According to Precedence Research, the non-surgical aesthetic industry is expected to grow to $150B by 2030. This trend is largely driven by the aging of Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) and Gen X (born between 1965 and 1979). But studies show that Millennials, Gen Y, and Gen Next (born between 1980 and 1994) are also part of the growing trend. What’s new today is the use and popularity of top social media sites such as Tik Tok, Facebook, Snap Chat, and Instagram. More people than ever before are spending more time in front of electronic devices taking pictures and videos of themselves and others and posting them online. This is happening across the globe, where people on average are spending 147 minutes each day on social media. So it seems logical that most age groups overall are feeling the pressure to take steps now to maintain their health and beauty.
Of the three segments listed in the study, the biggest segment by far is injectables, which accounted for more than 60% in 2021 and dominates the global market. This segment consists of Botox and Dermal Fillers (including Lip Fillers, Cheek Fillers, Under Eye Fillers, and Jawline Fillers).
Botox is a well-known treatment option for fine lines and wrinkles, and has been available on the market for consumption since 1989, but became FDA approved for facial injection in 2002 (to treat glabellar lines (“eleven” lines between the brows). Botox is an injectable form of heavily diluted and highly purified botulinum type A, which is a protein derived from bacterium known as clostridium botulinum. Botox works by temporarily preventing the targeted facial muscles from moving by blocking certain chemical signals from nerves that trigger muscle contraction. Other treatments using Botox include those where reducing muscle contraction provides relief, such as cerebral palsy (where muscle contractions pull your limbs in toward your center), hyperhidrosis (a condition of excessive sweating when you’re not exerting yourself), chronic migraine (to reduce the frequency of headaches), bladder dysfunction (to help reduce urinary incontinence caused by overactive bladder), and eye twitching (to relieve contracture or twitching of muscles around the eye). Typical treatment areas for Botox include forehead wrinkles, wrinkles under eyes, wrinkles around the eyes, and wrinkles around mouth. Review Botox Before and After pictures to see actual results.
Botox has become ubiquitous with wrinkle reduction and has been popularized on TV shows like Bravo’s Real Housewives. As younger generations adopt Botox as a mainstream, everyday regimen to maintain health and beauty, the demand will continue its march higher.
A quick search online reveals Botox cost that varies based on special promotional rates, rates associated with memberships, and regular rates charged by medical spas. A regional search for Botox cost in San Antonio results in a range from about $10 to $15 per unit, where one unit is 1/10 of a 1 mL syringe worth of Botox. The total cost for a Botox treatment is based on how many units you need. The total number of units required for a treatment can range anywhere from 10 to 40 units, so you’ll be able to figure out total cost once you’ve had a consultation with your physician to determine the number of units recommended for you. Just as a reference, the average patient requires about 20 units for a treatment, which using an average per unit price of $12.5 results in a total Botox treatment cost of $250.
The first thing you should look for or ask is if the person performing the injections is a licensed nurse, physician assistant, or medical doctor (MD/physician). You should also ask them how much experience they have in Botox injections… how long they’ve been performing the procedure and how many procedures they’ve performed. You’ll most likely be asked to go into the office for a consultation, which is meant to determine suitability by assessing history of prior Botox injections, muscle relaxants, sleeping aids or allergy medication being taken, pregnancy status or if you’re breast feeding, the wrinkle areas you want to improve, and how many Botox units you’re going to need. Additionally, the person delivering the injections will disclose possible Botox side effects after treatment including pain, swelling or bruising at the injection site, headache or flu-like symptoms, eye dryness or excessive tearing, or droopy eyelid or cockeyed eyebrows. These symptoms usually subside on their own within a few days.
One treatment session usually last 20 minutes and an anesthetic isn’t usually required. But if you’re concerned about pain during injection, you can request an anesthetic, which might be a topical anesthetic or an ice and vibration anesthetic.
After your first treatment session is complete, do not rub or massage the treated areas for 24 hours. This will help prevent the toxin from spreading to other areas where treatment was not intended. You will be able to engage in normal activities right after the procedure is completed, but refrain from overexertion due to physical activity. Botox results are usually noticed within one to three days after treatment. They can last up to three months, after which you will need regular follow-up sessions to maintain results.
Although there are other benefits outside the area of medical spa and aesthetics, Botox is most widely known as a treatment for facial lines and wrinkles. As mentioned previously, this treatment is not only being targeted by the 45 and up population but also by those 25 and up as a preventative means to “slow” down the effects of aging. For a medical spa treatment, it’s very affordable. The results are quickly noticeable within one to three days after treatment and there is zero downtime and impact to normal daily function.
