Board Forum: Strategies to Support Skin and Hair Health

Do you recommend nutraceuticals for hair or collagen support?

Todd Schlesinger, MD: Our practice carries one line, Viviscal PRO, which our patients seem to like. We carried biotin for a good while, but evolution of knowledge led us away from it due to the abnormalities that it may cause on lab testing and its widespread availability OTC.

Patients trust our judgment, and there are some very good supplements out there that seem to have some benefit to at least help with general skin/hair/nail health. The ones that have better data are the ones we are more likely to consider.

Michael Somenek, MD: We do recommend this as a routine part of hair restoration maintenance for our patients. We think this is a nice addition to the treatments that we offer in the office.

We offer Viviscal to our patients for their hair maintenance regimen.

Cheryl Burgess, MD: I recommend (drug-free) nutraceuticals for the hair, and I am currently observing the results of a new hair product coming to the market. On a daily basis, I see patients experiencing intrinsic hair changes and loss from hormonal or chronological aging hair changes, stress, or other medical factors to precipitate shedding (telogen effluvium), as well as extrinsic hair breakage from chemicals or over-styling.

Viviscal dominated the market in the 1990s by partnering with physicians to dispense Viviscal oral supplement products. Within the past 10 years, Nutrafol rolled out a non-shellfish origin oral supplement to the hair market with men and women’s formulations to facilitate and promote healthy hair by increasing density and strength to thinning hair. Both hair supplements have patented proprietary formulations: Viviscal (AminoMar C marine complex, mollusk and shark cartilage source) and Nutrafol (Synergen Complex). Both formulations contain biotin, antioxidants, and marine byproducts; however, Nutrafol makes claims of a supplement ingredient that blocks DHT (dihydroxytestosterone) and Sensoril Ashwagandha to relieve stress on hair follicles.

I carry both products in my office.

Tina Ho, MD: Not currently; it’s not part of my practice.

What strategies, if any, have you successfully implemented to increase skincare sales through your practice?

Dr. Ho: We drive skincare recommendations based on aestheticians driving the sales, so we emphasize selecting opportunities where staff/aestheticians like the products.

Dr. Burgess: Being seen via the virtual world has been a huge promoter of skincare sales in my practice. People aren’t used to staring into a mirror during meetings for hours at a time. Many of my patients did not venture out; therefore, we shipped products to them free of charge. We also included trial sizes and samples of other products in their order for them to try. It was much appreciated and generated more sales on their next purchase order.

Dr. Schlesinger: We have leveraged social media, educated our clinicians about the products we carry, and we incentivize them to recommend appropriate products. We have a robust treatment plan tool and communications to foster continuity from the clinic to the front desk, where sales are completed. We also make use of regular flash sales, specials, product placements, and displays.

Dr. Somenek: We make sure that our entire team is onboarded with the products that we carry in the office. This includes doing lunch-and-learns and having them actively use the products. This makes it very easy for them to explain to patients what they use on a daily basis when they get compliments on their skin.

Additionally, I always ask my patients what their skincare regimen is, which allows for a conversation about what I would recommend, subsequently increasing our skincare sales within the office.

Are there any trending OTC/mass market skincare products or ingredients that you would prefer patients avoid?

Dr. Burgess: It is more concerning ordering products off the internet! You can get anything on the web and dark web that can severely injure the skin and hair.

Dr. Somenek: The DIY pore vaccums, I think, can be very dangerous for certain skin types. Keep in mind that this product is manufactured for a universal application, and for those with sensitive skin, it can cause serious abrasions and potential infection to their skin if they misuse the product or don’t understand the proper application. Best to trust a certified professional to perform this procedure on your skin.

Dr. Schlesinger: I think patients should be careful to do a little reading and speak to their dermatologist before starting new products. Many are loaded with fragrances, coloring agents, fillers, and preservatives or do not have enough evidence for their efficacy to be recommended. It is a very crowded market, so it is buyer beware.