NEWS AND ANALYSIS

Survey highlights skincare industry shortcomings for skin–of–colour consumers

A survey by wellbeing-product and health-food ingredient brand Lycored has revealed that three quarters of people with dark skin find it hard to find the right skincare products .

The research, which surveyed 1,285 consumers in the UK and US with skin tones ranging from “white” to “dark brown” or “black” on the Fitzpatrick scale, also revealed that needs and preferences vary considerably according to skin tone and that there’s still much to be done to adequately meet the needs of all people.

More than half (64%) of people with dark brown or black skin surveyed said they do not believe that the beauty industry does enough to meet the needs of people of all skin tones, while only 24% of people with white skin felt the same way, the report found.

Interestingly, given that 74% of those with dark skin surveyed said they find it hard to find products for their skin tone, dark-skinned consumers are more likely to look for skincare tailored to their tone.

White or fair-skinned consumers are much less likely to purchase a product designed for their skin tone, with 33% of fair-skinned people buying skincare marketed to them, compared to 56% of those with light brown skin and 54% with brown skin, the report found.

The survey also revealed that what consumers want from their skincare varies widely depending on skin tone. Consumers with dark skin cite healthy glow and radiance as their main skincare goals, with 67% of people with dark brown skin saying this was their top priority, while just 51% of pale or fair-skinned people aimed for this. For white-skinned respondents, minimising redness way the key skincare goal, with 24% of those asked stating this was their top aim, while just 9% of dark brown or black-skinned people said the same. One thing all respondents did agree on was that things are improving, with 56% of respondents saying they think the beauty industry had improved at meeting the needs of people of all skin tones in recent years.

“Acidic skincare” and “microdose regimes” billed as top 2022 skin trends

Three skincare acids in particular – tranexamic, azelaic and polyhydroxy – are billed to dominate skincare beauty trends this year, along with skincare microdosing, according to Wunderman Thompson’s The Future 100: 2022 report.

The creative agency and consumer brand consultancy predicts that beauty industry marketing will move away from the benefits of better-known acids such as salicylic, hyaluronic and glycolic; and towards new, “buzzy” ingredients for skincare consumers to discover.

Tranexamic acid will be touted for its abilities to help fade sun damage and other types of pigmentation, while azelaic acid’s skin-firming properties and the power of polyhydroxy acid to hydrate while exfoliating even sensitive skins, will be promoted.

Meanwhile, a different approach to applying skincare products called microdosing will become popular, according to Wunderman Thompson. It involves applying smaller amounts or concentrations of ingredients, apparently reducing “harsh side effects” and giving skin a better chance at improving. Some niche skincare brands already produce products in “dosed” blister pack-type packaging to allow users to tailor their skincare to their skin’s day-to-day needs and only buy what they anticipate they will actually use.

The report predicts this format will become more popular with skincare brands, as well as individual products that contain bioavailable, microdosed ingredients –a delivery mechanism designed not to sensitise skin, therefore working more effectively and consistently over time.

Hair transplants top list of most searched–for cosmetic surgery procedures in 2021

A hair transplant was the most sought-after cosmetic surgery in the UK of 2021, with 35,000 average monthly Google searches, a new analysis has shown.

The study, conducted by medical tourism facilitator Longevita, analysed Google search data to establish which cosmetic procedure UK consumers searched for the most online in 2021. It showed the term “hair transplant” was searched the most, with 35,000 combined average monthly searches, followed by “rhinoplasty” which averaged 31,000 searches a month.

The third most searched-for surgical procedure was “liposuction” (30,000 searches), while “tummy tuck” came in fourth (19,700 searches) and “labiaplasty” was fifth with 11,000 –a 6% increase in popularity from 2020.

The full top 10 list of the UK’s most popular cosmetic procedures in 2021 is as follows:

• Hair transplant – 35,000 searches

• Rhinoplasty – 31,000

• Liposuction – 30,000

• Tummy tuck – 19,700

• Labiaplasty – 11,000

• Breast reduction – 5,200

• Breast augmentation – 4,300

• Eyelid surgery – 3,900

• Facelift – 3,800

• Breast enlargement – 3,600

UK’s biggest skin concerns and most popular skincare ingredients revealed

Rosacea, blackheads and hyperpigmentation have topped a list of the biggest skin concerns in 2021, while salicylic acid was the most popular skincare ingredient.

UK consumers searched for “rosacea” online 90,500 times each month in 2021, says Lookfantastic’s 2021 Skinfluencer Report, suggesting it was the nation’s biggest skincare concern of 2021.

“Blackheads” came in second, with an average of 60,500 monthly searches, and in third place was “hyperpigmentation”, which had 33,100 monthly searches. The top 10 skin concern searches were:

• “Rosacea” – 90,500 searches

• “Blackheads” – 60,500

• “Hyperpigmentation” – 33,100

• “Acne scars” – 18,100

• “Skin redness spots” – 14,800

• “Undereye bags” – 12,100

• “Hormonal acne” – 9,900

• “Dry skin” – 9,900

• “Wrinkles” – 8,100

• “Skin pigmentation” – 6,600 Meanwhile, the Report also looked at the year’s most popular skincare ingredients.

