Rewind the clock a few years, and the average person probably only knew of one or two specific brands in the aesthetic industry and about categories of treatment like laser or liposuction. Over the last few years, thanks to significant marketing efforts, online influencers, celebrity endorsement, and a focus on transparency on social media, there is much more information and recommendations about specific procedures and brands. It has become much more common for even first-time patients to have a specific treatment in mind. This comes with a pro and a con. Deeper education can help patients and providers effectively communicate with regard to goals. That said, every patient’s results are unique, and it is very important for patients to trust their provider to make recommendations based on their goals. If a patient is deadset on getting a specific treatment or procedure they saw online, it could potentially get in the way of their best results.

Outside of treatments, knowledge about the importance of certifications and credentials has become much more pervasive. There have been a variety of news stories and journalism surrounding the topics of practices that do not have adequate credentials, or the ways in which medspas or cosmetic surgeons can sometimes imply a level of expertise that they do not really have. We covered in an earlier article this year the importance of board certification from the American Board of Plastic Surgery, because their regulations are the strictest.