Ever since New York dermatologist Michele Green, MD re-opened her office, she’s been seeing what she describes as “a huge pent-up demand” for injectables and aesthetic treatments in general.
“The largest numbers of patients and most popular visit has been for BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA) and dermal fillers,” she says. “The second-most sought out procedure has been for CoolSculpting® to remove fat under their chin and jawline.”
When speaking to her patients, Dr. Green says most share that they have felt isolated and stressed from both the fear of COVID-19 and the social isolation that it has caused. “Since the only interactions with most people have been through Zoom® and FaceTime®, patients have been staring at themselves on a harsh screen and have been unhappy with their moderate to severe wrinkles. The stress alone has aged many of my patients.”
Sandy Springs, GA plastic surgeon Carmen Kavali, MD points to the “Zoom® Boom” for sparking patient interest as well.
“We had a sharp downturn in injectables and aesthetics from mid-March through the end of April, which corresponded with the shutdown in elective surgeries and closure of nonessential businesses,” she explains. “However, during that same time, I was seeing a lot of patients via virtual consultation. Those patients filled my surgical pipeline as soon as I was able to operate again. In addition, as soon as our doors reopened fully, patients were clamoring to come in for their aesthetic procedures. Zoom® conferences have been an additional impetus for patients to seek aesthetic services—they notice every line, crease, and wrinkle.
Besides reasons ranging from the “wearing a mask to hide recovery” factor to the increase in time spent at home, both doctors point to a more personal reason for the uptick: That age-old, often hard-to-achieve desire to make time for oneself.
BOTOX® Cosmetic has seen it to—and has some serious stats to support that consumer interest and demand has been stronger than ever now that some restrictions have been lifted. In a single week, the brand saw its best week ever with more than 100K BOTOX® Cosmetic treatments in Brilliant Distinctions®; its largest gift card campaign ever with the $50 for $100 Gift Card campaign (and more than 50 percent of these gift cards have already been redeemed); 1/2 of active Brilliant Distinctions® members have contacted their aesthetics provider to see when they will re-open; and more than 2/5 of Brilliant Distinctions® patients have scheduled an aesthetic treatment.
In addition, since the launch of the company’s patient-focused stimulus plan, they’ve seen better-than-expected consumer engagement across the board.
“Business agility remains an essential part of our mission as we continue to adapt, evolve, and prepare to rebound together, notes Carrie Strom, SVP AbbVie, President of Global Aesthetics at Allergan. “As COVID swept across the world, we quickly shifted our business focus from sales to customer support. Our teams launched several initiatives as a part of the Allergan Aesthetics Market Stimulus Plan℠ to help our customers weather the storm until they could reopen and serve their patients. Now, as business resumes, we will continue to track consumer insights and provide data and resources to promote educated decision-making and drive recovery.”
While the uptick may seem untimely, as the brand notes, when so much of one’s personal and work life suddenly takes place at home, we may notice our expressions as we lead virtual discussions and think, “I’d really love to temporarily improve the look of the moderate to severe lines around my eyes!” When we do migrate out to the grocery store or bank, we can’t help but focus on each other’s upper face uncovered by masks—and we are suddenly reminded of our forehead and frown lines. What they’ve learned from tracking consumer trends and behaviors over the course of the pandemic, is that taking care of oneself remains a priority, even amid an economic crisis.
Dr. Green agrees and notes that this time spent at home has taken many patients from “thinking about a treatment” to making an appointment.
“Many patients have said that it was something that they have been thinking about for some time and now they are ready since physician offices have re-opened to discuss the aesthetic treatments they have been considering,” she says.
“The idea of achieving their personal aesthetic goal is in keeping with my philosophy and has been the predominant theme in my patients seeking BOTOX® Cosmetic, JUVÉDERM® and other aesthetic procedures.”
Approved Uses
BOTOX® Cosmetic is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles and used to temporarily improve the look of moderate to severe forehead lines, crow’s feet lines, and frown lines between the eyebrows in adults.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
BOTOX® Cosmetic may cause serious side effects that can be life threatening. Get medical help right away if you have any of these problems any time (hours to weeks) after injection of BOTOX® Cosmetic:
Problems swallowing, speaking, or breathing, due to weakening of associated muscles, can be severe and result in loss of life. You are at the highest risk if these problems are pre-existing before injection. Swallowing problems may last for several months. Spread of toxin effects. The effect of botulinum toxin may affect areas away from the injection site and cause serious symptoms including: loss of strength an all-over muscle weakness, double vision, blurred vision and drooping eyelids, hoarseness or change or loss of voice, trouble saying words clearly, loss of bladder control, trouble breathing, and trouble swallowing.
