Market Perspectives on Emerging Trends in Cosmetic Surgery

Over the past few decades, cosmetic surgery has evolved dramatically and today treatments are now more popular than ever. According to new figures, just over 31,000 cosmetic procedures occurred in the U.K. in 2022, up around 102% from the previous year. The primary market was found to be women who accounted for 93% of all operations. The overall increase in cosmetic procedures is seen throughout the world as well, particularly in the U.S. which accounts for a massive one fifth of all procedures worldwide. Many have laid focus on Hollywood and world film industries as the propeller of the cosmetic industry but today we also have to consider the impact of social media such as Facebook, Instagram as well as smartphones which make taking a photo or video easier than ever before. Marketing in cosmetic surgery also has a role to play and can be a major impactor which converts someone considering an operation to someone who has fully decided to go ahead with their chosen procedure.

Identifying Target Markets for Cosmetic Surgeries

Although around 90% of cosmetic surgery procedures are done on women, men have become an increasingly viable market as the number of procedures performed on men increased by 118% from 2021 to 2022. We can also see today that cosmetic surgery is not just for the very wealthy and affluent as only 13% of those considering plastic surgery come from households earning $90,000 (£72,000).

The most common age group to go under the knife was between 40 and 54 years of age with caucasian females constituting the bulk of patients.

By understanding the demographics of your target market and audience, you can change the type of services you decide to market as well as how to communicate the value of the specific treatments that you perform. Understanding where your most likely prospective customers live means you can refine your marketing to specific areas, even down to street level.

Most Popular Surgeries

According to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, the five most popular procedures for women in 2022 were breast augmentation (up by 66%), breast reduction (up by 120%), abdominoplasty, commonly referred to as a tummy tuck (up by 130%), liposuction (up by 134%) and blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery (up by 70%).

The most common procedures for men in 2022 were rhinoplasty or a nose job (up by 45%), chest reduction (up by 158%), eye lid surgery (up by 105%), liposuction (up by 150%) and otoplasty or ear corrections (up by 72%).

Refining Your Cosmetic Surgery Marketing Tactics

One of the most overlooked aspects of marketing today is reliance on word of mouth, as in spite of all the information available online there is still nothing more assuring than recommendations from acquaintances, friends or family. One of the best ways of increasing word of mouth is by instituting discounts and referral schemes which often means patients will bring in more clientele themselves. Referral programs (as well as superb end results) also make it more likely that the same patients will come in again with a different treatment in mind.

There can be a lot of fear and doubt associated with cosmetic surgery and one of the best ways to beat this is to offer a complimentary consultation in which digital tools can be used to show patients what to expect after undergoing the knife. This technique is highly valuable as it can eliminate the uncertainty in potential patients and instead inspire hope and positivity in what can be achieved.

Other methods of cosmetic surgery marketing involve:

• Boosting Google rankings – being listed at the top of search results can lead to massive results in more clicks and patients.
• Paying for Pay-Per-Click advertising – this is a much speedier option that means you don’t have to wait many months for your website to organically appear higher on search results.
• Creating quality blog or video content for your website
• Obtaining more reviews from patients and using them in advertising
• Testing advertising campaigns through Facebook and other platforms
• Email Marketing – this can be used to grow your practice, for welcome emails, referral incentives, highlighting success stories etc.
• Use Remarketing – Otherwise known as retargeting, this involves showing advertisements to visitors who have previously come to your website. This is especially useful as patients are likely to research different doctors and practices before making their final decision. Remarketing ads can appear on blogs, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and more.