As of 2020, Global Aesthetics Market Research showed that aesthetics procedures are set to grow globally by 14.3% year on year until 2025 (Medical Insight, 2021). Against the backdrop of this predicted growth, Allergan Aesthetics (an AbbVie company and leader in medical aesthetics treatments) recently unveiled its new Aesthetics-Ethics campaign, which aims to improve understanding of aesthetics and empower patients to make more informed choices.
The programme launches with a new guide, available on the Allergan Aesthetics website, and has been developed in response to new research that shows that consumer interest in medical aesthetics is rising. According to The Future of Aesthetics Global Trends report, more than three quarters of respondents surveyed by Allergan feel they do not know enough about non-surgical aesthetic treatments to make an informed decision about undergoing a treatment themselves (Allergan study, 2021)*.
» It is essential that across the aesthetics industry, we are ensuring the education and training provided to practitioners is of the highest quality and meets stringent medical standards «
Discussing the need to raise ethical standards in the aesthetics industry, Dr Sophie Shotter, Allergan Aesthetics key opinion leader and Allergan Medical Institute (AMI) faculty member comments:
‘There is no doubt that demand for aesthetic treatments is on the rise, with many consumers influenced by social media and what they see and read online. This means that it is more important than ever that those of us responsible for delivering treatment ensure that patient education is of the highest quality, and that we promote honest conversations between practitioner and patients over 18 years of age, so that anyone considering treatment has a full understanding of what is possible, potential risks involved, and how to determine where to go for treatment.’
Sophie Shotter shares further areas of focus regarding this important topic
1) The importance of practitioner medical expertise
- Poor practice can have a detrimental impact for both patients and practitioners. For patients, bad advice or treatment can erode confidence both in the medical community and in themselves, and creates barriers to treatment whilst for practitioners, it damages trust and can create additional challenges for repairing bad work and supporting distressed patients (Allergan Aesthetics, 2022)
- ► To avoid this, it is essential that across the aesthetics industry, we are ensuring the education and training provided to practitioners is of the highest quality and meets stringent medical standards.
2) The digital lens and its impact on patient's treatment goals
- The influence on consumers in the digital world is powerful and must not be underestimated — both from social media, and the increased screentime of the hybrid working world
- In fact, Save Face, the British government-approved register of cosmetic practitioners, states that since the first UK lockdown in March 2020, which led to increased screentime for consumers, visits to its site rose 40% (BBC, 2020). The digital lens can influence not only customer preferences, but can also shape trends in medical aesthetics and drive an increased demand for treatments
- This is where expert practitioners can support patients. When empowered with the tools to communicate to clients the reality of what treatments can achieve, practitioners can help empower patients, and bring a dose of reality to those whose perceptions of themselves are warped by the digital world.
3) The significance of building strong practitioner patient relationships
- Building strong relationships between practitioners and patients is vital to ensuring patient safety and satisfaction
- The practitioner-patient relationship needs to be based upon trust, which is something that should be reinforced with every encounter. Anyone considering or undergoing aesthetic procedures should expect a thorough consultation, including informed consent, conducted by a qualified practitioner.
4) The need for better patient education so that they can make informed choices about aesthetic treatments
- With over two-thirds (69%) (Allergan Aesthetics, 2021) of consumers wanting to be more informed about non-surgical aesthetic face and body treatments, but more than three-quarters stating that they do not know enough to make an informed decision, there is a clear and urgent need for targeted education for both patients and practitioners to combat this issue
- All current and future aesthetic patients should have the information and education they need to feel empowered to make the choices that are right for them, and the industry has an incredibly important role to play in order to prioritise safety and satisfaction.
To find out more about Allergan Aesthetics' Aesthetics-Ethics campaign or download a copy of the A-Z of Medical Aesthetics, visit this link:
www.allerganaesthetics.co.uk/about/ethics
