Merz and Candela partner to meet demand for a full spectrum of aesthetic treatments.
By Tonya Johnson
Merz Aesthetics and Candela Corporation are working together to provide what the two companies are describing as “one of the broadest medical aesthetics portfolios in the world.” The collaboration will start in North America with the intention to expand the device, injectable, and skincare portfolios globally. It will provide customers access to comprehensive offerings for products, customized treatment opportunities, education, and support services. The new solution is designed to meet the emerging patient demand for a full-spectrum approach to self-care and optimal skin.
According to Bob Rhatigan, global chief executive officer of Merz Aesthetics, the deal is also designed to streamline purchasing. “It is another way we can deliver value for customers,” he stated in a press release.
Candela chief executive officer, Geoffrey Crouse, says, “The introduction of the Merz Aesthetics and Candela collaboration is the perfect time for doctors to consider new device purchases. The package offerings provide compelling practice economics for devices, injectables (with the exception of Xeomin, which is not discounted), and topical skincare products. The collaboration allows a more comprehensive approach to practice support through sales, education, and service teams with a common goal to drive practice growth.”
As consumer demand continues to expand for aesthetic solutions to support health and well-being, Crouse also reports that Candela is excited to promote its aesthetic device portfolio to Merz Aesthetics customers and offer injectables and topicals to its own customer base. “We look forward to providing customers with unique packaged offerings that deliver clinical value to aesthetic practices,” he says.
Plastic Surgery Practice interviewed the two executives about partnership benefits, recommendations for medical aesthetic devices and treatment solutions, as well as what the growing self-care revolution means for the market.
Geoffrey Crouse, CEO, Candela Corporation
Bob Rhatigan, Global CEO, Merz Aesthetics
What is the goal for your partnership?
Rhatigan:
Merz Aesthetics is committed to finding innovative solutions to meet customer needs. The collaboration gives customers easier access to practice building solutions and their patients access to a broad portfolio of medical aesthetics products and procedures, especially at a time where we are seeing an influx of new patients into the market. Clients will continue to work with their existing sales reps.
Crouse:
This unparalleled collaboration will benefit practices and their patients by providing easy access to comprehensive offerings for products and support services. By integrating the wide range of energy-based devices from Candela with the Merz Aesthetics injectable and skincare portfolio, practices will be poised to better meet their patients’ needs for a full-spectrum approach to medical aesthetics and optimal skin.
What are the top devices you recommend for treatment?
Crouse:
Candela is proud to be collaborating with Merz Aesthetics. Our top devices offered include:
NORDLYS SYSTEM. The Nordlys multi-application platform has 21 FDA-cleared treatment indications including skin rejuvenation, skin resurfacing, hair removal, and vascular uses. It is a perfect foundational device for practices, treating the most common skin conditions and includes a range of technologies: Narrowband Ellipse IPL for skin rejuvenation and hair removal, fractional non-ablative skin resurfacing with Frax 1550 and the new Frax 1940 (coming soon), as well as Nd:YAG capabilities for skin rejuvenation and vascular treatments. Providers should consider Nordlys as a cornerstone device for their practice because of its multi-application functionality and ability to meet such a wide range of patient treatment needs.
PROFOUND SYSTEM. The Profound system is the only FDA-cleared, real-time temperature controlled microneedling device that delivers long-pulses of radiofrequency (RF) energy to create all three skin fundamentals—elastin, collagen, and hyaluronic acid. It is the only microneedling solution that is clinically proven to create up to 5x the elastin—all from a singular, nonsurgical treatment. For practices looking for an alternative solution to offer patients considering a surgical facelifts and/or body surgery, the Profound system offers a nonsurgical solution. Studies demonstrate that results of a single Profound treatment are 37% of a surgical facelift.
EXCEED MICRONEEDLING. The Exceed medical microneedling device is the only dual indicated, FDA-cleared medical mechanical microneedling for the treatment of both facial wrinkles and facial acne scars. It is a perfect gateway solution to new aestheticians and practices looking for a low-investment, low-profile, medical microneedling technology, founded on German innovation, quality, and standards. For more established practices, the Exceed device offers a clinically proven solution to treat patients looking for a simple, nonsurgical solution to facial wrinkle reduction and/or the treatment of facial acne scars.
ULTHERAPY SYSTEM. From Merz Aesthetics, the Ultherapy device is also included as part of the collaboration. Ultherapy is FDA-cleared to noninvasively lift skin on the neck, under the chin, and on the brow—and also improves lines and wrinkles on the décolletage.
INJECTABLES AND TOPICALS. In addition to devices, the packaged offers incorporate Merz injectables including Xeomin neurotoxin, Radiesse and Belotero facial fillers, and the Neocutis topical skincare line.
Packages are customizable, so all Candela devices are also available, including the Gentle Max Pro laser for hair removal; the Vbeam system, a gold standard in vascular treatments; and the PicoWay system, the complete picosecond platform.
How far do you think the self-care revolution will go, and what does this mean for practitioners?
Rhatigan:
Medical aesthetics procedures have become, and will continue to be, a normal part of a person’s self-care routine. There is now decreased stigma surrounding these treatments, resulting in an influx of empowered, health-conscious consumers wanting to take control of their appearance. Treatments today are seen less as a way to drastically change one’s look, but more as small changes, or “tweakments,” to better represent self-expression. All markets around the globe are seeing strong demand for medical aesthetic procedures, particularly neurotoxin treatments such as Xeomin. This is partially a function of pent up demand due to COVID-19, but many of our customers are seeing unprecedented interest from patients who haven’t had treatment before.
READ MORE: PENT-UP DEMAND FOR AESTHETIC SERVICES BRINGS HORDES (MILLENNIALS IN PARTICULAR) TO REOPENED PRACTICES
Crouse:
The self-care revolution will continue to expand. As shown in the recent 2019 American Society of Plastic Surgeons Statistics Report, in-office cosmetic procedures were up 4%, with $16.7 billion spent on cosmetic procedures in the United States alone. We are seeing similar trends globally with especially strong demand in Asia Pacific. Top aesthetic treatment trends for 2021 include injectables, combination treatments, and fractional resurfacing, per Newbeauty.com. These are all treatments included in our combined offering.
In terms of plastic surgery, we anticipate that practices offering patients a more comprehensive approach to self-care will be most successful going forward. The Candela and Merz Aesthetics collaboration offers exactly this type of comprehensive offering to support practices with devices, injectables and skincare treatments.
Tonya Johnson is associate editor of Plastic Surgery Practice.
