THE BEAUTY OF THE
VIRTUAL CONSULT
Patients stick to their screens when it comes to aesthetics consultations
“ We are now seeing the age of the ‘ hybrid treatment model ’, where clinicians are able to treat online , as well as face-toface . Interventional aesthetic treatments all require general consultations which can be done virtually . The beauty of an online consultation is that patients don ’ t need to wait months - they can get access to medical care and bespoke treatments on their lunch break , with products delivered directly to their door . This opens up more opportunities for consumers to see specialist doctors they may have had to previously wait 6 months to see . In turn , it means we can expand our reach as a clinic , nationally and internationally .”
According to Dr Yusra , macro-scale dermatological concerns such as acne vulgaris , rosacea and hyperpigmentation , as well as shape assessments for the treatments such as non surgical rhinoplasty are ideal conditions to be assessed over Zoom . “ All of the medical , emotional and psychological history can be taken , virtually and we can examine patients based on photographs , locations and the patient ’ s medical and social history .”
“ Of course , online consultations don ’ t work for every condition ,” continues Dr Yusra “ and if there ’ s a patient who ’ s concerned about a skin cancer or if we think that there might be a lesion that looks abnormal , that would require microscopic analysis that can only be done inclinic . However , for the most part , many skin conditions and aesthetic concerns can be evaluated , diagnosed and prepared for , online .”
According to data in the newly released Beautified Britain Index : The Skin Report , 1 in 5 consumers moved online for virtual hair or beauty consultations during the pandemic , and this trend has continued . 94 % of aesthetic patients now prefer a virtual consultation to an in-clinic visit and practitioners have seen a 70 % increase in requests for online consults .
Skincare , aesthetics and wellness expert behind the report , Dr Yusra , says that convenience and accessibility are the main reasons behind the shift .
“ With winter on the horizon and No . 10 only today warning about rising COVID numbers , we only expect the trend of online consults to continue ,” she adds .
Beautified Britain Index : The Skin Report has analysed data from Google search , Google trends , news stories , professional industry bodies , consumer surveys and social media trends .
For the full report , visit dryusra . com / the-skin-report /.
54 The Art of Luxury Issue 49 2021