December 2006 - The emergence of a new beauty care channel is increasing the overall market size but also taking sales from established providers and will impact the future of the retail skincare market.

There are now almost 3,000 spas offering medical treatments in the US. This medspa sector, which did not even exist 6 years ago, could be worth well over $US5 billion a year. This achievement is put in context by comparing it with the day spa sector, with $US12 billion in sales and 12,000 day spas, another relatively new entrant player in the professional beauty market.

Factors driving medspa sector growth include changed consumer attitudes to ageing, the growing number of affluent baby boomers plus aggressive marketing and the reality TV make-over or cosmetic transformation show.

New technology has also contributed to developing this market. Medical spas use new devices which offer immediately visible results to attract clients. Time-poor consumers value fast service with no down time.

Demand for beauty care services drives sales in the medical spa channel. Treatments (such as dermal injectables, peels, microdermabrasion, lasers) provided by medical spas are viewed as different and superior to those offered by the traditional hair salon and day spa. Med spas specialise in non-invasive, cosmetic treatments which solve or remove skin care problems. Anti-ageing skin care and hair removal procedures account for most sales. The top procedures are laser-based (such as IPLs), microdemabrasion, and skin injectables (Botox and fillers)

Medical spas are growing the market as they provide innovative solutions to skincare problems. They also pose a threat to established beautycare providers as they take market share. However, medical spas report all the uncertanties of a new market. New entrants - such as franchise chains - are taking advantage of opportunities. Prices of treatments are falling as competition increases. Nonetheless, growth rates in the medspa market channel are phenomenal and are hitting 300% and strong growth is predicted to continue.

Diagonal Reports tracks spa market developments globally and evaluates their impact on the beauty and wellness market.

Source Diagonal Reports conducted interviews with leading US medspas, representing thousands of service visits, to determine demand for medspa treatments and procedures. This research was conducted in late 2006 Diagonal Reports provides the most comprehensive intelligence on the global beauty and wellness consumer.

Report
· Title: The US Med Spa Market 2007 (The Medicalisation of Beauty)
· Price: US$4,762 (3,750 in Euro)
· Published: January 07.
· Pages: 100
· Series: The Med Spa Market Series 06/07which includes the US, EU, Japan, China and other key markets

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