Massification of facial "touch-ups"? The hypothesis – suggested by a quick review of Instagram stories – is confirmed by various specialists consulted by Clarín. Although there are no official statistics, the greater offer of products and variety of amounts available resulted in an increase in circulation in clinics. The range of age and gender range has expanded, but now so has the socioeconomic range.
"I think there is greater access to treatments, beyond purchasing power. When there is planning, they can be done. I see that in my patients," says André Amaral. An expert in aesthetic medicine, he has an Instagram account with almost 30 thousand followers. There he shares daily recommendations, information about products, techniques and market news.
In her office in Puerto Madero, she serves a professional audience, composed of 60% of women between 28 and 87 years old. Men, who make up the remaining 40%, range between 30 and 50 years old. The orders he receives the most are injectables: Botox, hyaluronic acid and biostimulators.
How much do they spend on average? The doctor says that the syringes of the brands he uses start in the equivalent of four or five serums. Of course, each patient has different needs. Therefore, he prefers to talk about "value" – related to quality and safety – rather than "price".
Treatments in the periocular area are in high demand. Photo Archive
It rejects the concept of "covering up problems." For him, you can't think of multiple zones in isolation. Therefore, it gives special importance to consultation. "It is the instance in which the professional uses all the knowledge he has to talk to the patient, suggest procedures and their distribution over time. People trivialize this moment and think only about the injection," he explains.
Its slogan is to "manage aging" – an unstoppable process – with "natural and elegant results". And he emphasizes the importance of approaching each person in an artisanal and individualized way. "When you know where you are aiming, where you want to go, treatments can be programmed at different stages, throughout the year," he summarizes.
Several colleagues agree: although budgets are high in the context of depreciated salaries and an economy in crisis, these treatments ceased to be niche and expanded their audience. When patients find trained doctors, who ethically dialogue with their expectations and possibilities, aesthetic medicine becomes more affordable.
The economy, one of the reasons
Lorena Claus is a gynecologist. But he expanded his specialization and five years ago he has been working in the aesthetic field and for three years, also in regenerative gynecology. It has just opened Espacio Blaze in the Castelar area, where it treats middle class or upper middle class patients. "Many tend to save for treatments. They are not always loose in terms of pocket, but they know that it is not impossible either, "explains the doctor.
In the same vein, he says: "I think people seek to spend money on things that make them feel happy, just like clothes. In the case of aesthetic treatments, trust well-known professionals. There are those who cannot raise money to buy a property, a goal increasingly distant, and choose issues that make their well-being. "
Social networks, the publicity of laboratories and centers, as well as the greater circulation of information, stimulate demand. So, paradoxically, does the economic context. Especially when the aspiration to have a house or a car – which normally accompanied the middle sectors of Argentine society – is more distant on the horizon.
What is most requested is botulinum toxin, especially to inhibit expression wrinkles in the upper third of the face. Its approximate value is $ 55,000 and lasts five to six months. At a similar price starts the hyaluronic acid filler for lips, also very requested. Mesotherapy, another very required option, is around $ 7,000 per session the national and $ 10,000 the imported.
Botulinum toxin, both to reduce and prevent expression wrinkles, remains one of the most chosen procedures. Photo Archive
"There is also a lot of wonder about Profhilo andLong Lasting, two injectable biostimulators, which are placed under the skin, to generate a lifting effect and deep hydration. But not everyone can afford it," Claus continues. In these treatments, which are from international laboratories, inflation has a direct impact on the bill and costs about $ 100,000.
For a year, the specialist worked in a popular neighborhood ofGonzález Catán. Although some patients asked for Botox and hyaluronic acid fillers, in general they were inclined towards cheaper options: there treatments for cellulite and localized adiposity prevailed.
Rich plasma... Not just for the rich
By Aesthetic Master have passed celebrities such as Gastón Pauls and Connie Ballarini. The center of Caballito offers all kinds of facial and body treatments: from massages to appliances and injectables.
Patients with greater purchasing power choose it for Ultherapy or "lifting without surgery" (a non-invasive procedure that stimulates the production of collagen and elastin), fillers, tensioning threads and suitable threads, biostimulators and Botox.
"We also regularly receive many middle-class people, for treatments such as permanent hair removal, deep facial cleansing and more accessible treatments such as platelet-rich plasma," says Luisa Silvana Álvarez, its medical director.
Platelet-rich plasma is booming. Photo Archive
Plasma -as indicated by all interviewees- is gaining more and more place. It consists of a rejuvenating therapy, which uses a concentrate of the patient's own platelets -through a blood extraction- in a small volume of plasma. It contains large reserves of proteins and growth factors that help regenerate the skin. It is placed by microinjections and used to make a decongestant mask.
It produces noticeable effects and involves many sessions a year. The cost is around $ 20,000, so it is more friendly to salaries than other techniques. Being an autologous material, it does not generate contraindications, such as allergies or reactions, says Álvarez: "It works in a preventive and restorative way, improves vascular influx, activates cell regeneration and restores skin vitality."
It is placed both on the face and neck, as well as on the scalp, to prevent hair loss and recover growth or strength. Among men with signs of alopecia it has gained a lot of popularity.
Needle-free alternatives
Jonathan Di Giunta is a cosmiatrist and founder of the beauty center of the same name. With their team -of which a dermatologist participates- they offer lasers, fillers, Botox and plasma. However, the most requested are chemical peels, dermaplaning treatments (a method of physical exfoliation for the removal of dead cells and facial hair) and dermapen (a transdermal penetration system with compounds to firm, lift and rejuvenate the skin).
Dermaplaning is another highly requested technique for the face and body. Photo Instagram @jonathandigiunta.beautycenter
For the cosmiatrist "without a doubt" there is a democratization of aesthetic treatments. And he expands: "They are looking for them from all socioeconomic sectors. During the last few years there has been a lot of awareness about facial care. There are people who strive to come and I value it very much. I always say it's not just about aesthetics, it's about skin health."
Di Giunta believes that the boom in skincare and treatments was one of the few positive consequences of the pandemic. "It was a terrible time for everyone. We were so long locked up, away from our bonds, that we looked at ourselves. People began to understand that he had skin pathologies such as comedones or rosacea. And he learned that there were solutions."
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This care is adapted to income. The important thing is that all recommendations are made by a professional. Each skin is a world, it has different needs and reactions. It is important to make the right and positive investment," he concludes.
When cheap is expensive
Amaral, a reference in injectables and the use of lasers, insists that we should not think only about the immediate, but in the medium and long term. And it calls to distrust the offers.
"Those who look for the cheap, often neglect the value or even the origin of the products," he summarizes. How many patients know that they must ask to be shown the products and take the stamp of what they injected? Educating about these issues is what motivates the doctor to answer in his Instagram stories the questions that come to him daily.
"I prefer the guarantee of working safely, using top quality brands, which are usually international. Sometimes, professionals do not explain the variables that influence low prices. One example is botulinum toxin. The company recommends diluting the container with 2 ml of saline solution, but some do it by up to 10 ml to make it yield more. What's the matter? It will not last and the patient will not be satisfied, "he closes.
When it comes to going to this type of treatment, not only is a harmonious result at stake, but health.
ACE
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