Fillers have been around since 1970 when the first products using Bovine (cow) collagen were made available to the public. The main issue at the time with this type of filler was that the filler material is a foreign substance to the body, so many tests were needed in advance to ensure the specific person’s body was able to tolerate the filler. Early side effects included lots of swelling, and the results did not last long.
Then in the early 2000’s, the FDA approved the use of hyaluronic acid fillers, which was a game changer in the dermal filler market. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance in the human body and thus provides better tolerability and longer lasting results. The first two entrants into the hyaluronic acid filler market were Galderma with Restylane and Allergan with Juvederm (review Juvederm Before and After pictures to get an idea of lip fillers before and after and facial fillers before and after). There are other filler materials used in products todays such as calcium hydroxylapatite (Radiesse), poly-L-lactic acid (Sculptra), and polymethylmethacrylate (Bellafill) which are all biocompatible materials that consist of both naturally occurring and synthetic components.
The treatment areas for fillers have definitely expanded since the first fillers became available. Filler treatment types include Lip fillers, lip injections or lip enhancements, cheek fillers, jawline contouring, smile line fillers (nasolabial folds), frown line fillers, chin enhancements, neck line fillers (necklace lines), and brow lifting (outside corners of brow). But one could argue that in 2015, lip fillers turned into a decade-defining medical spa treatment thanks to the popularity of the Kardashians, specifically Kyle Jenner, who admitted to getting her lips done. This set off a 70% rise in lip augmentation that saw about 27,000 Americans getting the treatment!
Dermal fillers are priced per syringe and the syringe holds 1mL of filler, which is about 1/5 of a teaspoon. The price varies widely across the different filler materials as well as within the same filler material for the different areas of the face the product is intended to treat. For example, within the family of hyaluronic acid lip fillers, the average cost of lip fillers using Juvederm Ultra XC vary from as low as $500 to as high as $800 per syringe while Juvederm Voluma for deeper cheek hollows (areas where skin has lost significant amounts of collagen) vary from $700 to $850 per syringe. A typical treatment session usually requires 1-2 syringes, with less being required for lips and more being required for cheek hollows. Some of the factors that must be considered in addition to the straight price per syringe are: 1. Who’s administering the injections: a Medical Doctor (MD/physician), a Physician Assistant, or a Registered Nurse, 2. What’s their history with the procedure and how good is their anatomical knowledge of the area to be injected and their skill level, 3. How well do you know the person performing the injection and how comfortable are you with them, and finally 4. What other amenities are offered as part of the patient experience (staff, office location, procedure ambiance, parking, scheduling process, etc). This is a decently high value medical spa treatment, so due diligence should be employed when determining who you want providing the service.
As with Botox, the process starts with going into the office for a consultation, which is meant to determine if you have any allergies specific to the type of filler being used. Additionally, an assessment and mapping of the areas on the face will be conducted, evaluating the skin tone and facial appearance of the areas to be augmented. Certain areas may be marked and photos may be taken of the areas to be treated. Additionally, the person delivering the injections will disclose common dermal filler risks associated to the treatment including pain, swelling, redness, tenderness, itching, or bruising at the injection site. There is also the possibility, which is rare if you have a qualified person performing the procedure, that the filler is injected into blood vessels which could cause skin necrosis (death of tissue), stroke, or blindness.
One treatment session usually lasts 20 minutes and an anesthetic isn’t usually required. Typically 3-5 treatment sessions are recommended for optimal results and maintenance should occur every 9-12 months.
The recovery period varies with each patient and for each type of filler injected. You can return to normal, daily function right away, but it’s generally recommended that intense physical activity is avoided for the first 24-48 hours. The appearance of the treated areas may include swelling or bruising ranging from mild to severe, temporary numbness or redness, an “overfilled” appearance, hypersensitivity reaction like hives and swelling, or palpable lumps or hard areas. Most of these conditions can be alleviated with mild icing and massage, with symptoms improving within a matter of hours or just a few days. Lip filler results as with dermal filler results generally are immediately apparent and will last several months to a few years depending the type of filler used. Generally, maintaining overall good skin health can improve dermal filler results and make them last longer. But maintenance is probably going to be required ongoing if you wants to maintain your look.
Benefits of dermal fillers to enhance appearance by smoothing lines around mouth or as a lip enhancer makes it an extremely desired medical spa treatment. There are many areas that dermal fillers can be used, which makes them versatile and impactful. Results are immediate and there is practically no impact to normal daily life. The little kept secret is that you can combine Botox and a dermal filler of your choice to make a much bigger impact overall and to make the results complementary of each other. Review the combination of Botox and Juvederm Before and After pictures to get a sense for the combined benefits.
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