Q&A: Terri Phillips, MD, FAAP, Explores The Psychological Impact of Aesthetic Procedures

Aesthetic treatments are often seen as purely cosmetic, but new research from Merz Aesthetics revealed they can have meaningful psychological and emotional benefits as well. In a comprehensive global study, the company explored how these procedures impact self-perception, confidence, and overall well-being.¹

Read more from Dermatology Times.

In a previous conversation with Dermatology Times, Terri Phillips, MD, FAAP, chief medical affairs officer for Merz Aesthetics, shared insights from this research and its significance for dermatologists and aesthetic professionals. Now, in part 2 of the discussion, Phillips dives deeper into the study’s key findings and what they mean for clinical practice.

Terri Phillips, MD, FAAP

Q&A

Q: How do findings from the study impact the future of medical aesthetics?

A: The study findings will help equip our clinicians with a deeper understanding of the patient's mindset, and in turn, I think that the clinicians can better tailor their conversations to the evolving needs of their patients and help to advance the industry with that understanding. Physicians and aesthetic professionals have a very important role to play in sparking a new dialog with their patients around this field. Forty-eight percent of our respondents globally cite health care professionals as among their 2 leading sources for learning about aesthetic treatments, alongside social media that we mentioned earlier.

Q: While 67% of people agree aging is natural, only 21% feel positive about it. What are the biggest factors contributing to this disconnect?

A: I think the data shows that aging is complex, so people can feel both fear, but they can also celebrate the aging process. 59% of respondents agree with the statement, I appreciate the different and unique things about my body. At the very same time, 42% reported that I struggle accepting my physical imperfections, so both sides can be true. We've heard anecdotally from our physicians that this is exactly what they're seeing in their practices. They're hearing this from their patients. So as people age, esthetic treatments can help build that confidence and by bridging the gap between the real you know, what they feel inside of themselves versus what they're seeing in the mirror,

Q: How can clinicians and the aesthetics industry help bridge the gap between acceptance of aging and the desire for youthful appearance?

A: Clinicians can bridge the gap between the desire to look more youthful but also accepting aging by embracing these positive shifts that we're seeing in patients' mindsets. For example: Aesthetic treatments are increasingly viewed as regular beauty maintenance and as acts of self care. Patients can become lifelong clients for these clinicians. Clinicians can also adopt a very longterm view and guide their patients through the entire aging journey, not just during a single treatment or single point in time.

Q: How can dermatologists and aesthetic professionals use these insights to guide patient conversations?

A: It's important for dermatologists and aesthetic professionals to understand how their patients view themselves inside, and that inner self concept that they're discussing with their clinicians can best be aligned when understood by their clinicians with their ultimate aesthetic goals. The data really does help facilitate that by offering a very a deeper look at patients' unique perspectives, viewpoints, and their values, and by starting the dialog and implementing a human approach to patient care, the hope is that more people will consider aesthetic treatments to fuel their own unique brand of confidence.

Q: How does the study inform best practices for patient education and expectation management?

A: The role that confidence plays in a patient's desire to seek aesthetic treatments has always sparked conversations. What's new is we now have data to support that connection, to respond and seek aesthetic treatments to be their authentic selves, understanding the primary concerns that patients have about those treatments is also key for effective education and managing the patient's expectations. When we ask them about their expectations, "fear of an unnatural result," was shared with us by 49% of patients, followed by safety. Forty-eight percent were concerned about the safety of the procedures, and then the ongoing costs of having these treatments was shared and was a concern of 45%. These are the top 3 that were revealed in our global survey by the respondents. I think when we acknowledge the higher order benefits of aesthetic treatments beyond one's outward appearance, this data really is already resonating with clinicians and with patients, and we believe that this data will continue to guide important patient conversations for years to come.

Reference

1. Merz Aesthetics reveals global data on the connection between confidence, self-affirmation and aesthetic treatments. News release. Merz Aesthetics. January 29, 2025. Accessed February 18, 2025. https://merzaesthetics.com/news/merz-aesthetics-reveals-global-data-on-the-connection-between-confidence-self-affirmation-and-aesthetic-treatments/