The Importance of Patient Mindset: Cosmetic Injectable Patient Experience Exploratory Study—Part 1

BACKGROUND: To meet the needs of each individual cosmetic injectable patient, focus is moving toward a detailed, patient-centered, holistic consultation with pretreatment exploration of the patient’s mindset. The Cosmetic Injectables Patient Experience Exploratory Study (CIPEES) was developed to explore patient motivation, mindset, engagement, and factors impacting the patient-practitioner relationship. OBJECTIVES: In order to best meet the needs of individual aesthetic patients, the authors examine the variability and importance of mindset factors in patients seeking cosmetic injectables. METHODS: A study was conducted through an online survey. Participants were asked to respond to a series of statements concerning their thoughts and feelings around appearance, treatment goals, and motivating factors. Participants were asked to select one of the following: “describes me well,” “somewhat describes me,” or “does not describe me.” RESULTS: In total, 1269 participants completed the relevant survey question. Respondents were 95.6% female and 4.4% male, with ages ranging from 18 to > 65 years old (median 33 years old). Responses were also analyzed according to age group. Data analysis revealed a majority of respondents seeking natural results, with a 15%-20% minority considering a “done” look to be acceptable or even ideal. High numbers of respondents reported being critical of their own appearance and concerned about a specific feature to be “fixed.” CONCLUSIONS: Exploring the nuances of patient mindset will assist practitioners in meeting the unique needs of each patient and may also help them to avoid treating patients whose requirements or expectations are outside their circle of competence.