Of the 9 million patients in the United States who have had dermal fillers, an estimated 8 million are experiencing “filler fatigue,” according to a new survey conducted by The Harris Poll.
The patient survey also found that 58% of users note frustration and hassle in scheduling regular appointments, and two in three users claim that their current fillers do not last as long as their previous fillers.
The cost of ongoing maintenance was cited as the top reason (56%) why patients do not schedule filler sessions as often as they would like.
On the other hand, 91% of respondents believe that a five-year filler would be innovative and important to them. Additionally, a full 88% feel a five-year filler is unique.
In fact, lengthening the duration of a filler was the number one improvement mentioned.
“There were a couple parts of the data that were surprising,” says Patricia Altavilla, vice president of sales and marketing for Suneva Medical Inc. (San Diego), which commissioned the survey. “First, is the number of men that have had dermal fillers. We were certain that this part of the market was growing; however, 4 million was a bigger number than anticipated.”
Altavilla also tells The Aesthetic Channel that she finds it surprising that “82% of filler patients reported a likelihood to change providers if their current provider did not offer a five-year filler.”
Similarly, when current providers offered Suneva’s five-year Bellafill filler to their patients, 88% of patients said they would likely continue seeing their provider for other types of aesthetic procedures that they had yet to experience.
The survey is follow-up to 2016 research by Suneva that was undertaken “to take the initial temperature of the consumer market toward a 5-year filler and validate our thinking about positioning of the brand,” Altavilla says. “The Harris Poll was for a trending read 18 months later and to size the market.”
And while there are no medical/clinical ramifications of the current survey, “it does demonstrate the significant changes in the aesthetic market and the impact of the broadening new offerings in the market,” Altavilla observes. “These offerings have caused patients to evaluate how and on what they spend their money. The desire for a long-lasting filler is most certainly stimulated by the desire to access the many other aesthetic treatments and solutions. “
Altavilla says The Harris Poll data reflects the dynamic changes in the aesthetic market. “The availability of a five-year filler is reshaping the dermal filler market,” she says. “The future of aesthetic medicine needs to be focused on longer lasting outcomes, as patients’ desire to have full access to all treatments to maintain their aesthetic outcomes.”
