In a grey, but no less dazzling Paris, just a hop and a skip from both the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, aesthetics professionals gathered at the Palais des Congrès to connect, catch up with the industry and catch a glimpse of what glimmers on the horizon.
This year, the focus was on regenerative solutions for the skin, face and body, with products being even more specialized, delivery systems being even less invasive and treatments and procedures more robust to give clients and patients a more noticeable lift with less heavy lifting. Strolling (or whatever you call inching through a crowd of people packed shoulder to shoulder) through any one of the four exhibition floors didn't just give us a taste of the industry, but a full, deconstructed, elaborative flavor profile of aesthetics.
The Catwalk a.k.a. The Exhibit Floor(s)
The exhibitor floor showcased brands specializing in products, devices, new technologies and anything else a medspa or medical practice offering aesthetic services might need.Photo taken by Skin Inc.
Sorry—the post-Paris fashion week vibes were so strong.
All four floors of the exhibit space were jam-packed with aesthetics' crème de la crème. Brands like Meso'me, Galderma and Seduskin showcased their diverse range of products to target specific skin conditions and goals, which, in this day and age, is scalp-inclusive.
Cynosure Lutronic and Biotec Italia brought their RF/laser tech and body contouring machines, respectively. Meanwhile, brands like Dermastir Luxury and Neogenesis came with their distinct approaches to their specialized markets: luxury in the former's case and those undergoing oncological treatments in the latter's.
Beloved brand HydraFacial also made an appearance (hey, girl!)
Our team was ecstatic to see a familiar, well, screen!Photo taken by Skin Inc.
The comprehensive range of booths on the floor gives us the lay of the land: consumers are looking for the pieces of their aesthetic journey to fit their lives like a second skin. The age of "generally good" is gone, replaced by an era staked on clinical results and surgical precision, even in noninvasive solutions.
On the industry's cutting edge, we had the chance to talk to NanoPass Technologies about their MicronJet's patented three-pyramid design, which allows penetration into the skin at the optimal level and angle without breaking blood vessels, meaning no bruising of the skin or blunting of the needle.
MicronJet and a close-up model of its three-pyramid design, by NanoPass Technologies.Photo taken by Skin Inc.
Meanwhile, Teoxane educated us on how they married their philosophy to aesthetic procedures to the brand's skin care line. At the same time, Thread & Lift is disrupting Europe's tensor thread market by introducing something new to the procedure: permanence.
So, what does this mean for you, the esthetician?
There's a lot to pick up on at an event like this. Look past booth signs, programs and conference agendas, and you can still learn a lot. For example, the sheer volume of an event like this means that there's a lot being introduced in the industry's attempt to meet ravenous market demand. This means the competition's stiff, and that brands are fervently looking for more avenues that will distinguish them.
Now, in talking to brands across the event, we learned that there are many interested in breaking into the U.S. market. That's a lot easier said than done, though. Many brands we spoke to ruefully mentioned the tediously long bottleneck of pursuing FDA clearance. "Go and talk to your lawmakers," many remarked. Our team members couldn't help but exchange looks; we know all too well how hairy regulation can be stateside.
Additionally, those reaching the homestretch of that process are looking for distributorships and brands to partner with in anticipation of a U.S. release as well.
From a product standpoint, it's worth noting that those featured at this show were the clinically-backed, medical-grade caliber consumers are looking for, many of which are sold from medspas and medical practices, and physician-founded. While medspas and medical practitioners tended to be the primary audience, day spas were a common secondary or tertiary audience, a trend that demonstrates the converging aesthetics, skin and wellness markets. As such, many brands have tried to widen their scope: microneedling was a hot topic of conversation for many, but nanoneedling wasn't left out either.
If you take away nothing else from this show, though, it should be the trajectory of the industry; the aesthetics market is only getting bigger and procedures, smarter. Clients will be gravitating towards the most seamless of these services to incorporate into their longevity plans, and a promise to deliver results is no longer sufficient—consumers are looking for tested, science-backed solutions.
What happens in Paris...
Days one and two had happy endings in the form of Prollenium's and XOMD's afterparties.
Prollenium commemorated the brand's success by transporting us from 2026 to the roarin' twenties, complete with dancing flapper girls and coupes brimming with champagne.
Prollenium afterparty dancers, cutting a rug.Photo taken by Skin Inc.
The very next night, XOMD hosted us at an intimate soirée, where we had the opportunity to mingle with brand founders, doctors Sabrina Fabi, MD and Steven Dayan, MD.
A cozy and intimate nightcap with XOMD.Photo taken by Skin Inc.
Three days spent amongst the technology pushing the boundaries of the state of the art and evenings passed in forging lifelong partnerships? No wonder the event resides in Paris; the spark of inspiration thrives in the city of lights.
