First thing’s first, what is a “tweakment” and where does the culture of tweaking treatments come from?
The culture around constant tweakment comes from our desire to always look good – from waking up until we lay our head down at night. A lot of this stems from the sheer volume of image-focussed social media platforms and the very real existence of online trolling which picks apart images of celebrities captured on camera “au naturel”. This criticism, combined with the desire to always look our very best wherever we go, has caused a rise in consumers of all ages looking to pay for quick fixes which will make them feel more confident in their own skin.
What is interesting about tweakment culture is that we don’t reach for the treatment brochure to alter our appearance, or even to make significant and obvious changes. Instead, aesthetics and non-invasive injectable treatments are used by consumers of all ages to enhance what is already there and create an illusion of perfection which is tightly stretched over the most natural of features.
Is injectable and dermal filler the right way to go?
In terms of treatment, injectable and dermal filler is non-invasive, more affordable, and less time consuming than cosmetic surgery. While some will argue that this makes treatment too accessible for younger consumers who don’t need it, for most the fact that the process can slot into a single lunch break with no recovery time required, makes it an easy and manageable fix.
When assessing the power of “tweakment” culture, it becomes important to understand the motivation behind those who seek the treatment, looking at why they reach for injectables and what the benefits are. This is where it’s crucial to recognise that facial tweaks and enhancing treatments are not purely used for vanity and to make one look better – they are also used by older consumers to help them retain a sense of who they are and to aid them in lengthening their youthful looks. Not only can this have a positive impact on mental wellbeing and confidence, but it can also alleviate the appearance of scars and other visible deformities.
Is “Tweakment” the right word to use in relation to aesthetics?
The word “tweakment” suggests a small tweak is being made as opposed to a significant change, and this can in fact be beneficial when it comes to marketing within the industry and ensuring that the right message is being relayed to consumers of all ages.
As an aesthetic training academy, we tend to find that some beauticians will come to us with a misconception about what aesthetic treatment is designed to do, causing us to put more into educating individuals about the difference between image altering surgical treatments, and enhancing injectables like dermal filler and anti-wrinkle injections.
A “tweak” is something minor, and that is exactly how aesthetic treatments should be displayed, both in terms of the effect and the cost (when compared with the huge fees linked to cosmetic surgery).