BOTOX® Cosmetic dosing units are not the same as, or comparable to, any other botulinum toxin product. There has not been a confirmed serious case of spread of toxin effect when BOTOX® Cosmetic has been used at the recommended dose to treat frown lines, crow’s feet lines, and/or forehead lines.
BOTOX® Cosmetic may cause loss of strength or general muscle weakness, vision problems, or dizziness within hours to weeks of taking BOTOX® Cosmetic. If this happens, do not drive a car, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities. Serious and/or immediate allergic reactions have been reported. They include: itching, rash, red itchy welts, wheezing, asthma symptoms, or dizziness or feeling faint. Get medical help right away if you are wheezing or have asthma symptoms, or if you become dizzy or faint. Do not receive BOTOX® Cosmetic if you: are allergic to any of the ingredients in BOTOX® Cosmetic (see Medication Guide for ingredients); had an allergic reaction to any other botulinum toxin product such as Myobloc® (rimabotulinumtoxinB), Dysport® (abobotulinumtoxinA), or Xeomin® (incobotulinumtoxinA); have a skin infection at the planned injection site. Tell your doctor about all your muscle or nerve conditions, such as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, myasthenia gravis, or Lambert-Eaton syndrome, as you may be at increased risk of serious side effects including difficulty swallowing and difficulty breathing from typical doses of BOTOX® Cosmetic. Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including: plans to have surgery; had surgery on your face; have trouble raising your eyebrows; drooping eyelids; any other abnormal facial change; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant (it is not known if BOTOX® Cosmetic can harm your unborn baby); are breast-feeding or plan to (it is not known if BOTOX® Cosmetic passes into breast milk). Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Using BOTOX® Cosmetic with certain other medicines may cause serious side effects. Do not start any new medicines until you have told your doctor that you have received BOTOX® Cosmetic in the past. Tell your doctor if you have received any other botulinum toxin product in the last 4 months; have received injections of botulinum toxin such as Myobloc®, Dysport®, or Xeomin® in the past (tell your doctor exactly which product you received); have recently received an antibiotic by injection; take muscle relaxants; take an allergy or cold medicine; take a sleep medicine; take aspirin-like products or blood thinners. Other side effects of BOTOX® Cosmetic include: dry mouth; discomfort or pain at the injection site; tiredness; headache; neck pain; and eye problems: double vision, blurred vision, decreased eyesight, drooping eyelids and eyebrows, swelling of your eyelids and dry eyes. For more information refer to the Medication Guide or talk with your doctor. To report a side effect, please call Allergan at 1-800-678-1605. Please see BOTOX® Cosmetic full Product Information including Boxed Warning and Medication
CoolSculpting® Uses The CoolSculpting® procedure is FDA-cleared for the treatment of visible fat bulges in the submental (under the chin) and submandibular (under the jawline) areas, thigh, abdomen and flank, along with bra fat, back fat, underneath the buttocks (also known as banana roll) and upper arm. It is also FDA-cleared to affect the appearance of lax tissue with submental area treatments. The CoolSculpting® procedure is not a treatment for weight loss.
Important Safety Information The CoolSculpting® procedure is not for everyone. You should not have the CoolSculpting® procedure if you suffer from cryoglobulinemia, cold agglutinin disease, or paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria.
Tell your doctor if you have any medical conditions including recent surgery, pre-existing hernia, and any known sensitivities or allergies.
During the procedure you may experience sensations of pulling, tugging, mild pinching, intense cold, tingling, stinging, aching, and cramping at the treatment site. These sensations subside as the area becomes numb. Following the procedure, typical side effects include temporary redness, swelling, blanching, bruising, firmness, tingling, stinging, tenderness, cramping, aching, itching, or skin sensitivity, and sensation of fullness in the back of the throat after submental or submandibular area treatment.
Rare side effects may also occur. CoolSculpting® may cause a visible enlargement in the treated area which may develop two to five months after treatment and requires surgical intervention for correction.
Please see full Important Safety Information on CoolSculpting.com.
