Dermatologists were the most frequented and trusted resource by aesthetic consumers when exploring cosmetic injectable procedures, according to a presentation at the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery annual meeting.

โ€œSocietyโ€™s growing emphasis on aesthetic beauty has fueled a rapid growth in the aesthetic industry, especially in regard to injectable treatments,โ€ Jordan V. Wang, MD, MBE, MBA, of Laser and Skin Surgery Center of New York, and colleagues wrote. โ€œAs cosmetic practitioners, it is important to know the general perspective of patients in order to effectively market aesthetic procedures, provide sufficient patient education and meet a growing consumer demand.โ€

To better understand the perspective of aesthetic consumers, an online survey was distributed to gather demographic data as well as experiences and attitudes toward fat transfer, soft-tissue fillers and neurotoxins.

Of 106 respondents, 31.1% reported having a previous cosmetic procedure, of which 36.4% intended to pursue an additional procedure in the future. For cosmetic injectables, 17.9% of respondents reported receiving fat transfer (mean age: 41.1 years), 9.4% of respondents reported receiving soft-tissue fillers (mean age: 31.5 years) and 9.4% reported receiving neurotoxins (mean age: 35.4 years).

In terms of familiarity, respondents were similarly knowledgeable about each cosmetic procedure. While 49.1% of respondents wanted to learn more about fat transfer, less interest was reported in soft-tissue fillers (44.3%) and neurotoxins (38.7%).

When seeking information about cosmetic procedures, dermatologists were the most frequented (39.6%) and trusted (45.3%) resource. Overall, 23.6% of respondents were actively pursuing a cosmetic procedure, and 32.2% of respondents were considering pursuing a cosmetic procedure.

โ€œAesthetic consumers have varying degrees of knowledge and beliefs on fat transfer, soft-tissue fillers and neurotoxins,โ€ Wang and colleagues wrote. โ€œConsumers rely on various factors when deciding to participate in cosmetic interventions.โ€

[Source(s): American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Healio]