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.
Laser based technology has become a part of skin care treatment plan to address pigmented lesions. Many treatment providers with use a combination of topical agents, chemical peels, Laser Genesis and LimeLight facial in skin rejuvenation and the reduction of pigmented lesions.
"Skin-Lightening Challenges" by By: Zoe Diana Draelos, MD
Advanced Skin Care starts with daily skin care management. This usually includes facial wash, moisturizers & sunblock. Many skin care products also include the use of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in the ingredients. It is important to optimize the results of Laser based technology such as Laser Genesis, LimeLight facial and over all skin rejuvenation with good daily skin care.
Source:
"Vitamin C in Skin Care" By: Peter T. Pugliese, MD
Posted: June 2, 2009, from the June 2009 issue of Skin Inc. Magazine.
We recently released a Multimedia News Release on Pearl Fractional and the benefits to this treatment for "Eye-Juvenation" - treating that difficult periorbital area successfully.
Examples of some of the pickup (video and/or news sites and blogs) are shown below:
Good luck with YOUR PR efforts to promote your skin rejuvenation and aesthetic services - PR can be a lot of work but getting PR is always worth the effort.
We used a Multimedia News Release (MNR) for the first time to promote the Pearl Fractional laser for "Eye-Juvenation" -- results and coverage have been impressive.
Rather than just releasing a press release, our MNR included:
Press release
Video footage (interview with Brian Biesman, MD and treatment footage)
When you prepare media documents to promote your services or a new treatment such as Pearl Fractional for skin resurfacing and dramatic skin rejuvenation, gather up other supporting documents, videos and images to expand your story and make it both dynamic and content-rich. Your efforts will pay off in the long-term!
Alright - I know this is not part of "Marketing" but I just read an interesting article by Bryan Durocher on Employee Compensation published last December in Skin, Inc. and thought I would share it with you.
I know a number of Cutera customers struggle over how much they should compensate their employees - for promoting their practice, referring friends/family, closing consults to appointments, performing aesthetic procedures such as laser hair removal, skin rejuvenation, etc. There is no one answer as every practice is different.
Some pay commission on top of salary - others use monthly or quarterly profit sharing. I thought this statement was sobering. "If a business owner is paying more than 50% commission or is offering some type of benefits in conjunction with a commission structure greater than 50% they are losing money."
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.
“I’m not looking for the fountain of youth,” said Jeannie Wright, 60, of Memphis. “I don’t want magic, but just to look the best I can at my age.”
Wright tried Pearl, one of the city’s newest technologies to treat multiple brown spots on her face. Pearl uses a controlled thermal effect to vaporize part of the epidermis. It treats sun damage, hyperpigmentation, uneven textures and fine wrinkles and stimulates collagen production.
Wallace found the results of his surgery could be enhanced by lasers, so two years ago he joined with Mona Sappenfield in a new medi-spa, Mona Spa & Laser Center-Germantown, where Wright was treated with Pearl.
“Combination is where it’s at,” said Sappenfield. One of her most popular treatments is a laser double-punch: Laser Genesis for pores and redness and to jump-start collagen production, and Titan, which goes deeper into the skin and actually tightens it.
Pearl is a more aggressive treatment and may come as a surprise to laser users accustomed to just a few stings and no down-time. To get Pearl, your skin must be numbed with ointment. You’ll spend the next three days with your face slathered in Vaseline to keep it from hurting, and after that come two or three days of peeling.
It was well worth it for Wright, who saw, to her astonishment, nearly all of her spots literally drop off her face. Improvements have continued.
“My skin has gotten smoother and my pores tighter. … I don’t have a wrinkle on my face,” said Wright.
Potential patients are bombarded with advertisements for Laser Hair Removal, Laser vein treatment, skin tightening and skin rejuvenation. It is important for treatment providers differentiate themselves from the competitors.
After great anticipation Aesthetic Profits Inc. is trilled to announce the launch of it’s much awaited How To: Series - Effective Patient Attraction Tools for Aesthetic Physicians. This compilation contains essential strategies aesthetic doctors need to build a reliable database of returning patients, to enhance their presence within their community and see a steady boost in revenues.
Current titles include: ‘How to Differentiate Yourself From All the Others’, ‘How to Make the Most of Your In-House Marketing’, ‘How to Effectively Communicate With Your Patients’, ‘How to Become Famous in Your Community’, ‘How to Conduct a Successful Aesthetic Patient Consultation’, ‘How to Coordinate a Successful Open House’, ‘How to Promote Retail Profitably’, ‘How to Promote Minimally-Invasive Procedures’, ‘How to Build a Word-of-Mouth Practice’ and many more.
Source: International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine (IAPAM)
We all know your best aesthetic patient is the referred patient. They are not as price conscious and are already pre-sold on you. You do not want to take these referrals lightly. Every aesthetic practice or medical spa has their group of cheerleaders and you do too.
