser based technology, chemical peels and advanced skin care very important part of the "dress of success". Laser Genesis can be used on all ages and skin types to improve tone, texture and poor size. Limelight can treat pigmented lesions anywhere on the body and provide a vascular treatment to the face, neck and chest.
Author: Andrew D Montemarano, DO, Consulting Staff, The Skin Cancer Surgery Center
Pathophysiology
The pathophysiology of melasma is uncertain. In many cases, a direct relationship with female hormonal activity appears to be present because it occurs with pregnancy and with the use of oral contraceptive pills. Other factors implicated in the etiopathogenesis of melasma are photosensitizing medications, mild ovarian or thyroid dysfunction, and certain cosmetics.
The most important factor in the development of melasma is exposure to sunlight. Without the strict avoidance of sunlight, potentially successful treatments for melasma are doomed to fail.
Race
Persons of any race can be affected. However, it is much more common in constitutionally darker skin types than in lighter skin types, and it may be more common in light brown skin types, especially Hispanics and Asians, from areas of the world with intense sun exposure.
Treatment with Cutera Laser Based technology may include the use of a Limelight facial in the "C" mode and Laser Genesis to treat the pigmented lesions. The use of Laser Genesis also provides improvement in texture of skin rejuvenation.
Advanced skin care of Skin types III-VI may require the use of skin lightening and depigmenting agents. The limelight facial may be used to treat pigmented lesions, to remove the melanin from the epidermis. This may be more easily accomplished with the use of depigmenting agents such as tyrosinase inhibitors.
Depigmenting agents are commonly prescribed to treat disorders of hyperpigmentation. A basic understanding of the pigmentation pathway is helpful prior to a discussion of various skin-lightening agents and their known mechanisms of action. The type and amount of melanin synthesized by the melanocyte and its distribution pattern in the epidermis determines the actual color of the skin. Melanin forms through a series of oxidative reactions involving the amino acid tyrosine and the enzyme tyrosinase.
"Skin Lightening and Depigmenting Agents"
Author: Alaina J James, MD, PhD, Staff Physician, Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center Coauthor(s): Cherie M Ditre, MD, Assistant Professor, Director, Cosmetic Dermatology and The Skin Enhancement Center, Department of Dermatology, Penn Medicine at Radnor, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; P Michael Tabibian, MD, Consulting Staff, Department of Dermatology, Daniel Freedman Hospital, Marina Hospital
Contact dermatitis may occur with any aesthetic laser system or laser based technology that has the capacity to ablate the epidermis. Contact dermatitis is usually irritant in nature. Because of the loss of the epidermal barrier and protection, the skin is more susceptible to irritation. An allergic or irritant raction to fragrances or allergens contained within a wide variety of topical ointments, soaps, moisturizers, or cosmetics may develop. It is important that clients refrain from the application of self prescribed remedies during the healing phase since these applications may exacerbate the irritation and contribute to post treatment complications. Signs and symptoms of irritant or allergic contact dermatitis include diffuse and intense facial redness (erythema) and itching. Frequent applications of cool compresses such as with vinegar soaks (acetic acid) may help decrease the intense itching and discomfort.
Lasers and Lights Volume 2 "Complications in Laser and Light Surgery" Tina S. Alster, Elizabeth L. Tanzi
Laser based technology may trigger a cold sore eruption. This may occur with any aesthetic laser system. A skin care treatment plan may include prophylactic treatment with an anti-viral medication. It is important to perform a complete medical history during the initial consultation to help identify clients that are risk of an outbreak. It is important to remember that Laser hair removal in the genital area may trigger an outbreak of genital herpes.
Clients must take steps to protect their skin from environmental factors that contribute to the visible signs of aging. Clients often seek skin rejuvenation treatments in the winter months in preparation for their summer activities. Sunblock remains important to protect from the UV rays that form pigmented lesions and contribute to the formation of visible facial veins and redness. Infrared technology of an aesthetic laser system can be used to treat the results of the skin damage from the environment. In order to preserve the investment of time and money of skin rejuvenation treatments the client can follow some simple daily skin care practices listed in the articles below.
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