Is Aesthetics Over-Saturated? Experts Weigh In

“Is aesthetics over-saturated?” – This is a major concern among healthcare professionals looking to make the switch to medical aesthetics. But it needn’t be!

Medical aesthetics is a rich specialisation which is constantly growing and evolving, meaning there’s room for an array of practitioners.

When considering the UK aesthetics industry specifically, it’s also important to recognise how different its make-up is compared to other countries.

We currently have little-to-no regulation in the UK as to who can practice aesthetic medicine. This has led to procedures being far more widely and cheaply available. Yet these are generally provided by unqualified injectors in unsafe and/or unsanitary surroundings.

As a medically trained, qualified and licensed practitioner, you have an advantage from the outset. But don’t just take our word for it, let’s hear from a few respected medical injectors on whether they believe aesthetics is over-saturated.

Dr Tristan Mehta, Harley Academy founder and executive chairman; aesthetics specialist at STORY Marylebone.

“I believe aesthetics is saturated but not over-saturated. It’s such a huge, rapidly evolving field with so many possibilities – not just in terms of the different treatments and potential for specialisations, but for offering patients the best possible service and outcomes. Aesthetics is about combining artistic skill with safe, knowledgeable medical practice. This means each individual is likely to have a slightly different view as to what will provide the best results for a patient. Think of it this way, there are plenty of hairdressers and colourists around but no-one considers that market ‘over-saturated’.

“It’s important to explore medical aesthetics and find your niche. This could be doing a particular injectable treatment such as cheek fillers, but doing them incredibly well and offering the highest standard of patient care so you become a trusted specialist in that area.

“You can also evolve your practice over time and, don’t forget, as a healthcare professional who is trained to the highest standards in aesthetics, Level 7 students have something unique to offer in this respect too. Being Level 7 qualified is a selling point in and of itself; it’s just a question of communicating this to your patients in the right way so they understand your point of difference and why this is so important.”

Dr Jaymi Lad, Harley Academy clinical trainer; owner and aesthetics practitioner at Javivo Clinic, Manchester.

“I do think the aesthetics market is a very competitive one. However, if you look at some of the audits performed by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, it is an industry that’s growing incredibly fast and it does so every single year. So, I do think there is still scope to work within this industry.

“There have been some high profile cases of complications caused by non-medical injectors floating around social media at the moment, so I think there’s always going to be a demand for appropriately-trained, safe healthcare practitioner injectors when it comes to non-surgical cosmetic treatments.

“I would recommend being really vocal about your background, who you are, why you’re practising in the industry and what you have to offer.”

Dr Jhonny Salomon, a plastic surgeon and practice owner based in Miami, Florida, USA explained his philosophy on standing out in the market, to Brainstorm Digital.

“Who are you as a person? If you can work that out, people will connect. It’s very genuine. It might take you a while to discover and then for the public to become aware of it, but you need to think about how you create that brand. Owners often think they need to promote their clinic, but often they would be better off marketing themselves.”

The same article also has some great advice on choosing a niche and becoming a real specialist, from respected UK aesthetics practitioners Dr Vincent Wong and Dija Ayodele. Each of these industry figures has carved successful careers from specialising in a highly-targeted area, for example, Ayodele and her West Room Aesthetics clinic focus on treating skin of colour.

We hope you enjoy pondering these insightful views from real industry specialists and use them to inspire your own journey to aesthetics excellence!