The last 15 years, laser medicine has developed rapidly and has become an important area in the field of aesthetic medicine. So, speaking of hair removal, removal of blood vessels and scars, acne and fungi, we immediately have associations with laser & nbsp; services. This direction is currently developing most dynamically, but in order to increase the profitability of the business, it is very important to maintain the quality of the services provided and constantly monitor trends and novelties in this area.
Head physician of the group of clinics of laser medicine and cosmetology "KOHERENT", dermatologist-cosmetologist, Ph.D. ways to solve them.
Experience abroad: US market for aesthetic services
According to the report of Dr. Leonardo Marini (Italy), the average life expectancy of people by 2050 will increase by 8 years. This will entail many changes and perspectives in the field of aesthetic medicine, because people will want to keep their beauty and youth longer. If we consider the experience of the United States, from 1997 to 2013 the number of non-surgical procedures increased by 9 times. According to the Association of American Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS), Americans spent $13.5 billion on aesthetic services in 2015.
In one year, interest in non-surgical skin tightening has grown by more than 50%. Already in 2016, they spent $15 billion. Moreover, the demand for photorejuvenation has grown by as much as 36%, fillers are also not far behind. It is also worth noting that more and more clients are seeking tattoo removal.
The state of the market of laser services in Ukraine
Despite the crisis, the market for laser procedures in Ukraine is growing: for example, in a year (2015 –2016), it has almost doubled, all other areas are also developing dynamically. Today, the total volume of the aesthetic services market in the country is estimated at about UAH 1 billion, of which approximately UAH 300–350 million per year – accounts for laser services.
According to the latest data, 280–300 laser devices are regularly operated, employing 180–200 doctors and about 500 specialists with secondary education. The total number of procedures performed with the laser – about 500 thousand per year. More than half – laser hair removal.
In the world, the average percentage of complications is 3-5%, and in Ukraine – 10%. Therefore, when specialists proudly say that the percentage of complications is only 10-15 – it's actually awful.
If we compare the US with a population of 300 million, the aesthetic services industry has a revenue of $15 billion, while in our country with a population of 40 million – only 30 million dollars, which means Ukraine is 65 times behind.
Actual problems of laser services in Ukraine
Although there is a rapidly growing demand for laser treatments, There are a number of difficulties that negatively affect the profitability of the business and the quality of services. One of the reasons is illiterate pricing. For example, one procedure for laser hair removal of the upper lip using a diode laser in the USA costs $30, in Europe – 45 euros, and in Ukraine – less than 6 dollars. A survey was conducted "How do you structure your pricing in the clinic or for your services?" and 70% of respondents answered that they form prices, focusing on the average prices of competitors.
Only 5% involve economists and marketers in order to correctly calculate the profitability. Strategically, dumping prices for services leads to the fact that the market at least does not grow, at most tends to die out, because over the past 15 years the demand for services has grown, and their cost has not changed against the backdrop of a 10-fold fall in the national currency. As a result, the return on investment has increased significantly, and the purchase of high-quality equipment has become simply unprofitable. At the same time, unfair competition led to a critical decline in the quality of laser services. In the period from 2008 to 2015, about 30% of laser salons, centers, clinics were closed.
The absence of a laser specialist training program in universities and quality control by the state (MOH certification) negatively affects the development of the industry.
As a result, we observe:
– frivolous attitude of specialists and equipment owners to training and safety control;
– replacement of high-quality expensive equipment with cheap analogues.
There are 3-4 fakes per one device of the original developer sold in Ukraine, as a result of which the level of service security is reduced. This, in turn, leads to an increase in the percentage of complications and a negative attitude towards the industry as a whole. As a result, over the past two years, the number of complications (scars, pigmentation) has increased significantly. In order to avoid complications after the procedure due to the fault of a specialist, it is very important to always work according to the protocol.
The most common question of specialists today (60-70%): "How to polish pigmentation after laser resurfacing?" Fortunately, there is already a good laser to eliminate melasma and pigmentation, which makes it possible to solve the aesthetic problem due to the occurrence of this kind of complication.
Organization of a profitable business in the field of laser medicine
Today, in the conditions of the Ukrainian market, it is necessary to competently approach the issue of pricing and correct positioning:
– you should not dump prices, you should set yourself apart from a competitor through competent positioning: it is important to offer the client a better service, and not a low price;
– you need to convince the client that you do not save on equipment, training yourself and staff.
You can consider the experience of foreign colleagues on the example of a network of clinics «PPP laser clinic». The name stands for "Pimple, pore, pigmentation" – in translation "pimple, time, pigmentation".
The owner decided to specialize in order to invest in fewer but better quality equipment.
As it turned out, this type of service is in great demand in the Indonesian market, and after just a couple of years, the number of clinics is over 50. Mostly young specialists work there, more than 40 good quality lasers were purchased in two years.
Reason for project success:
– competent positioning;
– investment in quality equipment;
– economically justified cost of services.
News and trends in 2017 in the field of laser medicine
According to the forecasts of the development of the market for non-surgical aesthetic procedures until 2020, laser procedures and RF will strengthen their position in the market of aesthetic services. If earlier it was only 20%, and fillers and botulinum toxin occupied a large share, then by 2020 the ratio will be 50/50. This is a very rapid development and we expect a significant increase in revenue. This year, there are several main novelties and trends, the popularity of which will grow rapidly in the near future. Accordingly, these areas are promising projects for investment.
– RF microneedling (rejuvenation). The equipment has just appeared, but in the near future it will be possible to get acquainted with it.
– RF stimulation of hair growth in alopecia. Clinic "COHERENT" and the Association for Laser Medicine and Cosmetology have become partners with one of the developers of the new device, and he will provide it to us for research. The preliminary results are very impressive.
– Treatment of hemorrhages (ecchymosis) with IPL and QS lasers.
– Figure modeling with erbium laser and ultrasound.
Recall that the material was written on the recommendations of a dermatologist-cosmetologist, candidate of medical sciences Yegor Kolodchenko.
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