January 31, 2024—Venturing into the world of laser and light aesthetics can be an exciting journey for new medical aesthetics practices.
If you’ve recently purchased a new device or are contemplating an investment, learning these 10 keys to success will help enhance your skills, expand your patient base, and increase your revenue.
Read on to discover tips from Dr. Chris Robb, MD, Ph.D. FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist, cosmetic surgeon, and co-founder of the Skin and Allergy Center in TN and Matt Taranto, President of Mint Aesthetics, an advanced training and consulting company specializing in med spa education.
Experts in their fields, Dr. Robb was a recent speaker in Sciton’s webinar, Enhance Your Practice’s ROI and Patient Satisfaction with MOXI™ and HALO® Skin Resurfacing Treatments while Taranto’s Kansas City medspa, Aestheticare, earned recognition as one of the Top 10 Medspas in the US by the American Med Spa Association (AmSpa). Taranto shares his pearls for practice success in Sciton’s webinar, Smart Business Tips for Purchasing & Positioning Energy-based Technology.
Tip #1: Never stop training
According to Dr. Robb, ongoing training is a fundamental key to success. Attend preceptorships, conferences, and webinars, and actively engage with professionals in the field to foster a community of learning, he says.
Taranto reveals that a staggering 80% of all clinics his company works with lack adequate training. He advises clients to attend manufacturer-provided training and invest in additional opportunities for skill enhancement.
Research and identify top clinics in your area with your new device and reach out to these clinics to see if they offer training. Be proactive in amplifying your success by investing in training with local providers, says Taranto.
Nothing will make you more money than an incredibly well-trained staff. And nothing will lose you more money than a poorly trained staff, says Taranto. He allocates an annual budget of 60-80K for advanced training for his medspa, underscoring the importance of ongoing education.
To explore Sciton’s preceptorships and training opportunities, visit our website.
Register here for all available preceptorships.
Register for Dr. Patrick Bitter, Jr., MD’s BroadBand (BBL®) preceptorship here.
Tip #2: Join membership societies for aesthetics professionals
Participating in tradeshows and membership societies offers networking opportunities and establishes a foundation for connecting with peers, mentors, and industry leaders. This, in turn, nurtures a supportive network where professionals can seek advice and share experiences.
Beyond networking, professionals may benefit from access to educational sessions that enhance their clinical skills and further enrich their knowledge base.
Dr. Robb emphasizes the importance of ongoing learning by participating in societies such as the American Society for Laser Medicine & Surgery (ASLMS), the Medical Aesthetics Professional Meeting (MAP), and the Aesthetic Extender Symposium (AES).
These meetings offer invaluable opportunities for those embarking on a journey in aesthetics and provide a platform for sharing information, learning, and growth, says Dr. Robb.
Involvement in tradeshows and membership societies is important for fostering professional growth, maintaining the latest industry knowledge, and building a robust community.
Tip #3: Market your training initiatives
Taranto says marketing your training efforts is a strategic move to showcase your dedication to continuous improvement.
Utilize your social channels and website to showcase the ongoing development of your staff’s skills and expertise. By sharing your commitment to education, you signal to your clients that your practice is dedicated to staying at the forefront of advancements in the field, Taranto says.
Marketing your training initiatives instills confidence in your practice and positions your clinic as a leader in providing top-notch services.
Tip #4: Treat your staff, family, and friends first
Be cautious if you’re new to laser and light-powered devices, advises Dr. Robb.
Begin by treating your nursing staff, friends, and family—and even if your initial treatments yield minimal results, remember this is normal. Take your time, says Dr. Robb; mastery will come with experience.
Dr. Robb encourages an open line of communication with your Sciton family, including your local representative, who can connect you with an experienced Sciton nurse educator or a key opinion leader (KOL) within the industry to guide you when addressing questions related to unfamiliar cases.
He advises to share your patient cases, including images, and seek advice on the best course of treatment from a community of experienced providers.
Reminding practitioners that everyone starts out not knowing all the answers, Dr. Robb says that by actively engaging in this collaborative process, you’ll become the go-to resource for others in your field seeking expertise in the future.
