The use of social networks, the possibility of using filters and the appearance of applications that allow changing the shape of the face have contributed to generating new needs in younger patients
Spaniards are starting aesthetic medicine treatments earlier each time, since if a decade ago it was at 35 years old, in 2022 it will drop to 20, according to a report from the Spanish Society of Aesthetic Medicine (SEME) that links this greater demand among the younger profile to the influence of social networks.
According to the ‘Dimensioning and socioeconomic impact of Aesthetic Medicine in Spain’, the use of social networks, the possibility of using filters and the appearance of applications that allow changing the shape of the face has contributed to generating new needs in younger patients who in aesthetic consultations demand mainly stuffed with hyaluronic acid on lips and Botulinum toxin.
The report confirms that the pandemic triggered up to 30% aesthetic touches and it is that the mask exposed the upper third of the face and also created the need to improve the look.
Botulinum toxin and the removal of dark circles have been the star treatment in this period and in surgerythe blepharoplastya technique for rejuvenate the eyelids.
The study confirms that aesthetic medicine is a constantly growing market. In 2021, a total of 871,525 medical-aesthetic treatments were carried out in Spain, of which 72% (626,778) corresponded to facials while 22% (191,515) were bodily and 6%, that is, 53,232, hair removal and hair removal.
According to the president of SEME, Juan Antonio Lopez40% of the Spanish population has used aesthetic medicine services on some occasion and of these, a majority 71.8% correspond to women while men account for 28.2%, 6% more than in the last report .
López points out that most patients undergo treatment at least once a year and seek a “natural and temporary beauty, where excessive changes are not perceived and these are not definitive”.
And it is that, according to this specialist, the Spanish population, with higher life expectancies, seeks self-care, feeling better for more years. “They are not following more years of life, but more quality of life”he points out.
Regarding that 60% of the population that does not use aesthetic medicine, the report indicates that a majority (7 out of 10) recognizes that with a VAT reduction, it is currently 21%, they would consider resorting to those treatments.
In Spain, the number of health centers authorized by the Ministry of Health to practice aesthetic medicine amounts to 6,305, 20% more than in 2019.
Since there is no specialty via MIR, to be able to practice it you must have a degree in Medicine and go through specific postgraduate or master’s training, which is already taught in 19 university institutions.
The study highlights that the supplanting of functions in the field of aesthetic medicine is still common and 15% of the patients who have gone to the consultations of the aesthetic doctors associated with SEME recognize that they have suffered the consequences of the intrusion and, in fact, , come from centers where they were treated by an unqualified person for a medical act.
That is why the report insists on the importance of patients always ask for the collegiate number or medical degree to the professional who is treating you in order to verify whether or not you are committing a crime.
And it underlines that putting it into the hands of unauthorized personnel can cause dangerous adverse reactions such as infections, skin necrosis, tissue inflammation, loss of sight or contamination of communicable diseases such as HIV or hepatitis C