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In early 2025, the Boston Consulting Group, a world-renowned management consulting firm, published a survey and analysis report on medical beauty consumer types and service strategies. A total of 5,000 consumers from ten countries were surveyed. Respondents were aged 25-64, with an income above 50% of the median, and their familiarity with beauty and medical beauty products was taken into account. The survey identified the demographic factors and consumer preferences that influence the medical beauty industry and assessed the market penetration of different types of treatments.

Key findings

- Consumers plan to continue spending: 50% of consumers surveyed plan to increase spending on medical aesthetics in the coming year, while 35% plan to maintain current spending levels.

- Low potential market penetration: Many medical aesthetic procedures remain underutilised, with most procedures having single-digit penetration rates among the population. The global average penetration rate is only 9%, although 23% of Chinese consumers surveyed said they had undergone laser hair removal, the most common medical aesthetic procedure. Neurotoxin treatments are similarly pricey, with the highest penetration rate in South Korea, but only 8% of the population, and the United States in second place at 7%.

- Large room for growth: The potential market size for these medical aesthetic procedures is much larger than the current small market size. The potential market is around 80 million consumers in the US, 200 million in China and 50 million in Brazil.

Trends in the medical beauty market

The global medical beauty market is worth approximately $20 billion, with an annual growth rate of 8% since 2019, and is expected to grow at a rate of 6% to $27 billion by 2028. China and the US are the largest markets and are expected to maintain strong growth in the future.

- Characteristics of the geographical distribution of consumers: Countries such as Brazil have a high proportion of heavy users; France and Japan have more one-time consumers; the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea and China have a large number of consumers who intend to try medical beauty in the next 12 months.

The survey covers ten countries: Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Heavy consumers: Brazil, Germany, Italy and Spain have a high proportion of heavy consumers; these consumers are mainly charming and extroverted, frequent beauty and anti-aging consumers.

One-off consumers: French and Japanese consumers are more likely to fall into this category; these markets need to overcome consumer reluctance and encourage more people to accept medical aesthetic services.

Potential new customers: In the US, UK, South Korea and China, a large proportion of consumers expressed the intention to "try" medical aesthetic services in the next 12 months. The medical aesthetic industry is expected to continue to grow over the next five years, driven by strong consumer spending, technological innovation and continued investment activity.

Strong growth expected to continue 

The global aesthetics market (based on manufacturer sales) is currently valued at approximately $20 billion. As shown in Figure 1, the industry is expected to expand at a CAGR of 8% from 2019 and grow by nearly 6% going forward, reaching $27 billion by 2028. This is in line with trends in the overall beauty retail market. Injectables (neurotoxins and dermal fillers) are expected to grow by 7%, driven by an increase in the number of aesthetic procedures, particularly among younger consumers seeking preventative treatments. Injectables also continue to innovate, with new products offering better results and more features (see "Continued innovation drives consumer demand"). The medical skin care market is expected to grow even faster at 9%.

Joint ventures and R&D collaborations: Five to ten joint ventures and collaborations are formed each year, with companies strategically expanding their geographic reach through licensing agreements or enriching their product portfolios through joint development and R&D. For example, Evolus announced a licensing agreement to enter the US filler market with Evolysse, a hyaluronic acid product developed by Symatese.

IPOs: The number of IPOs in the sector has declined in 2021, but typically averages around 10 companies per year, including companies in related areas such as regenerative medicine. A recent example is Koru Pharma, a South Korean manufacturer of injectable, suture and mesotherapy products, which has announced plans for an IPO in 2024.

Six types of consumers 

Medical aesthetic consumers can be divided into six different types based on treatment frequency, preferred treatments, visit patterns and recognition of medical aesthetic service providers. Of course, the desire to be beautiful is the primary motivation, but there are significant differences in the underlying functional and emotional needs of the different groups. Medical aesthetic service providers, manufacturers and investors should understand these preferences and tailor their marketing strategies accordingly.

The first four consumer types are stable customers (those who receive medical aesthetic treatments twice a year or more).

①The Beauty Routiner: These consumers are older, usually Generation X and Baby Boomers, tend to live in the suburbs, receive ongoing anti-aging treatments and rely on the professional advice of medical aesthetic service providers. The most common treatments for this group include neurotoxins and fillers, and the main functional requirement is safety. Proportion of consumers: 20%.

②The Reluctant Ager: This type of consumer is slightly younger (Generation X and Millennials), lives in the city and wants to control their own ageing process. They pay attention to celebrity and social media recommendations to meet their emotional needs, and prefer to choose treatments with significant benefits, such as neurotoxins, energy source devices and fillers. Proportion of consumers in the population: 24%.

③The Glam Extrovert: This consumer group includes high-income, urban millennials who keep up with beauty trends and often receive medical aesthetic treatments before social events. Influenced by social media trends, they prefer safe treatments, mainly those using energy source devices (such as laser hair removal, skin resurfacing and rejuvenation, and body shaping) and injectable products. Proportion of consumers in the population: 18%.

④The deal hunter: The fourth type of stable customer is the deal hunter. This group spans all age groups and is most influenced by price. They look for affordable treatments, promotions and discounts, and the primary functional requirement is convenience. Share of the population: 14%.

For these stable customer groups, it is important to cultivate consumer recognition and build long-term relationships. Medical professionals should pay close attention to customer service, and facilities should offer a variety of services to ensure they have the latest treatments. Medical aesthetic providers can create cross-selling opportunities for treatments such as biostimulants or facial threading, especially for price-sensitive consumers, and should offer packages and discounts.

There are two other types of new or occasional users: ⑤ The one-timers: The fifth type of user are those who have only undergone a medical aesthetic programme once, mainly due to scepticism or lack of knowledge. This group generally prefers laser hair removal (more common among men) and neurotoxin programmes. The main barriers that prevent one-time consumers from trying new programmes include lack of confidence in the need for treatment (especially injectable programmes) and fear that the effect will not be natural. Proportion of consumers in the population: 24%.

⑥The growth catalyst: The sixth type of consumer is those who plan to try medical aesthetics in the future. This group includes all age groups but is dominated by young people and students. The most common entry programme is laser hair removal and neurotoxin programmes are more popular with older people. The main barriers for this group are price, lack of knowledge and safety concerns. Approximately 15% of the growth catalyst type convert to consumers each year, while the consumer churn rate in the previous year is 7%.

To convince one-time consumers to try more programmes, medical aesthetic service providers should emphasise the need for treatment and address their concerns about the effectiveness of treatments. Touch points for cross-selling attractive programmes such as body contouring, skin tightening and light hair removal should also be increased. Although this group is less likely to visit the clinic, it is crucial to build a strong relationship through marketing promotions and loyalty programmes.

To convert the 'potential new client' group into active medical aesthetic consumers, medical aesthetic service providers should offer discounts for entry-level programmes and provide education and marketing through influencers. Laser hair removal can be used as an entry-level programme to introduce other treatment programmes such as skin tightening, rejuvenation and body contouring.