There were 74,000 monthly searches each month for salicylic acid and 22,200 for its acid family “BHA” (beta hydroxy acid), bringing it up to the top of the list.

Hyaluronic acid came next with 60,500 searches, closely by vitamin C at 49,500. The full top 10 list is as follows:

• “Salicylic acid” – 74,000

• “Hyaluronic acid” – 60,500

• “Vitamin C” – 49,500

• “Niacinamide” – 49,500

• “Retinol” – 49,500

• “Benzoyl peroxide” – 40,500

• “Azelaic acid” – 40,500

• “AHA” – 33,100

• “Lactic acid” – 27,100

• “BHA” – 22,000.

Global survey shows impact of pandemic on aesthetic procedures

The results of a global survey on aesthetic and cosmetic procedures, released by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), have shown the impact of the pandemic on aesthetic plastic surgery worldwide.

Plastic surgery procedures for aesthetic purposes decreased by 10.9% overall in 2020, with 77.8% of surgeons globally experiencing temporary practice closures during the pandemic. At the same time, demand for non-surgical procedures, primarily dermal fillers and hair-removal treatments, continued to increase, but by lower proportions than seen in previous years (5.7% in 2020, compared to 7.6% in 2019). This resulted in an overall decrease of 1.8% for all procedures.

The most common surgical procedures worldwide remained the same during 2020, with breast augmentation making up 16% of all operations, liposuction 15.1%, eyelid surgery 12.1%, rhinoplasty 8.4% and abdominoplasty 7.6%.

The top five non-surgical treatments also remained consistent: botulinum toxin (43.2% of all non-surgical procedures), hyaluronic acid (28.1%), hair removal (12.8%), non-surgical fat reduction (3.9%) and photo rejuvenation (3.6%). Around 85% of non-surgical procedures were performed on women.

Despite the overall reduction in surgeries, rhinoplasties and brow lifts continued to increase, and non-surgical facial rejuvenation showed a 13.9% increase compared to a decrease in both 2019 and 2018.

The full survey results can be found at: isaps.org/medical-professionals/isapsglobal-statistics/

Industry pays tribute to surgeon Niall Kirkpatrick

The aesthetics industry has paid tribute to consultant craniofacial plastic surgeon Mr Niall Kirkpatrick who was tragically killed in a cycling accident last month.

On January 10, The British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) announced that Mr Kirkpatrick had lost his life after being fatally hit by a car while cycling. Mr Kirkpatrick was a BAPRAS member.

He worked at the Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust in London, where he was a core member of the Northwest London specialist multidisciplinary team for the management of skin cancers and a member of the multidisciplinary team for vascular anomalies. He also featured on Channel 5’s Botched Up Bodies.

Patients and colleagues have flocked to a virtual book of condolences adding memories, photos and messages of support to the much loved and respected surgeon’s family: forevermissed.com/niall-kirkpatrick/about

Face The Future donates £10,000 to skin disease and cancer research

Online cosmeceutical skincare retailer and aesthetics clinic Face The Future has raised £10,000 from a “Cyber Monday” initiative which will be donated to the British Skin Foundation to fund research into skin disease and skin cancer.

Julia Barcoe Thompson, co-owner of Face The Future, said, “I’m delighted that Face The Future are able to donate such a substantial amount to the British Skin Foundation following our charitable Cyber Monday.

“The whole team are so pleased that we are able to support a charity whose work aligns so well to our passion in helping people’s skin be the best it can be. The vital research that they do really does change lives, and to be able to contribute, in a small way to that, is so rewarding.”

British Skin Foundation events and partnerships manager Kelly Taylor commented, “This generous donation will go a long way towards funding essential research into all types of skin disease, including skin cancer.”

Merz launches free online education

Merz Aesthetics UK & Ireland has introduced two new, free online learning platforms to support healthcare practitioners with their ongoing medical aesthetics education, with content designed for both newcomers and expert professionals.

ECADEMY is an e-learning platform with over 100 video modules on injection technique, facial assessment and treatment planning. It uses artificial intelligence to deliver tailored education with CPD-accredited courses and content accessible in bite-sized formats.

The EVENTS website gives HCPs access to both online and real-world medical aesthetics events and curated content on both clinical topics and business areas.

Merz Aesthetics said it wants to make it as easy as possible for HCPs to learn in their increasingly busy lives, as having to attend a course in person can be a barrier.

Photon “recycling” improves laser outcomes

“Photon recycling” can enhance cutaneous response to lasers, according to a new study published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. The study set out to find out if returning reflected light to the skin could enhance its response, whatever the type of laser treatment may be. Dr E Victor Ross and his team tested the hypothesis that returning or “recycling” the incident laser light reflected off the skin – which can be up to 70% depending on wavelength and pigmentation – to the site of laser exposure could improve treatment outcome.

“We performed the study to determine if there was a real role for photon recycling in a clinical device,” said Dr Ross. “We made a working prototype photon recycler and showed that it increases skin response to laser exposure.

“The recycler recovers lost photons and returns them like a boomerang to the skin surface. In the red and near-infrared spectral region, photon recycling could produce very large improvements in the energy available for treatment.”