Beauty Is As Beauty Feels

The most fascinating aspect of luxury dermatology and cosmetology are not so much the treatments themselves as the profound psychological impact they have on those who indulge in them. Even industry experts admit that experiencing the luxury of cosmetology drives consumers to the beauty business.

There has been a clear shift in the beauty market. Gone are the times when only celebrities and the wealthy tapped into the benefits of cosmetology and dermatology. Rising income levels and the world's largest population of young people have now created a surge in the beauty market in India, enabling it to grow from $12.3 billion in 2018 to $15.6 billion in 2022. According to Euromonitor, the beauty market in India is expected to be worth $17.4 billion by 2025. 

 “My perspective is on the range of treatments and the ones that are capturing the attention of those seeking the pinnacle of luxury and allure. The stigma once associated with cosmetic treatments has largely dissipated, and more individuals embrace these procedures as an essential element of their beauty regimen,” says Dr Debjani Chakraborty, Senior Dermatologist and Head of Aesthetic Vertical, The Wellness Co.  She says the emerging trends do not just point to the pursuit of   aesthetics, but an overall experience. Clients now do not merely seek beauty treatments. They desire the luxurious pampering that goes into providing effective, yet comfortable results.

 “Trends that have garnered the limelight are firstly, personalised skincare, where it is known that each individual's skin is unique, and luxury dermatology recognises the importance of personalised care,” Dr Chakraborty goes on to say, adding, “ Secondly it is luxury dermatology that is now seamlessly integrating wellness practices, such as mindfulness, nutrition, and stress management. This holistic approach aligns with the modern understanding of beauty as an embodiment of overall well-being,” she says. According to her, innovative Bio-Revitalisation Therapies and treatments like Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Red Light Therapy, IV-drip Therapy, Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy, harness the body's natural regenerative abilities. These therapies not only address cosmetic concerns but also improve skin health, providing a luxurious, as well as, holistic approach.

Dr Malavika Kohli, MD, DVD, DNB Dermatology and consultant dermatologist at Jaslok Hospital and  Breach Candy Hospital, spoke of the most popular treatments for skin rejuvenation like skin boosters and plate rich plasma therapy, or Hollywood facial and facial HIFU (High- Intensity Focused Ultrasound). 

 “There is increasing curiosity regarding the non-surgical facelifts that can be achieved using botulinum toxins, energy-based devices and the latest facial threads. Anti-ageing and rejuvenation treatments like plasma therapy can be used to improve varied conditions from acne scars to pouches under the eye, to growths on the body. Among body treatments, muscle stimulation and tightening using various energies are gaining quick attraction,” says Dr Kohli. She feels that body contouring using HIFU, cool sculpting, radio frequency and advanced technologies are helpful and becoming popular.

 Dr Kohli says patients now wish for a more natural, fresh and rejuvenated look than the previously preferred fuller look. Newer treatments leading to collagen stimulation like bio modulators and bio stimulators were efficient, virtually non-invasive and promising options for anti-ageing therapies, she says.

Dr Geetika Mittal Gupta, Founder and Medical Director, ISAAC Luxe, Delhi NCR and Mumbai, says, “When we talk about beauty and wellness coming together, we talk about healthy ageing. People are now understanding that there is a way they can also approach healthy ageing. It is no longer just about celebrities indulging in it, or people from different walks of life who only look at beauty as a luxury. People have started attending to anti-ageing as a healthy way of living. They talk about preventive aspects of ageing and if they start a good skincare routine in their early twenties, they can progress towards a more youthful lifestyle and youthfulness in their older years.” 

Dr Mittal Gupta’s clinics are incorporating the importance of IV drips which are about beauty inside out. People don’t have to keep coming to the clinic as there are procedures that last for a year. Cosmetology has become a technology intensive field. She points out that technologies that work in the field of aesthetics, are getting upgraded and are highly performance driven. 

The new normal in the beauty business is the amalgamation of beauty treatment with the luxury of being pampered at a clinic in the hands of dermatological experts. Medical advancements in these treatments play a huge part in these skincare experiences. We’ve heard that “beauty is as beauty does,” but the world of dermatology now tells us that beauty also is as beauty feels.