Black Friday deals
Black Friday started as a tradition in the US, being celebrated the day after Thanksgiving, with shops offering huge discounts on high-ticket items to celebrate the start of the Christmas shopping season.
In recent years, the trend has moved to the UK, likely due to American-owned retailers applying the concept to their UK branches. As more companies adopt the idea, consumer expectation has become higher, and now, small businesses are hosting Black Friday sales to meet demand.
Black Friday is a profitable day, but for aesthetic clinics, there are legal and moral responsibilities to patients that need to be considered when advertising offers.
Prescription-only medicines (POMs) like botulinum toxin are not allowed to be advertised according to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). In regard to Black Friday, it is specifically not permitted to offer a discount on a POM, and time-pressure advertisements are strictly prohibited by the guidelines.
Amy Bird, clinical director at Kast Medical Aesthetics, explained her disagreement with the idea of promoting botulinum toxin injections, "It's totally unprofessional and completely illegal, and anyone breaking guidelines should be reported. I am an advocate for this because I believe, as registered professionals, we have a duty of care to our patients."
Dr Arturo Almeida agrees with Bird, saying that, "Medical treatments, like anti wrinkle injections using botulinum toxin, should not be offered in Black Friday, as this will give the false perception of a 'commodity'."
Charlotte Drysdale, head of marketing at Élan Laser Clinics, says, "It’s vital that practitioners and clinics adhere to the standards set by their governing bodies at all times. With most aesthetic clinics offering an extensive menu of treatments to patients, there are so many other options for discounting."
The ASA’s guidelines for other surgical and non-surgical aesthetic treatments are similar. They echo that phrases like “hurry” or the use of a countdown should not be used, and that “marketers should ensure that promotions do not encourage consumers to undergo unnecessary or unwanted interventions.”
The ASA has deemed Black Friday advertisements in breach of its code before. In 2022, a cosmetic surgery provider offered a discount for breast surgery, and the ASA said, “The ad created a sense of undue urgency to respond quickly.”
Dr Sabika Karim of Skin Medical shared her thoughts on the matter, “I am firmly against pressure selling, short-term deals and especially Black Friday deals. It is against our professional standards to encourage people to have treatments based on price.
“Limited time offers can pressure people into having treatments that may not be right for them. At Skin Medical we do not run discounts or promotions at all. Instead, we offer a fair pricing policy which is transparent. We do offer packages; they are the same all year around and available to all our patients.”
Dr Jenny Doyle, chief operating officer at The Clinic Holland Park, gave her advice to practitioners who are frustrated to see clinics going against the guidelines, "I think it is important to do what you feel is right and trust your conscience and ignore those who are flouting the rules."
If clinics want to offer something to their patients for Black Friday, a discount on consultations or non-medical retail products could be safer, more responsible, options.
Kast Medical Aesthetics offers discounts on its Obagi skincare, and some of its non-invasive treatments, like Hydrafacial and BTL Exilis.