Terri Wojak - Aesthetics Exposed: A Guide to Working in a Medical Spa and Beyond

In this Chapter:

-- The Aesthetics Industry

-- Skin Care Meets Cosmetic Medicine

-- Benefits of Combining Skin Care and Medicine

-- Benefits to Practice

-- Importance of Professionalism

The Aesthetics Industry

The skin care industry is constantly growing, resulting in more career options for the esthetician. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment of skin care specialists is expected to grow 25 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. This growth is led by the increased awareness that skin care is an important adjunct to cosmetic medicine. In recent years, not only are dermatologists and plastic surgeons offering cosmetic services, but family practice physicians, ob/gyns and even dentists have jumped on the cosmetic bandwagon.

There has been some controversy regarding cosmetic skin care in medical settings such as dermatology, cosmetic surgery, or anything in between. The old way of thinking for some, notably those in the medical community, was that medicine and cosmetics were separate entities and should be kept that way. With physicians already addressing conditions of the skin and offering medical treatments for cosmetic enhancements, skeptics were asking the question of why one would need to see an esthetician. It had become somewhat of a battle wherein the majority of physicians thought that non-prescription topical skin care was unnecessary. What would cosmetics do for patients that prescriptive medicine would not?

One reason underlying this separation included the unfortunate fact that some skin care professionals, including estheticians and sales representatives, make false claims about cosmetic treatments. Moreover, there were also instances where estheticians gave advice against what was recommended by a physicianwhich is beyond the scope of practice for any non-medical provider and can cause serious complications.

Medical professionals are meant to treat conditions or abnormalities, whereas estheticians are meant to cosmetically enhance the skin. When this combination of treatment is implemented correctly, all involved win, and the client obtains the best results while the health of the skin is maintained. The medical practice has increased patient satisfaction, thereby producing higher retention rates and referrals, and the esthetician is inevitably credentialed by the physician.

Medical professionals are meant to treat conditions or abnormalities, whereas estheticians are meant to cosmetically enhance the skin.

Among the cosmetic services available today, the largest increase has been in nonsurgical procedures. In the last eight years alone, the number of these services has increased more than 680%. Two of these procedures, microdermabrasion and chemical peels, are most commonly performed by estheticians. This clearly indicates the increased value of adding skin care to the medical practice. This demand has prompted a large number of physicians to introduce cosmetic procedures, esthetic treatments, and skin care products.

According to recent information from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, nonsurgical procedures accounted for 83% of the total number of procedures performed, representing 39% of total expenditures. The top five minimally invasive procedures by number of cases reported are shown in the following chart: