facts from a myrtle beach medspa owner
Guest post written by Kirby Shergill, APRN, CRNA...
Also a wife, mom to 2 girls and owner of Beach Aesthetics Medical Spa
Kirby is a medical professional with 16 years experience in critical care, travel nursing and administering anethesia. She will also obtain her nurse practitioner degree in Adult & Gerontologic Care in December 2023. She started Beach Aesthetics, a gorgeous medical spa in Myrtle Beach 3 years ago, where she is the primary injector and oversees all medical treatments.
the world of skincare and aesthetic medical treatment
You probably only have a handful of friends you trust enough to discuss the most intimate parts of your life, same here. For many women (and men) skincare and aesthetic treatments fall into this category. You don’t exactly go around asking acquaintances how much they’re spending on their faces, right? For years women kept extremely hush-hush about “what they’ve had done”.
Thankfully that is slowly changing, but most people still won’t readily give you every detail of their anti-aging regimen. I’m sure you’re curious, and as a medical spa owner, I’m happy to spill the tea!
how much are women spending on skincare
NATIONAL AVERAGE | The national average is $431 according to a 2022 study by Statista. The most popular products are the basics: cleansers, moisturizers and sunscreen. These are essential but not specifically directed toward antiaging or other skincare concerns. 22% of women are using medical-grade skincare.
Medical-grade means the products are backed by scientific studies and contain higher concentrations of active ingredients. This translates into greater efficacy than products you will find in the drugstore or department store.
AT BEACH AESTHETICS | Women in my practice generally spend around $900 per year on skincare products. That equates to about $75 per month. My top three items for anti-aging are sunscreen, Vitamin C serum and some form of retinoid. When you start to look at cost you have to think about the benefit and the results you will get.
How many times have you wasted money on a product that you thought would be great for you only to see no change in your skin? The most expensive skincare is the one that you don’t use or that doesn’t work!
THESE BRANDS AND PRODUCTS are the MVPs at Beach Aesthetics. PS from Amanda, this is what is in my lineup that has lasted me 6+ months!
MY PROFESSIONAL & BFF ADVICE
SKINCARE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT INVESTMENT | I tell my patients and friends all the time, it’s like going to the gym and then going home and eating junk food every day. My office is the gym where you come for your treatments such as botox, filler and facials. What you do at home every day and every night is your diet. It’s what matters MOST. So have a consultation with a skincare professional and listen! Stop trying to put together a routine based on Tik-Tok or social media ads/influencers, it will not give you products specifically targeted to YOU.
injectables and other
minimally invasive procedures
BOTOX | Also known as neuromodulators, are the most popular minimally invasive cosmetic procedure with 4.4 million procedures performed in 2022.
That number represents 75% of all minimally invasive cosmetic procedures nationwide.
AT BEACH AESTHETICS | Neuromodulators are also one of the most popular treatments at Beach Aesthetics with 77% of my patients having had it. Botox treatments last 3-4 months, so most patients have 3-4 treatments per year. The average patient spends anywhere from $250-600/treatment and patient age range is between 30–65.
MY PROFESSIONAL AND BFF ADVICE | Botox is popular for a reason and once you know, you know! The main goal of neuromodulators is to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The best time to start is when you start to see those settling in. It is much easier to treat them early on as opposed to years down the road when you will need multiple modalities to erase those lines. A consult is the first step. That involves a thorough discussion of your history, goals, skin type and lots of education on facial anatomy, dosing, FDA standards and more.
other minimally invasive procedures
REGENERATIVE TREATMENTS | We are always trying to replace the collagen we start to lose in our 20s. Did you know by age 45 we have lost 25% of our collagen!? That is why most people start to really notice changes in their skin in their late 30s to early 40s. To address this we look to regenerative treatments, which helps to stimulate our own body into making more collagen.
AT BEACH AESTHETICS | Microneedling with PRP is probably my favorite treatment that we do at Beach Aesthetics. This creates tiny injuries that trigger the body to produce more collagen and elastin, therefore improving skin quality, texture, tone, pore size, and fine lines. There is little downtime and awesome results. Microneedling treatments are growing in popularity with nearly 200,000 procedures done nationwide last year. Other treatments like Sculptra and hyper dilute Radiesse are injectables that stimulate collagen production at a deeper level to give you longer-lasting results and to even help replace volume lost. These treatments are growing in popularity nationally and in my practice.
facials
MOST COMMON AND POPULAR | An effective facial can be relaxing but should also be used to support skincare goals. For that reason, it’s important to pick a provider that takes time to assess your skin and gives a facial that is results-focused.
This means adding certain products or treatments to your facial that work in conjunction with what you are doing at home. That is our approach at Beach Aesthetics and you can read more about our popular facials here.
ON AVERAGE | Only 28% of American women have at least one facial every 12 months. That is just not enough!
AT BEACH AESTHETICS | We just added facials in the last year, with the addition of our amazing Medical Esthetician, Jennifer (photo above). At this time, approximately 25% of our patients also see us for facials, but that number is quickly growing.
DERMAPLANE | Our facials always include a dermaplane (an element that is often a pricey add-on at other spas). We believe it should be standard because it helps improve skin texture, gives makeup a smoother application and enhances absorption of your skincare products.
MY PROFESSIONAL AND BFF ADVICE | We recommend facials every month if possible but ideally at least quarterly. Facial add-ons like red light therapy, facial cupping and hydrating jelly masks can be customized to meet your goals.
in summary
My favorite part of working in medical aesthetics is taking the stigma of some of these treatments away and helping patients find routines that work for their lifestyle. Seeing someone months down the line feeling more confident in their skin is what it’s all about! Say it with me, SELF CARE ISN’T SELFISH!
We'd love to be your skincare BFF so reach out for a consultation with me or schedule a facial with Jenn.
We can't wait to meet you!
– Kirby
