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Patients Are Investing More in Skin Health. Are MedSpas Keeping Up?

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July 14, 2026
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Walk into almost any medspa in America right now and you’ll see the same thing on the schedule: a full book of injectables, energy-based devices, and skin rejuvenation treatments. The category is not a passing trend. The global skin rejuvenation market is projected to roughly double by the early 2030s, and non-invasive aesthetic treatments as a whole are expected to grow from about $38.7 billion in 2026 to more than $64 billion by 2033.¹ Patients are shifting away from dramatic, one-time transformations and toward what the industry is now calling “intelligent aging,” ongoing programs that support skin quality over years, not weeks.²

For practice owners, that evolution represents more than changing patient preferences. It fundamentally changes how value is created inside a medspa. Patients investing in long-term skin health are no longer purchasing a single treatment. They are investing in a comprehensive care plan that extends beyond the procedure itself. Medical-grade skincare is one of the few touchpoints that continues delivering value long after the patient leaves the office, yet many practices continue treating retail as a separate revenue stream instead of an extension of clinical care.

Retail has long been one of the most underdeveloped areas of the medspa business. Industry estimates suggest professional skincare accounts for roughly 20% to 30% of total revenue at high-performing practices, while many organizations operate well below that benchmark.³ The opportunity is not driven by increasing demand for products. It is driven by improving how practices educate patients about the role those products play in achieving better clinical outcomes.

Repeat Buyers Drive Outsized Value

Recent analysis conducted by Skytale Group illustrates just how concentrated retail revenue has become within the medspa channel. Sixty-two percent of skincare purchasers buy only once. By contrast, the 17% of patients who purchase three or more times generate nearly half of all skincare revenue. Those patients spend an average of $298 annually, with an average order value of $162 per transaction.

The findings reveal an important distinction. Most practices do not have a retail conversion problem. They have a retention problem.

Patients frequently purchase products immediately following treatment but never replenish them. That pattern suggests the initial recommendation was sufficient to generate a sale, but not enough to help patients understand why continued use was essential to maintaining their results. In other words, many practices are successfully selling products while failing to build long-term skincare habits.

For owners evaluating where to invest next, that distinction matters. Acquiring new patients has become increasingly expensive across digital marketing channels. Improving the percentage of patients who continue purchasing skincare throughout their treatment journey often produces stronger lifetime value without requiring additional marketing spend.

Education Is the Missing Link

Many providers assume patients naturally understand why a laser treatment, chemical peel, or injectable should be paired with professional skincare. Consumer research suggests otherwise.

Studies have found that while most skincare consumers consider ingredient quality an important purchasing factor, only a small percentage feel confident explaining the ingredients in products they already own.⁴ That knowledge gap creates an opportunity for providers to deliver value through education rather than salesmanship.

When recommendations are positioned as clinical guidance instead of retail suggestions, patient behavior changes. Industry research has shown dramatically higher compliance when providers connect a product recommendation directly to a treatment outcome or skin concern.⁵

The distinction may appear subtle, but it significantly changes how patients perceive the conversation.

Explaining that sunscreen protects newly resurfaced skin because laser treatments temporarily increase UV sensitivity reinforces clinical care. Mentioning that sunscreen is available for purchase simply introduces another retail option. One approach builds trust. The other asks patients to make another buying decision.

The most successful retail programs consistently treat skincare recommendations as part of treatment planning rather than a conversation reserved for checkout.

The Most Effective Retail Strategies Begin Before Checkout

Practices that consistently outperform in retail tend to integrate skincare education throughout the patient journey instead of concentrating it at the point of sale.

The consultation provides the first opportunity to establish expectations. Many patients begin researching aesthetic procedures well before scheduling an appointment, making education about pre- and post-treatment skincare a natural extension of that conversation.⁶ When patients understand from the beginning that skincare supports treatment outcomes, product recommendations become expected rather than unexpected.

Equally important is connecting every recommendation to an individual patient’s treatment plan. Whether recommending hydration following a chemical peel, barrier repair after microneedling, or broad-spectrum sunscreen after laser resurfacing, providers should clearly explain why each product contributes to recovery and long-term results.⁷ The Skytale analysis also identified a notable concentration of purchases between $100 and $199, suggesting patients remain willing to invest in clinically relevant recommendations when the value proposition is clear.

Staff education also deserves greater attention. Providers and licensed aestheticians remain the most trusted voices inside the practice, but confidence comes from familiarity rather than memorization. Teams that regularly receive product education and understand the science behind each recommendation are far more likely to have authentic conversations that patients perceive as helpful instead of transactional.⁸

Finally, the retail environment itself should reinforce clinical credibility. Practices carrying a smaller number of thoughtfully selected product lines often create a more cohesive patient experience than those presenting numerous competing brands. A focused assortment simplifies recommendations, strengthens staff expertise, and often enables practices to negotiate deeper educational support from manufacturing partners.⁹

The Opportunity Extends Beyond the First Purchase

Perhaps the most important implication of the Skytale data is that long-term retail performance depends less on first-time conversion than on repeat purchasing behavior.

Subscription programs, automated replenishment reminders, and structured follow-up conversations are increasingly becoming part of successful medspa operating models. One Dallas-based practice, for example, enrolled more than 500 patients into a skincare subscription program within 15 months and cited the initiative as a meaningful contributor to patient retention.¹⁰

The business impact extends beyond recurring retail revenue. Patients who consistently use professional skincare are more likely to experience stronger treatment outcomes, maintain their results longer, and return for future procedures. Retail therefore becomes both a revenue driver and a patient retention strategy.

Looking Ahead

Skin rejuvenation is positioned to remain one of the fastest-growing segments within aesthetic medicine over the coming decade.¹¹ As patients increasingly prioritize preventive care and long-term skin health, practices will have greater opportunities to deepen patient relationships beyond individual procedures.

The organizations best positioned to benefit from that growth will not necessarily be those that purchase the newest device first. They will be the practices that recognize patient education as a competitive advantage, integrate skincare into the clinical care pathway, and build operating systems that encourage patients to return not only for treatments, but also for the daily routines that help those treatments deliver lasting results.

Sources & Further Reading

Proprietary Data

Skytale Group Analysis. Product and revenue figures on average order value, annual spend, repeat-purchase cohort share, one-time buyer percentage, and target price band are derived from proprietary Skytale Group analysis of skincare purchasing behavior within the medical aesthetics channel.

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