"Over the last two years I've definitely seen a gradual increase in ethnic clientele at my practice," says Dr Julie Sinclair of Sinclair Aesthetics in Edenvale, Johannesburg. "Aesthetics is a gradual process of education and the more the public knows and understands what is possible, the more they are willing to experiment and invest in their appearance."
Dark skins age differently to fair skins and within each ethnic group come different face and nose shapes and therefore different concerns. "A consideration for my ethnic clientele is pigmentation, so this is where the interest begins and is a big gate opener to the world of aesthetics for this market. Often a patient will come in for laser treatments or peels and the conversation will eventually move to an anti-wrinkle injectable like BOTOX, or dermal filler like Juvedérm."
Because black skin is relatively thick, it can withstand a lot of movement, so fine lines and wrinkles only become an issue at a later age. Black men and women lose volume in the mid-face area, rather than wrinkle, whereas white men and women wrinkle much more, but do not lose as much volume.
"There is a demand for BOTOX from my black clients, but there's definitely a bigger demand for dermal filler in the cheek area. I also treat many naso-labial lines, giving them back that plumpness they previously enjoyed."
Internationally, ethnic aesthetic trends have seen a big movement toward Western ideals, where requests from African and Asian patients for eyes to be made bigger, or noses smaller, have increased. The debate also extends to hair and skin, where hair weaves, hair extensions and skin-lightening products have become more popular. This controversial global trend has sparked a big industry debate around the perceptions and definitions of ethnic beauty.
"My ethnic patients do ask for procedures and treatments that will help them look a bit more Westernised but generally they are very proud of their heritage and only want subtle results. They won't go under the knife or go to drastic measures for it," says Dr Sinclair. "For instance, my black clients love large, voluptuous lips, so I'll often top up an already full lip with a bit of lip filler."
"Previously we were not able to alter the shape of a nose without plastic surgery but because aesthetic medicine has grown, it is now possible to change the shape of a nose with just a few cleverly placed injections of dermal filler.
Non-surgical nose reshaping can help those who are unhappy with their noses not because of the size but because of the shape. "A flat bridge can be corrected by a slight increase in height by injecting dermal filler and you can balance the size of the nose so that it looks more appropriate with other facial features. It is very popular with my clients."
Due to their prominent jaw line and facial muscles, other aesthetic treatments that interest the Asian market include those that can re-contour or shape the face by slimming the jaw line. Interestingly, the Indian aesthetic market is very similar to the Caucasian and tends to age similarly, although Indian men seem to age faster.
"Different ethnic groups are drawn to aesthetic doctors who recognise these distinctive needs, so ensuring you understand your patient's population's aesthetic concern is key to developing a sustainable practice that delivers good results. It's a fascinating industry to be in right now and one which is expected to grow in the next few years," concludes Dr Sinclair.
