Physicians including dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and medical spas continue to be the heartbeat of the medical dispensing skin care channel. According to Kline’s recently published Physician-Dispensed Skin Care: Perception and Satisfaction Survey, all key aesthetic physician types were very or extremely satisfied with their leading skin care suppliers, such as ZO Skin Health and PCA Skin, as they rated these with high performance scores on all key attributes, including training and education and product portfolios.
The U.S. medical-dispensed skin care market has seen record levels of sales growth in recent years, registering a CAGR of 10% since 2016. Last year, dollar sales were up an unprecedented 26% versus year ago, with another year of robust growth expected for 2022 albeit with a slight slowdown due to the economic climate. While the surveyed physicians noted that appointments for non-invasive aesthetic procedures have been trending down month-over-month recently, they still expect an uptick in their retail skin care business. While 68% of physicians noted an increase in their skin care dispensing business in 2021, more than 80% anticipate an increase this year as well. On the contrary, the levels of revenue growth expected for 2022 are relaxed from the outstanding gains registered by physician-dispensed skin care brands last year, with most physicians noting 11%–20% growth in 2022 for their dispensing business.
Looking ahead to 2023, dermatologists and medical spas are expecting inflation to creep into the market, as about 60% of each of these surveyed physician types anticipate consumer spending on skin care to sustain at current levels over the next year. Plastic surgeons, however, are showing more promise, with about 50% expecting their patients to increase spending on take-home skin care products.
As marketers continue to seek ways to grow through understanding physician needs, it is important for them to take stock of today’s climate. This month, we will publish our Physician-Dispensed Skin Care: Perception and Satisfaction Survey, conducted among 250 dispensing physicians in the United States, offering an unbiased view of what physicians value the most when it comes to dispensing skin care products, brands, and types of products that they use through physicians’ offices, as well as who and what influences their decisions.
