The aesthetic medicine market in France

The aesthetic medicine and surgery market in France comprises several distinct segments[La Roche Posay; Le Figaro Santé] :

Aesthetic surgery

A speciality of plastic surgery, this technique of reshaping the body through surgical intervention corrects a morphological anomaly or the outward appearance of a patient's body. The results are radical .

Among the most common procedures are[Fashion4mec]:

Facial surgery: cervico-facial lift, rhinosplasty (nose), blepharoplasty (eyelids).

Breast surgery: breast augmentation, breast reduction, breast reconstruction, breast implant replacement.

Body surgery: abdominoplasty, liposuction, lipomodelling, intimate surgery.

Aesthetic medicine

This covers all non-surgical advice, care and treatment designed to improve a patient's aesthetic appearance. Described as "non-invasive", the vast majority of procedures involve injections under the skin, for example to reduce wrinkles. The result of a procedure is temporary and reversible. Aesthetic medical procedures must therefore be repeated to maintain their benefits .

The most common procedures include[CR] :

hyaluronic acid injection

botulinum toxin injections

tightening or lifting threads

cryolipolysis (cold fat removal)

laser hair removal

peeling (exfoliation/dermo-epidermal stimulation)

hair transplant

Cosmeceuticals

Halfway between cosmetics and drugs, cosmeceuticals contain active ingredients for specific dermatological treatments (wrinkles, dark circles, etc.). Cosmeceuticals are most frequently used to correct skin aging, although their efficacy has yet to be proven.

The first breast augmentations were performed in the 1950s/1960s, just as lasers were making their appearance in dermatology. Later, in the 80s, Dr Gérard Yllouz revolutionized cosmetic surgery by inventing liposuction. Finally, in the 90s and 2000s, aesthetic medicine emerged with the development of botox and hyaluronic acid.[Reau]

The global market for aesthetic surgery and medicine is booming, driven in particular by the dynamism of the Asian regions, which are currently the main focus of global demand. However, the market is still largely dominated by the United States and Brazil, and is valued at $127.1 billion in 2023, rising at a CAGR of14.7% from 2023 to 2030, to reach $332.1 billion. This growth is due in part to the boom in injectable substances, to the renewal of equipment and technologies required for operations, but also to the dual context of an ageing population and growing acceptance of cosmetic surgery. [GV]

The French market is also growing, thanks in particular to the growing popularity of aesthetic medicine methods, which straddle the line between medical treatment and simple cosmetic surgery.the French market is also growing, thanks in particular to the growing popularity of aesthetic medicine methods, which straddle the line between medical treatment and simple aesthetic procedures, to the detriment of in-clinic surgical procedures whose popularity has been affected by a number of scandals. The French aesthetics market will be worth 12 billion euros by 2021, with average annual growth of 15% from 2018 until at least 2024. [Clinique des Champs Elysées]

According to Le Figaro,more than 320,000 cosmetic surgery and 420,000 aesthetic medicine procedures were carried out in the country in 2022.As a result, the number of French people who have already had cosmetic surgery is estimated to have risen by 13% in one year, to 1.4 million.

Lastly, the legal framework plays a key role in regulating the market and authorizing certain practices. It therefore plays a decisive role in understanding market supply and major market dynamics [France Tv].