Joel Schlessinger M.D.

Joel Schlessinger offers insight into how to market to males, both in-office and externally, in a Practical Dermatology article, “Get Male Patients Through the Door: How to Market Cosmetic Products and Procedures.”

The top three procedures requested by men are:

• chemical peeling
• nose reshaping
• laser hair removal

Other procedures that appeal to many males include: microdermabrasion, Botox, fillers, liposuction, eyelid surgery, hair transplants and breast reduction.

Marketing tips by the doctor include:

• Appeal to men by using their photos in brochures
• Follow up with men via email; this seems to feel less intrusive to them than a phone call
• Strategically use external advertising
• Cross sell/upsell to men who are in the office; the significant others of female patients sometimes end up as patients themselves

The doctor tracks how often the significant others of female patients become new patients for him. For more information on how to track referral sources, see this article by Joel Schlessinger MD.

In the doctor’s experience, male patients have a higher conversion rate than females. He attributes that, at least in part, to the fact that men apparently don’t have the same need to consult with a spouse before saying yes to a procedure.

Although not referred to in this article, another service in demand by male patients is tattoo removal.

Joel Schlessinger uses lasers to remove a tattoo because it is a safer option and less invasive than surgery, dermabrasion/sanding or the use of chemical peels. Moreover, laser targets just the area where ink was used in a tattoo.