By Michael Meyer, Writer/Editor; and Madilyn Moeller, Editorial Assistant, American Med Spa Association

Eighteen months ago, COVID-19 emerged and changed the way people live their lives. Very quickly, "social distancing" became a familiar term, and how to wear a mask and use Zoom became a way of life. Many in medical aesthetics, and in all walks of life, also have experienced the heartbreak of losing friends and loved ones to the virus. Without question, everyone's lives are significantly different than they were before the pandemic began.

QP wanted to learn how the pandemic has affected medical aesthetics, so in this very special issue, dozens of people who work in and around the industry share what they have learned during this highly unusual time. QP spoke with physicians, nurses, physician assistants, lawyers, finance professionals, vendors, trainers and medical spa owners about how their lives and businesses have adapted—and are continuing to adapt—to the "new normal," and their insights reveal that medical aesthetics is resilient, innovative and strong.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 has not yet disappeared, and new lessons are being learned every day as people come to grips with the evolution of this pandemic. However, medical aesthetics is nothing if not resourceful, and as COVID-19 continues to demand thoughtful responses to difficult problems, the industry will undoubtedly be among the first to change with the times.

"Come Out Stronger"

Benjamin Hernandez
Partner, Skytale Group
www.skytalegroup.com

"From an industry perspective, the pandemic raised the question, 'If we hit a recession, would the medical spa space continue to grow?' It really proved that, to many patients, the services provided are essential and a key part of their lives. This was encouraging to see, as there is tremendous value in sub-sectors that are recession-proof or recession-resistant.

"From a more 'micro' view, I think we learned that the businesses that were run well ended up coming even better out of the pandemic, comparatively speaking. One of the things we focused on with our clients during the pandemic was ensuring we continued to work on the business, even if it was deemed non-essential and therefore closed. Often, as a business owner, the thing you are in most need of is extra time—the pandemic provided that. We reminded clients that normally they are trying to work on the engine of the car as it is going 100 miles per hour down the highway and that we could take advantage of working on that engine while the car is parked in the garage. We had great buy-in and came out extremely strong.

"Finally, it was surprising to see how quickly the space bounced back and returned to pre-pandemic levels. We compare, month over month, how we are performing in this month versus the same month last year. The bounce-back has really been strong, and even when adjusting for COVID, we are seeing very strong returns back to 2019 and early 2020 levels. I was impressed by how collaborative our sub-sector was. There was so much information-sharing, and it was great to see all of us really come together and share resources and knowledge that would give us all the best chance of not only surviving the pandemic but also coming out even stronger as we re-opened."

"Team Together"

Christie Hutchinson, RN
CEO, QCC Healthcare Consultants
www.qcchealthcare.co

"COVID has taught us so many things. Personally, I'e learned to enjoy taking a break from the hustle and bustle of pre-COVID life and to relish the family game nights at the kitchen table.
"From a compliance perspective, we saw that there isn't always one right or perfect answer. Every business had a unique set of circumstances. It was up to the business owners and decision-makers to do what was right for the staff and patients. Words such as "highly recommended" and "strongly suggested" were spewed from authorities at all levels, which made these times even harder, because we just wanted to know rules to follow. 'Just tell us what to do and we will do it.' Given that lack of structured guidance, we reached out to one another and started sharing stories, communicating our experiences, and helping one another to find a path to re-opening, to re-building the business and to achieving success. We learned that even though we might be competitors, we can still come together for the greater good of our communities to provide safe, high-quality care in the medical spa industry.

"We learned that it's important to know your patients, their expectations, your staff's tolerance to risks, your own risk aversion tendencies, and your local rules and regulations. There is no cookie-cutter guide to compliance in the medical spa world. I'm sure you'e heard it a million times—'If you'e seen one medical spa, you'e seen one medical spa.'

"At the end of the day, I'm hoping that we'e learned to relax a bit. We know way more today about COVID than we did 18 months ago, and that simply better prepares us to deliver safe and effective aesthetic care as we start to manage the next 18 months."

"Finding Your Smile"