Mala McAlpin Dr Michael Molton says the initial rush may be slowing, and that standards of beauty may have shifted too while in isolation.
Since the day that clinics around the country were allowed to reopen their doors, and with the continued easing of COVID-19 restrictions, cosmetic physicians and business owners have been reporting incredibly high volumes of appointments and demand for treatments. However, President of the CPCA, Dr Michael Molton, says that due to capped limits on visitors, maxed-out appointment books still aren’t enough, and that the initial influx may soon fade.
“That initial busy period for most clinics around the country was frantic, however strict COVID-19 guidelines limit the number of patients that can be seen each day,” says Molton. “As a result, clinics are still well below seasonal averages and there are now signs of demand slowing too. The number of new patients is definitely down in most districts. Established patients appear to be opting for the bare minimum to get them through, although at-home treatments have risen sharply so many clinics are reporting a rise in product sales, but not enough to compensate for inhouse procedures. We will know more as time goes by, but we are certainly not seeing any boom right now.”
“Thankfully, Job Keeper has meant that we have been able to look after our procedural staff during lock-down, otherwise we would now be looking at a serious skill-shortage too.”
Some experts are speculating that, due to isolation, there may have been an attitudinal shift when it comes to aesthetic enhancements, with so much time spent indoors without the need for cosmetics driving consumers towards a more natural appearance, especially regarding injectables and fillers.
“What we have noticed is that the tide seems to be turning towards patients seeking a more natural look with their procedures,” says Molton. “The lockdown has forced many to embrace the natural – from grey hair to seeing what their faces actually look like, and this is certainly not a bad thing.”
Late last year, the CPCA first flagged its concerns about the trivialisation of cosmetic procedures and the growing number of patients with unrealistic expectations in terms of procedural results. This prompted the College to launch its Get Real campaign, designed to provide consumer education about non-surgical cosmetic enhancements.
“We launched the Get Real campaign to stress the importance helping patients focus on looking better, not different, and most importantly maintain realistic outcomes and this seems to be one of the positive outcomes of COVID-19 in terms of what patients are now seeking in terms of procedural results,” said Molton.
Have you noticed a shift in your patients when it comes to the look they are trying to achieve? Let us know in the comments below.