JUVÉDERM® Injectable Gel Fillers Important Information
JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA™ XC injectable gel is for deep injection in the cheek area to correct age-related volume loss and for augmentation of the chin region to improve the chin profile in adults over 21.
JUVÉDERM® VOLLURE™ XC and JUVÉDERM® XC injectable gels are for injection into the facial tissue for the correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds. JUVÉDERM® VOLLURE™ XC injectable gel is for adults over 21.
JUVÉDERM® VOLBELLA™ XC injectable gel is for injection into the lips for lip augmentation and for correction of perioral lines in adults over 21.
JUVÉDERM® Ultra XC injectable gel is for injection into the lips and perioral area for lip augmentation in adults over 21.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Are there any reasons why I should not receive any JUVÉDERM® formulation?
Do not use these products if you have a history of multiple severe allergies or severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), or if you are allergic to lidocaine or the Gram-positive bacterial proteins used in these products.
What precautions should my doctor advise me about?
- Minimize strenuous exercise and exposure to extensive sun or heat within the first 24 hours following treatment. Exposure to any of these may cause temporary redness, swelling, and/or itching at the injection site
- Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. The safety of these products for use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding has not been studied
- The safety of JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA™ XC has not been studied in patients under 35 years or over 65 years for cheek augmentation, or under 22 years and over 80 years for chin augmentation. The safety of JUVÉDERM® VOLLURE™ XC and JUVÉDERM® VOLBELLA™ XC has not been studied in patients under 22 years, and the safety of JUVÉDERM® XC and JUVÉDERM® Ultra XC has not been studied in patients under 18 years
- JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA™ XC is intended for use in the chin and cheek areas. JUVÉDERM® VOLLURE™ XC and JUVÉDERM® XC are intended for use in facial wrinkles and folds. JUVÉDERM® VOLBELLA™ XC and JUVÉDERM® Ultra XC are intended for use in the lips and perioral area. The safety and effectiveness for treatment in other areas have not been established in clinical studies
- Tell your doctor if you have a history of excessive scarring (thick, hard scars) or pigmentation disorders. The safety of JUVÉDERM® products has not been studied in these patients and may result in additional scars or changes in pigmentation
- Tell your doctor if you are on therapy used to decrease the body’s immune response (immunosuppressive therapy). Use may result in an increased risk of infection
- Tell your doctor before treatment if you are using substances that can prolong bleeding, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or other blood thinners. As with any injection, this may result in increased bruising or bleeding at the injection site
- Patients who experience skin injury near the site of injection may be at a higher risk for adverse events
- JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA™ XC was not studied in patients with significant loose skin of the chin, neck, or jaw
- The effect of JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA™ XC injection into the chin on facial hair growth has not been studied
What are possible side effects? The most commonly reported side effects with JUVÉDERM® injectable gels included redness, swelling, pain, tenderness, firmness, lumps/bumps, bruising, discoloration, and itching. For JUVÉDERM® VOLBELLA™ XC, dryness was also reported. For JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA™ XC, most side effects resolved within 2 to 4 weeks. For JUVÉDERM® VOLLURE™ XC, JUVÉDERM® XC, and JUVÉDERM® Ultra XC injectable gels, most resolved within 14 days or less. For JUVÉDERM® VOLBELLA™ XC, most resolved within 30 days or less. These side effects are consistent with other facial injection procedures.
Most side effects will resolve with time. Your doctor may choose to treat side effects persisting over 30 days with antibiotics, steroids, or hyaluronidase (an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid).
One of the risks with these products is unintentional injection into a blood vessel. The chances of this happening are very small, but if it does happen, the complications can be serious and may be permanent. These complications, which have been reported for facial injections, can include vision abnormalities, blindness, stroke, temporary scabs, or permanent scarring of the skin.
As with all skin injection procedures, there is a risk of infection.
Visit Juvederm.com or talk to your doctor for more information. To report a side effect with any JUVÉDERM® product, please call Allergan at 1-800-433-8871.
Products in the JUVÉDERM® Collection are available only by a licensed physician or properly licensed practitioner.
BOTOX® is a trademark of Allergan, Inc., an AbbVie company. JUVÉDERM®, VOLUMA™, VOLBELLA™, and VOLLURE™ are trademarks of Allergan Holdings France SAS, an AbbVie company, or its affiliates. © 2020 AbbVie. All rights reserved.
MBD138815 08/20
