Patients place more importance on price than safety says Allergan survey
Interest in medial aesthetics is at an all-time high, however patients often place more importance on price than safety, according to a new report by global pharmaceutical company Allergan on perceptions of beauty.
As part of its 360° Aesthetics Report, the Botox manufacturer asked more than 14,500 “aesthetically conscious” consumers aged 21-65 in 18 countries around the world what their first question is upon an initial consultation for a non-invasive procedure such as injectables or body-contouring treatments.
Cost was revealed as the primary concern, followed by effectiveness of treatment and lastly, safety.
Among the respondents, who all self-identified as “interested in looking better and willing to spend on it”, 69% said looking their best was important for daily activities, while for 64%, looking fit and healthy and keeping up with beauty trends contributes to confidence.
As such, 63% said they consider spending money to improve the way their face looks worthwhile, with “natural”, “smooth”, “soft” and “healthy” the most commonly used words to describe current beauty ideals that consumers wish to achieve through treatments.
While the report credits the body positivity movement with broadening definitions of beauty around the world, only 32% of those surveyed said they were satisfied with their body shape, and 53% would consider a non-invasive body-contouring treatment.
Mainstream acceptability of procedures such as injectables in recent years has been a key driver in the increase in value of the medical aesthetics market, predicted to be worth approximately $26.53 billion (£21bn) by 2024, up from $10.12 (£7.7bn) billion in 2016.
82% of respondents worldwide said they believe injectable treatments are now socially acceptable. This is reflected in the insight from the 1,300 doctors and aesthetic practitioners Allergan spoke to for the report, 63% of which said they expect their volume of patients to increase in the next year.
Similarly, 73% of the consumers asked said they expect to spend money on aesthetic treatments in the next year, compared to 50% who reported spending in the past year.
Upper facial lines and wrinkles were revealed as one of the consumers’ top five biggest concerns, regardless of age, while 54% said under-eye bags were a top concern.
Globally, millennials (ages 21-35) are 33% more likely to consider preventative treatment in these areas than older groups.
Regardless of age, word-of-mouth recommendations and internet searches came out as joint top sources for treatment information, both with 37% of the respondents saying this was their go-to when researching procedures.
