Sending your clients out into the summer sun after facial procedures is like putting a new born baby in the sun to bake.  IPL, laser, chemical peels, microdermabrasion all make the skin a ready target to absorb UVA- UVB rays at a faster rate than non treated skin.  SPF 30+ sunscreens protect against UVB rays but do not forget to protect yourself against the harmful UVA rays with products containing titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, parasol or helioplex.  The UVA are the most aging and cancer causing rays.  Many women and men feel that having SPF 15 in your make up or lotion is adequate…it is not.

I received a Spa Finder gift certificate from a client and find them to be a good source of client prospecting.  The day spa industry is getting it…the medical spa group not so much…get it!   www.spafinder.com

A clean medical spa is important to the image you portray to your clients.  After a busy day, it is takes extra effort and energy to pull the storage cabinets out, clean mirrors, polish chrome and refresh your treatment room, but it needs to be done.  Cleanliness is the #1 thing our clients notice when they are choosing a spa for a cosmetic treatment.  Schedule all of the staff to participate in this Spring event.  Create fresh displays and seasonal flowers to encourage clients to move forward on spring services such as hair reduction, photorejuvenation , cellulite and fat reduction services. Spring into Spring!

A procedural survey conducted by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery says more than 17 million cosmetic surgery procedures were performed in the United States in 2009.

The total number of procedures from this first-time study far surpasses any number that has previously been reported in the U.S. This is the first nationwide survey of its kind done by the AACS. In addition to the annual polling of its own members, the AACS also surveyed random physicians across the country to find out who is performing cosmetic surgery procedures.  The total number of procedures performed by AACS members has increased by eight percent since 2008.

“The cosmetic surgery industry continues to grow at a rate many people never thought it  would reach,” said AACS President Mark Berman, MD. “With the aging of the baby boomer generation, I don’t think we’ve come close to hitting the ceiling yet. That 17 million is only going to expand.”

Among AACS member practices, the biggest increase in invasive procedures in the last five years are in blepharoplasty (eyelid lift), abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) and rhinoplasty (nose). For less-invasive procedures, the biggest increase over that five-year period is in laser resurfacing, chemical peels and fillers.

For AACS members, rhinoplasty surgeries jumped from 12,460 in 2008 to 21,730 in 2009, a 74 percent increase. Facelifts were also up this year, from 20,478 in ’08 to 34,455 in ’09, a 44 percent spike.  “As the economy recovers slowly but surely, we are seeing patients come back and feel better about doing some things for themselves that maybe they’d been putting off for a while,” Berman said.

The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery is a professional medical society whose members are dedicated to patient safety and physician education in cosmetic surgery. Most members of the AACS are dermatologic surgeons, facial plastic surgeons, head and neck surgeons, general surgeons, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, plastic surgeons – all of whom specialize in cosmetic surgery. AACS is an organization that represents all cosmetic surgeons in the American Medical Association through its seat in the AMA House of Delegates.

Source:  http://www.cosmeticsurgery.org/media/pr_030910.pdf from March 9, 2010

Don’t try to win new clients by  advertising low prices. Determine your unique selling advantage, put a reasonable price to it and do it extremely well.  Once you establish a low price margin you can’t go back up.  Lost leaders don’t attract repeat clients so you spend all the money you brought in on the next ad.  You want to attract repeat clientele that you advertise to attract once.  Once your clients come in, do a great job of putting together a comprehensive aesthetic package that he/she can work at a pace comfortable with their budget and lifestyle.  This is what leads to a financially successful cosmetic medical business!

Happy Easter!  This weekend is a good time to take a breath, enjoy Spring and the blessings of this weekend and recharge for a final push in the sales of your medical spa services that will carry you through the summer!  Summer really slows down in our biz so we need to be aggressive in selling packages over the next two months to be busy in the summer vacation months!!!!!!