Source: International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine
There are many things to research and learn about starting an Aesthetic practice. The physician may want to offer skin rejuvenation with chemical peels and Laser based technology or a more advanced skin care practice with Laser hair removal, vein treatments or skin tightening.
After completing this workshop, participants will leave with a comprehensive business plan for their aesthetic medicine practice. This program will cover all aspects of creating a business plan for a profitable medical spa, including:
• Financing options for physicians; • Target demographics for tailored aesthetic procedures; • Developing a menu of treatments and pricing strategies; • Establishing aesthetic practice protocols and HR for aesthetic practitioners; • Creating an effective marketing plan; • Finding the right location; • Staffing; • Federal and state legal and regulatory issues; and • Startup costs and reading financials.
Souce: International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine (IAPAM)
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.
Melasma is often diffifult to treat and usually requires a multimodality skin care treatment plan. The treatment of Melasma may require a combination of laser based technology such as Laser Genesis, chemical peels, sun protection and skin care products over several months in order to diminish the appearance of the pigmented lesions.
Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is a possible transient side effect of laser based technology, chemical peels, skin rejuvenation or trauma. Sun exposure, genetic predisposition, hormones and inflammation are just a few of the contributing factors in the formation of pigmented lesions in skin types III-VI. Properly identifying clients at risk of developing PIH is key to developing a skincare treatment plan with "prevention" as the primary focus.
Limelight may be used to treat pigmented lesions. Sunscreens are helpful to prevent the formation of pigmented lesions. It is preferable to avoid sun exposure when performing skin rejuvenation treatments, Laser hair removal or vascular treatments.
Encouraging photoprotection is the leading preventative health strategy used by physicians involved in skin care. Although sun avoidance is most desirable, outdoor occupations and lifestyles make total avoidance impossible for many individuals.
Author: Stanley B Levy, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Dermatology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Telangiectasia may be treated with Laser based technology. The Nd:YAG 1064nm Laser effectively treats facial veins as well as telangiectasia of the lower extremeties. If varicose veins are present then the patient will require treatment of the varicose veins prior to treatment of the telangiectasia. Laser Genesis is effective in treating diffuse redness that often occurs with telangiectasia. LimeLight may also be used to treat diffuse redness and vessels seen on the face, neck and chest.
A telangiectasis refers to a visibly dilated blood vessel on the skin or mucosal surface. Telangiectases that develop in the absence of any preceding or coexisting cutaneous or systemic disease are considered to be primary or essential. Telangiectases resulting from or in association with a known disease state are classified as secondary.
A skin care treatment plan for the management of Rosacea must first start with assessing the clinical signs and symptoms. Laser based technology is often part of advanced skin care for the managment of Rosacea symtoms of redness. Laser Genesis is very effective at treating the diffuse redness. LimeLight may also be used to treat the diffuse redness but also to provide a vein treatment of facial telangiectasia.
Rosacea is a common condition characterized by symptoms of facial flushing and a spectrum of clinical signs, including erythema, telangiectasia, coarseness of skin, and an inflammatory papulopustular eruption resembling acne. Rosacea
Before the initiation of therapy, the triggering factors that exacerbate the patient's rosacea should be identified and avoided if possible. These factors may be unique to each individual patient.
Author: Agnieszka Kupiec-Banasikowska, MD, Consulting Staff, Division of Dermatology, Georgetown University Medical Center Coauthor(s): Mana Ogholikhan, MD, Staff Physician, Division of Dermatology, Georgetown University Hospital; Ravi Ratnavel, MD, Consulting Staff, Department of Dermatology, Stoke Mandeville, Thames Valley Nuffield, Paddocks Hospitals, UK
Vitiligo is an acquired pigmentary disorder of the skin and mucous membranes, and it is characterized by circumscribed depigmented macules and patches. It is a progressive disorder in which some or all of the melanocytes in the affected skin are selectively destroyed.
Depigmentation most often begins on the fingers, hands, and wrist but soon spreads to the face and feet. Depigmentation is progressive. The individual lesions progress from hypopigmentation to depigmentation. The white skin is more susceptible to sunburn.
It is important to determine if the depigmentation is true vitiligo. Any physical, chemical, or infectious agent that destroys the epidermis will destroy the pigment cells located along the basal layer. If the injury extends deep into the dermis and involves the hair bulbs and the other appendages, the normal reservoir of new pigment cells is destroyed, the skin will probably remain permanently white.
It is important when working with Laser based technology to properly identify the root cause for the loss of pigment. If the loss of pigment is from trauma, chemicals or infectious agents then it may be safe to use Laser based technology for laser hair removal, Laser vein treatment, Limelight for pigmented lesions and Laser Genesis for new collagen production.
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