Hunt for Perfection

Aesthetic treatments

Hunt for perfection

Non-surgical treatments are on the rise and they can prove incredibly profitable.

Professional Beauty shows you how to put everything from Botox to body sculpting on your menu

making your own medispa

Our experts Dr Patrick Bowler

is the medical director of Court House Clinics and the co-founder and fellow of The British Association of Cosmetic Doctors. He is the co-founder of Cosmeceuticals, and launched Vitage, his own range of anti-oxidant corrective products in 2004. He is the author of The Nervous Girl’s Guide to Nip & Tuck.

Kevin Turnbull

is the chief executive of SpaFinder Europe, the European arm of the largest spa marketing company in the world. He worked in the luxury automotive sector prior to joining SpaFinder and has an extensive marketing background and has spoken at industry events throughout the UK and Europe.

Tracey Bell

is a pioneer for personal reinvention and an emotive beauty specialist. She is a cosmetic dentist and advanced aesthetic practitioner and a member of Birmingham University Prep Panel.

Bell is a speaker for the BDA and is also a validator for Botox and lectures for Q-med.

Aesthetic treatments can offer a financial boon.

Sara McCorquodale reveals the facts

F

Rajiv Grover

or many spa and salon owners, the popularity surge for Botox and fillers means that they will feature on their menus soon – if they don’t already. While having this procedures was once a secret of the smooth-faced, they are no longer taboo, and medispas are all over the UK. In 2003, the British Association of Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) reported it had injected 10,200 patients with Botox that year. At this point, the word itself wasn’t even part of the British vocabulary. And, although there has been no recent statistic released to show its growth, the number of people subscribing to it is likely to be six digits.

These days, Botox, fillers and laser procedures are associated with maintaining a youthful look while avoiding the surgeon’s scalpel. They’re so acceptable in Western society that even Kylie Minogue admitted to being a fan in an Elle interview this year, an admission that proves they’ve gone mainstream.

is a consultant plastic surgeon with a Harley Street practice. He graduated in medicine with a triple distinction from the University of London, won a scholarship to Harvard and was awarded a Hunterian Professorship from the Royal College of Surgeons. He sits on the council of BAAPS.

contents

32 How to create a successful medispa 33 Our experts in aesthetics for this issue 34 The best ways to market your non-surgical treatment menu 36 Why medi-wellness centres work worldwide 38 Put it into practice: how three businesses have made medispa work for them 32 Professional Beauty August 2009

Left: Face Etc says it gives clients the VIP treatment and above: Tracey Bell has seen an 18% increase in non-surgical solutions www.professionalbeauty.co.uk

www.professionalbeauty.co.uk

Kevin Turnbull, CEO of Spa Finder Europe, believes including these treatments is a prudent move, because the demand for them will not cease. He says: “We’ve seen a significant rise in demand for aesthetic treatments – from Botox to teeth whitening – as well as the availability of facilities targeting fitness, anti-ageing and lifestyle.”

Rise in interest

Tracey Bell, owner of four eponymous aesthetic clinics in Liverpool and the Isle of Man, agrees.

“We have seen an 18% rise in treatments in laser, non-surgical and medispa. People can buy effective home kits for facials and peels, so now they want more from their treatments – therapeutic visible results,” she says.

“We have also had a 52% increase on product sales, such as skincare takehome products and mineral make-up.”

The potential growth and financial benefits are undoubted. However, converting a facility from a spa trequires more than just hiring a practitioner who is handy with a needle. Initially, says Turnbull, potential medispa August 2009 Professional Beauty 33

Aesthetic treatments

Main pic: Chelmsford’s Wellness Clinic positions itself as an expert in the local press while (below) Cranwell House offers relaxation and results

useful websites

r www.cqc.org.uk Confusing site, but the info you need is in the “Guidance for Professionals” section r www.baaps.org.uk More of a “Find a surgeon” service, but does have interesting articles on aesthetics r www.surgery.org US site with comprehensive procedure details and photos

providers need to find out what their target consumer wants.

“Do basic research,” he says. “If you think your clients would be interested in nutritional advice – ask them.”

Sourcing a quality practitioner to administer the treatments is vital. Nigel Mercer, president of BAAPS, says: “Anyone injecting Botox or any type of filler has to be medically qualified. A nurse who works with a doctor can do the injections, but only following a consultation with and a prescription from a doctor. Anyone who wants to offer treatments should try to work with their local plastic surgeon.

“Without this, the procedure could go wrong and have terrible side effects.

The patient could be on medication that reacts badly with the treatment or they could be allergic to it. Also, if the Botox is injected in the wrong place it could leave someone unable to chew for three to four months.”

Operators providing laser treatments have to be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), previously known as the Healthcare Commission.

Before a potential medispa achieves registration, it is vetted. The CQC assesses the people wishing to provide the service – including practitioners and managers. It also rates the suitability of the premises and the services.

To register, business owners must pay a non-refundable fee that is dependent on their type and size. The process lasts for eight to 12 weeks.

The registration form can be found online and applicants must also provide additional documentation, such as employment reference, proof of qualifications, a recent medical check, a financial reference and proof of registration at Companies House. Applicants must also be checked by the Criminal Records Bureau. If successful, sites will be inspected by CQC every five years.

Charlotte Nial, proprietor of Cranwell House in Ingatestone, Essex,

34 Professional Beauty August 2009

“Make sure whoever is providing these services, such as injectables, for you will give exemplary follow-up service, especially if something goes wrong” recently successfully completed this process. She accredits this to hiring an aesthetic consultant to assist her and dogged determination. She says: “It’s a lot of paperwork and you have to be fully committed to providing these treatments before you start. It’s something I was extremely passionate about and knew I could handle quite well.

Words of wisdom

The basic steps of opening a medispa or introducing such treatments into an existing facility are fairly simple. But, there are a few words of wisdom rookies would be well-advised to heed to guide them through the process.

Dr Patrick Bowler, consultant plastic surgeon, explained the pitfalls that often trip up new medispas and how to avoid them. He says: “One mistake many businesses make when calling themselves a medispa is to over-promise and under-deliver on results. Managing expectations is key to what we do in the medical aesthetic field.

“When selecting products and services, look for independently verified clinical studies that have a ‘double blind’ element to ensure the products live up to their claims. Ensure your teams are sufficiently trained in their treatment procedures and knowledge of the causes of various skin conditions

such as premature ageing and acne so they can prescribe appropriate products and services. If you are offering doctors’ services, such as injections, then make sure whoever is providing these services for you will give exemplary follow-up service, especially if something goes wrong.”

Bell also offered her advice. She says: “Introduce one thing at a time, watch out for costs and contracts. Also make sure you have your budget set and prices for advertising and marketing your new services are in place.”

Financial incentive

So, with care, your spa could become that of the medi variety. Just make sure your customers want the treatments and you have a good enough administering practitioner to avoid law suits and aesthetic disasters. These procedures are increasingly popular and the potential financial incentive is huge, with clinics able to charge upwards of £300 for a session of Botox, depending on location. And as the stigma once attached to these kinds of treatments is rapidly diminishing, people are more likely to be open to them. Catchy tunes, gold hotpants, the character Charlene in Neighbours – and now acceptable injectables. We’ve a lot to thank Kylie for, that’s for sure. PB www.professionalbeauty.co.uk