Regenerative procedures such as polynucleotides and exosomes have been named the top aesthetic treatment trend in a poll of aesthetic practitioners.
The annual survey, from insurance company Hamilton Fraser, revealed that 64.1% of practitioners are interested in this area.
The other leading trends named were "prejuvenation" (treating younger patients with preventative treatments), which was named by 58.2% of respondents, new applications for radiofrequency (RF) microneedling (43.1%) and weight loss injections (34.6%).
However, injectables were still the most popular treatments already offered, with botulinum toxin and dermal fillers topping the poll.
This was followed by skincare, with 56.9% saying they offered it and 47.1% saying they performed chemical peels.
Microneedling was offered by 36.3%, and mesotherapy by 34.3%.
17% offer light-based device technology such as IPL, LED and laser, while 15% said radiofrequency was on their treatment menu.
Mental health was flagged as an important issue, with more than 85% of respondents saying they had turned patients away if they felt they were unsuitable for treatment, citing body dysmorphia and unrealistic expectations as the top reasons, and 91.5% saying they were routinely looking out for patients displaying any mental health problems.
Nurses made up the largest group of respondents (43.5%), and more than half (55.2%) worked alone.
A high number of respondents (69.6%) said aesthetics was not their main source of income, with half of practitioners still working for the NHS.
In terms of where they were practising, 34% owned their own aesthetic clinics, and 27.5% worked from a clinic within their home when providing aesthetic treatments.
Most people who answered the Hamilton Fraser survey seemed happy in their careers and positive about their business prospects in 2024, with 87.9% saying they were “fairly optimistic” or “optimistic” about this and 81.2% said their motivations for joining the industry had been “completely” or “mostly” met.
Read more: the aesthetics trends you need to know for your beauty business.