Tip #5: Invest wisely, avoid cutting corners
Avoid shortcuts and invest wisely in your devices, says Taranto. In this industry, quality matters, he says, so don’t opt for cheap alternatives.
“There are some great aesthetic devices on the market today, but 60%, in my opinion, are snake oil,” he says. “They don’t live up to their claims, and the marketing behind these products often exceeds the science.”
Taranto says thorough research and discernment are essential to avoid making painful six-figure mistakes.
What questions should you ask before partnering with a medical aesthetics device company? Here’s a helpful guide.
Tip #6: Create a winning menu of service
Building a successful menu of services begins by assessing your ability to address high-demand conditions, such as the appearance of sun damage, aging skin, and fat.
Next, you want to ensure that your service offerings cater to a range of budgets and that all your treatments are high quality, using a “good, better, best” approach, says Taranto.
“Everything on your menu needs to be good. Don’t have treatments you or your staff don’t believe in.”
Finally, you’ll want to perform a comprehensive menu review every six months and consider feedback from your staff regarding patient satisfaction. “You want treatments people love so much they want their mom, sister, and friends to try it, too,” Taranto says.
The goal is to offer treatments that clients not only appreciate but enthusiastically recommend to others, creating a positive word-of-mouth effect.
Tip #7: Invest in the most in-demand devices
Evaluate your treatments not only for client retention but also for generating referrals.
According to Taranto, the following five treatments contribute to almost 60% of revenue in his client’s clinics:
- Neurotoxins
- Dermal fillers
- Forever Young BBL®
- HALO®
- Non-invasive body contouring
Taranto identifies these as today’s hottest treatments:
- IPL (BBL)—BBL (BroadBand light) is recognized as the gold standard for addressing reds and browns in the skin. It’s a faster, more versatile, and safer way of performing IPL, says Taranto. “BBL is the best no-downtime treatment ever developed in aesthetics, says Taranto. “We do not have a client without it.” To learn how much revenue Taranto’s clinic earns with BBL, watch the webinar here.
- Fractional (HALO)— Recognized by clinicians as the best fractional device on the market, HALO is a dual fractional laser with both ablative and non-ablative wavelengths. Taranto says HALO is considered one of his clinics’ foundational treatments and accounts for this much of his clinic’s revenue.
- Fat devices
- Hair removal (BARE HR™)—Sciton’s lightning-fast laser hair reduction treatment for all skin types is a staple at Taranto’s medspa.
- Microneedling and RF microneedling
- Tissue tightening
- No-downtime exfoliation devices
Tip #8: Pay close attention to client satisfaction
“Make sure your staff loves it. If your staff loves it, you’re going to sell it,” says Taranto, emphasizing the importance of staff buy-in for successful treatment sales. Confidently anticipate the success of Sciton’s devices, says Taranto. As patients witness visible results, word-of-mouth referrals increase.
Dr. Robb attests to a fully booked schedule for HALO, MOXI™, and BBL procedures, which he says is primarily driven by satisfied patients spreading the word in person and on social media.
To hear more about Dr. Robb’s experience with Sciton treatments in his practice and his clinical treatment pearls for MOXI and HALO, tune into the webinar.
Tip #9: Ask for references
Taranto emphasizes the importance of doing your due diligence before investing in a medical aesthetics device, advising practice owners to actively seek out references.
Taranto says to trust your rep to provide you with a genuine reference, one who is unprepared for your call. Unbiased opinions, says Taranto, are always more valuable.
When reaching out to a reference, Taranto recommends asking them, based on their experience with the device, if they would choose to invest in it again. This question is a key factor in gauging the device’s long-term efficacy and the satisfaction of those with hands-on experience with it.
Tip #10: Grasp the complete financial picture
Taranto says it’s essential to understand the cost per procedure to guarantee profitability. Practitioners should also assess the device’s overall cost, factoring in maintenance, consumables, and potential upgrade costs.
Additionally, Taranto advises taking into account the cost of the warranty.
Having a thorough, clear, and realistic understanding of these financial aspects is vital for making a well-informed decision, says Taranto.
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