Engaging Older Cosmetic Care Clientele: Empty Nesters and Retirees

As their responsibilities change, many older patients and clients may be shifting their lifestyles and embracing cosmetic procedures in response to a greater amount of disposable income, extra time to focus on themselves and a desire to age gracefully.

For example, almost 4 in 10 aesthetic surgical procedures (39.6%) performed in 2023 involved patients over the age of 50, according to research by The Aesthetic Society in collaboration with CosmetAssure.¹

This statistic may represent an opportunity for cosmetic service providers to tailor marketing and services to an older demographic group. By focusing on reaching out specifically to older patients or clients, you may be able to capitalize on this group’s interest in your services and build new income streams.

Understand the Demographic: Empty Nesters and Retirees

To effectively market to older adults, understanding who they are may help you better determine why they may be interested in cosmetic procedures right now.

Life changes and motivations

Empty nesters and retirees may have spent many years raising families and building careers. Now, at a point in life where they may no longer have to prioritize children or jobs before their own interests, many of them may be ready to finally focus on themselves.

In addition to having more time available for themselves, these adults may also be experiencing the results of the aging process, driving their motivation to stay youthful and attractive for a longer period of time. Many may want to make a special effort to tweak their appearance as they plan for milestones like weddings, reunions and travel plans. Empty nesters and retirees may feel motivated to invest in their appearance to boost confidence or adapt to modern standards of beauty.

Financial confidence

People at this stage of life may have more disposable income than they did when they were younger because their financial responsibilities have likely decreased. For example, maybe they’ve finished paying off their mortgages or they no longer need to pay toward their children’s educations.

Based on research from The Aesthetic Society, many people in their 50s and older are investing in various plastic surgery procedures, including liposuction, eyelid surgery, tummy tucks and facelifts.¹ Savvy cosmetic service providers can capitalize on that interest and help drive new business by connecting with this demographic. For example, research from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) suggests that many people 50 and older expect to focus more on health and wellness, even if their income remains the same.²

Some people in this age group may have more disposable income than in the past, but many may not be prepared to pay for an expensive procedure upfront. It can be helpful to offer patients or clients financing options or a way to pay over time. When you communicate that you provide financing for cosmetic procedures, you can make it easy for your patients or clients to move forward with the care they want or need.

Tailor Marketing Strategies

Your cosmetic practice or business may benefit from older adults’ growing interest in plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures by tailoring your cosmetic marketing strategies for this specific group. By working to specifically engage with patients or clients over the age of 50, you may be able to identify new specialty opportunities and revenue streams. Here are some tips to get started.

Focus on education and information

Older adults who have never undergone plastic surgery or cosmetic procedures may appreciate a cosmetic care provider who offers clear, straightforward explanations about how certain procedures work and the expected results.

Consider providing comprehensive information about specific procedures, including potential benefits and trends on your business website and in brochures. Use professional, thoughtful messaging that builds trust, avoids unqualified claims and addresses any myths or misconceptions about aging and cosmetic treatments.

Make it easy for potential patients or clients to find pricing information, and include easy-to-understand details about financing that empower them to make a more informed decision about moving forward with the care they want or need.

Leverage testimonials and success stories

By conveying relatable stories of others in this demographic who experienced positive transformations, you may gain the attention and trust of prospective patients or clients. In addition to sharing the past clients’ ages, goals and results, also include professional before-and-after photos in your cosmetic marketing materials to help maintain authenticity.

Use targeted advertising

Consider advertising on social media platforms and channels that are frequently used by this demographic, such as Facebook.³ Other options that may work for reaching older adults include email newsletters and health websites. In your ads, highlight benefits that matter to empty nesters and retirees, such as increased confidence, vitality and overall satisfaction.

Adapt Procedures to Their Wants and Needs

One approach to making older patients feel welcome in your cosmetic practice or business may be to create a special menu of services for people who are 50 and older. By adapting your offerings to the wants and needs of this demographic, you can help make them feel confident that your practice understands their goals.

Popular procedures for empty nesters and retirees

If you want to provide tailored services for empty nesters and retirees, you may want to include the procedures that tend to be popular with this demographic, such as:⁴

• Skin resurfacing (e.g., dermabrasion, chemical peel, lasers — ablative/non-ablative, microdermabrasion)
• Forehead lift, neck lift, facelift
• Eyelid surgery
• Facial fat grafting

Emphasize natural results

Rather than attempting to upsell older patients or clients on treatments that may not resonate, focus instead on personalized recommendations. It’s important to cater to the desire for treatments that meet their aesthetic goals. Emphasizing subtle enhancements may help achieve their desired results without looking unnatural.

Create Long-Term Relationships

Serving older adults and achieving positive results can help position you to start creating long-term relationships with these patients or clients. To build those relationships, consider:

• Loyalty programs. Position your practice as an ongoing partner in your older patients’ or clients’ wellness routines. Consider offering discounts, referral benefits or exclusive offers to incentivize repeat visits for those who may be interested in more than one cosmetic procedure.
• Community engagement. Get involved in your surrounding area to boost your practice’s visibility to a wide variety of potential patients or clients. For example, offering educational seminars or online webinars about cosmetic advancements tailored for older audiences can help you build relationships with this demographic.
• Encourage referrals. If your older patients or clients are happy with the results of their procedure, they may be willing to refer longtime friends, coworkers and acquaintances to your cosmetic business. Consider creating an easy-to-navigate referral program, such as sending an email with a link to leave a Facebook or Google review for your practice.

Tap Into a Growing Demographic

As the population ages, older adults will continue to become a larger demographic group.⁵ By making an effort to increase engagement with this population now, you can help prepare your practice or business to continue benefiting from their business for years to come.

A Flexible Financing Solution for Your Cosmetic Practice

Want to make it easy for patients and clients to manage the cost of treatment at your cosmetic practice or business? Consider offering the CareCredit credit card as a financing solution. CareCredit offers individuals a way to pay for surgical and non-surgical treatments and procedures over time while helping enhance the payments process for your practice or business.

When you accept CareCredit, patients or clients can see if they prequalify with no impact to their credit score, and those who apply, if approved, can take advantage of special financing on qualifying purchases.* Additionally, you will be paid directly within two business days.

Learn more about the CareCredit credit card as a financing solution for your cosmetic care practice and business or start the provider enrollment process by filling out this form.

Author Bio

Nancy Mann Jackson is a journalist and content writer who writes regularly about finance and healthcare. Her work has been published by AARP, CNBC, Entrepreneur and Fortune.