The Zoom Boom: A New Era of Esthetics 

Woman on Video Conference, one example of the so called
Welcome to a new era for esthetics with an ever-growing market. Thanks to the “zoom boom”, esthetic care is more important than ever.

Welcome to a new era for esthetics, where looking good is trendy and everyone wants in! Patients have highly valued personal care services, specifically esthetic care, for a long time. During the initial COVID-19 shutdown, a lot of personal care service providers had to shut down or limit their operations. Businesses faced the option of remote work and most people had to stay indoors. Market experts may have feared for the recovery of industries such as esthetics. Would people still prioritize looking good in this era of the “zoom boom”?

Nearly 2 years out of the initial shutdowns, the results are in, and, YES. Not only has medical esthetics survived, it’s thriving.¹ While professionals may have feared that a transition to remote working would decrease the desire for esthetic care, experts actually think it did the opposite. And the market trends prove it! But what exactly are we talking about when we discuss medical esthetics? Globe News Wire explains that “Esthetic medicine covers a wide range of medical procedures that are aimed at improving the physical appearance and satisfaction of the patient, using non-invasive to minimally invasive cosmetic procedures.”² Experts expect the global esthetic medicine industry to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 14.5% (higher than average) from 2022 to 2030!¹

The “Zoom Boom” and Online Appearance: Esthetics is more important than ever

With the development of social media technologies and the increased use of Zoom in the workplace, people value online appearance more than ever before. Consumers are now using Zoom more often for business and they are facetoface with themselves for a large portion of their day. But that’s not allbusinesses have generally increased their reliance across all types of online platforms for company interactions. Online appearance is integral to the workplace now, and it is changing the way people view themselves.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, people are motivated by their online appearance to be “concerned with aging or damaged skin, seek facials, cleaning, and other skin treatments to improve their skin appearance.”¹ Remote working not only encourages patients to get esthetic care, but it also allows them the time to do it! More downtime and a greater desire for medical esthetic care are driving this new Zoom Boom.

We can’t talk about the desire to look good without discussing social media. Consumers’ constant engagement with their online appearances helps to explain the surge in the demand for esthetic care that the market continues to experience. We’ve all seen the magic of filters. Various social media platforms have popularized a filter craze that allows people to see their faces with what they may consider optimal features. Thanks to “TikTok Face” and the phenomenon of a fluid filter (a filter that works on video), many users are taking their desire to create their “TikTok faces” in real life with non-invasive medical procedures. In fact, “The rise in facial procedures requested to enhance a patient’s appearance on video has skyrocketed from 16% to 79% in the last year alone, according to the 2021 AAFPRS survey.³

Men in Esthetics

The Zoom Boom and growing online presence are driving new consumers towards the esthetic industry, but the customer base is expanding all around. Men are increasingly seeking out esthetic treatments, and it is becoming more and more popular for them to do it. As more men look to receive treatments like laser & IPL therapy, micro-needling, body sculpting, etc., it is becoming more socially acceptable and even expected (thank you, culture!) for them to maintain their appearances through medical esthetics.

An Opportunity for Healthcare Professionals

Esthetic medicine is here to stay ????. “Patients not only want to be in good health, but they also want to enjoy life to the fullest, be fit, and minimize the effects of natural aging.”² The answer is minimally invasive procedures with very little downtime and risk like: laser & IPL therapy, micro-needling, acoustic wave therapy, body sculpting, injections, and more.

To sum it up: the field of medical esthetics is a ripe business opportunity for many reasons including three important factors.

  1. Customer demand is growing.
  2. New and improved medical esthetic technologies are entering the market.
  3. The social acceptance of medical esthetic care, for men and women, is at a high and continues to increase.

As a healthcare professional, you are in a special position to increase your skill set through certifications and in turn, offer the services your patients and employers demand. Learn more about specific Medical Esthetic training and certifications here.

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