Take That, Kim and Kylie : Most Millennials Don't Want Your Advice on Cosmetic Surgery

When it comes to deciding on nips and tucks, millennials are not inclined to trust social media or celebs, a new ZALEA survey suggests.

Instead, three-quarters of this hot-to-trot demographic are more apt to listen to family/friends and physicians as a source of information on cosmetic surgery. Nearly 50 percent trusted Google search results. But when it came to social media, the group started to throw some shade. More than 50 percent said they don’t trust social media and surprisingly, just 10 percent said celebrity endorsements influenced their decision to have a cosmetic procedure.

This intel matters to savvy marketeers as close to 40 percent of millennials have either undergone a cosmetic procedure or are considering one in the next year.

"Millennials represent the future consumers of aesthetic medicine," says Christopher Zachary MD, Professor and Chair Department of Dermatology, University of California, Irvine and ZALEA Editor-In-Chief, in a news release.  "Their understanding of new media and their facility for seeking current information will drive them toward new providers of their choice."

When asked who they would trust to perform their cosmetic procedure, millennials said dermatologists (85 percent) and plastic surgeons (75 percent), followed by OB/GYN's and family practicioners. Both Med Spas and registered nurses would be considered (but not as the first choice) by more than 50 percent of the survey respondents.

Factors that most influence the decision to undergo a procedure include provider's credentials (90 percent), ratings/reviews (84 percent) and price (78 percent). 

Patience is not a millennial strong suit. Fifty five percent of the respondents said they would wait up to two weeks for an appointment, but 30 percent want that appointment in less than one week.

They’re not a particularly loyal crew either.  Just 33 percent of the millennials said they would return to a provider that they had seen before for other cosmetic treatments.

The study consisted of an equal distribution of male and female respondents with 65 percent between the ages of 18-24. Most survey respondents reported earning less than $50K annually.