Back in the good ole days, plastic surgeons performed all cosmetic surgery. There was really no one else. But then there was more than just ‘surgery’…enter cosmetic medicine. This is the field that refers to non-surgical services like Botox, fillers and non-invasive body contouring like CoolSculpting. Plastic surgeons started to lose patients because they proudly only offered surgery. Things have changed and now plastic surgeons are offering free Botox! What changed?
Plastic surgeons went through so much training in surgery that naturally, they only wanted to perform surgery when they went into private practice. So they didn’t appreciate that the public was more willing to get a temporary treatment that didn’t require any downtime (e.g. Botox) vs a procedure that required a recovery even though it may provide a longer lasting result.
In other words, a forehead lift may last you 10-15 years but can result in scalp numbness, time off of work and a long recovery. No wonder patients opted for Botox to the forehead to get rid of wrinkles that required no downtime and no recovery!
So plastic surgeons started losing patients because consumers assumed that if you want surgery, go to a plastic surgeon. If you want Botox, go elsewhere. Plastic surgeons have rectified this situation and now offer many non-surgical services but we learned something interesting along the way.
The 747 Effect and How It’s Leading to Free Botox!
The plastic surgery societies conducted a study that is now referred to as the 747 effect. It states the following: if you asked someone if they would allow a non-plastic surgeon to do their surgery, only 7% would (as opposed to 93% that would only have surgery from a plastic surgeon). However, if that same consumer first had a non-surgical service like Botox from a non-plastic surgeon and then you asked them if they would undergo surgery from that same non-plastic surgeon, 47% said they would have surgery from that doctor. Thus, 7% became 47%…the 747 effect.
For this reason, many plastic surgeons are now offering free Botox to their post-surgical patients. By providing one free treatment of Botox, typically 20 units to treat the forehead or crow’s feet, the plastic surgeon encourages that surgical patient to return for non-surgical services rather than lose them to a non-plastic surgeon.
So if you’re considering surgery, you may be in store for some free Botox! To check pricing on surgical and non-surgical procedures from a doctor near you, click here.
