Med Spa Lessons from Australia featuring Inside Aesthetics

Aesthetics is truly a global market.

In a recent episode of Medical Spa Insider, AmSpa founder and chairman Alex Thiersch sat down with Dr. Jake Sloane and David Segal, hosts of the Australia-based Inside Aesthetics podcast, to discuss how Australia became a bellwether for the aesthetics industry. From the rise of Laser Clinics Australia to the impact of private equity, regulation and changing patient behavior, the conversation offers valuable lessons for aesthetic businesses everywhere.

If you’re a clinician, medical spa owner, injector or aesthetics business operator, this discussion provides practical insights into compliance, business growth, patient trust and what it takes to survive in a rapidly evolving market.

The conversation explores how consolidation, short-term financial pressure and boardroom decision-making can clash with the long-term, relationship-based nature of medical aesthetics.

What follows is a lightly edited sneak peek into their conversation. Listen in full on your favorite podcast platforms.

Alex Thiersch: Welcome to the program. We have guests joining us from the other side of the world: Dr. Jake Sloane and David Segal from Australia. For those who may not know them, they’re the hosts of Inside Aesthetics, one of the most widely followed podcasts in the aesthetics industry.

I was fortunate to join them on their podcast a few months ago, and we discussed their new app and educational platform. Today, I wanted to bring them to the AmSpa audience because Australia has experienced many of the same trends we’re seeing in the United States—from consolidation and private equity to evolving regulations and changes in how aesthetic businesses operate.

Jake, David, welcome.

David Segal: Thanks, Alex. It’s great to be here. We really enjoyed having you on our podcast and learning more about what AmSpa is doing to help providers navigate compliance and run better businesses.

The industry has grown so quickly that many of us are still trying to figure out how to do things the right way. My background is on the business side. I’ve owned clinics for about 20 years, both surgical and non-surgical. When I entered the industry, aesthetics was still in its infancy.

Jake and I started the podcast nearly eight years ago because we saw a huge knowledge gap. The industry was moving quickly. New products, new devices and social media were changing everything. People didn’t always know where to find reliable information, and we wanted to help fill that void.

Dr. Jake Sloane: I’m the clinician of the two of us. My background is in general surgery, but I’ve been practicing full-time facial aesthetics since 2017.

One of the things that’s been exciting about the podcast is the international audience. We get to learn from our guests, our listeners and people we meet while traveling. Most recently, we launched our new app, IA Community, which is really about helping aesthetic professionals connect, learn and support one another.

A lot of people are doing this alone. Running a business is difficult. Most of us are clinicians, and we’re expected to understand laws, regulations, business models and marketing on top of patient care. The app is designed to help people navigate those challenges together.

The Rise of Laser Clinics Australia

Alex Thiersch: One thing I find fascinating about Australia is the role Laser Clinics Australia played in shaping the aesthetics industry. Many people in the U.S. don’t fully appreciate how influential that company was.

David Segal: Laser Clinics Australia was founded in 2009. The founders saw an opportunity to make aesthetic treatments more accessible. At the time, laser hair removal and injectables were expensive and difficult to access.

The business started with laser hair removal and eventually expanded into injectables, skin treatments and a variety of aesthetic services. They brought treatments into shopping centers, made pricing more accessible and openly talked about procedures that previously weren’t discussed publicly.

The business grew rapidly and eventually became one of the largest players in the market.

Dr. Jake Sloane: Coming from the UK, it was a huge eye-opener.

Before Laser Clinics Australia, aesthetics felt like a small cottage industry. When I arrived in Australia, I saw a completely different environment.

“I kind of see Laser Clinics Australia as democratized aesthetics. It made it available, cheap, affordable. Anyone could do it.”

From that perspective, it was incredibly successful. It made treatments accessible to a much broader group of patients.

Private Equity Enters the Picture

Alex Thiersch: The company eventually attracted private equity investment. What happened next?

David Segal: To understand that story, it helps to understand how private equity works.

Private equity firms raise money from investors, acquire businesses, increase their value and then eventually sell them. They’re typically working toward a specific return within a defined period.

The challenge is that aesthetics isn’t a typical consumer business.

“They don’t really understand that you’re not kind of selling T-shirts or biscuits. This is kind of like a personal medical service with relationships.”

Founders often think differently. They have long-term relationships with staff, franchisees and patients. When private equity enters, priorities can shift toward maximizing efficiency and profitability.

In our experience, that’s where some of the challenges began.

Dr. Jake Sloane: From the clinical side, treatments became more sophisticated over time. Patients became more educated. New products entered the market. Consultations required more time and attention.

But some of the original business models were built around high-volume throughput.

You could see ten patients a day, sell treatment packages and move quickly. As the industry matured, that became harder to sustain.

“The business was never really set up that way. It was set up for come in for 15 minutes, maybe half an hour, you’re in, you’re out and we see the next one.”

Eventually, the market demanded something different.

Lessons from Regulation

Alex Thiersch: One of the most interesting parts of Australia’s story is regulation. The United States is dealing with many of the same issues today.

David Segal: Australia introduced significant restrictions on advertising aesthetic treatments involving scheduled medications.

Providers can’t advertise anti-wrinkle injections or dermal fillers the way they once did. There are restrictions on before-and-after photos and other forms of marketing.

The regulators felt that treatments were becoming overly commercialized and were being presented more like beauty services than medical procedures.

Dr. Jake Sloane: The challenge is that those regulations don’t necessarily address the root problem.

“The problem is that there are people out there who aren’t skilled, potentially don’t even know that they’re unconsciously incompetent doing these things.”

We still don’t have a formal training pathway. There isn’t a universally accepted qualification. People can complete a short course and begin practicing.

The advertising rules changed, but many of the underlying training questions remain.

Market Pressure and Changing Patient Behavior

Alex Thiersch: How has patient demand changed?

David Segal: Demand is still there.

People still want aesthetic treatments. What’s changed is that there are more providers competing for those patients.

Patients are stretching out appointments, spending less per visit and becoming more selective about where they go.

“The easy wins are no longer here.”

The market is exposing who understands business fundamentals and who doesn’t.

Providers who focus on patient relationships, consultations and sustainable business practices are more likely to succeed.

The Importance of Business Fundamentals

David Segal: One thing I see constantly is providers investing heavily in clinical education while neglecting business education.

“Most people don’t know how to read basic financials.”

If you own a business, you need to understand profit and loss statements, margins, break-even points and patient retention.

At the same time, you need to focus on the patient experience.

“How to create an experience for your patient, how to do a really, really great consult, how to build rapport, how to develop the relationship.”

Those skills often matter more than learning the newest treatment or buying the newest device.

AI and the Future of Patient Acquisition

Dr. Jake Sloane: One of the most interesting shifts I’ve noticed recently is how patients are finding providers.

I always ask new patients how they found us.

“They’re all on ChatGPT.”

Patients are increasingly using AI-powered search tools instead of traditional search engines.

That means providers need to think differently about digital visibility. They need strong websites, active content strategies and a broader digital footprint.

It’s no longer enough to rely exclusively on Instagram.

Building Community

Alex Thiersch: That brings us to IA Community. What are you hoping to build?

David Segal: We want to create a space where aesthetic professionals can learn from each other, share experiences and build meaningful connections.

There is tremendous value in bringing together clinicians, business owners and industry partners from around the world.

Everyone is facing similar challenges. The more we share knowledge, the stronger the industry becomes.

Dr. Jake Sloane: We want people to have access to practical information they can use every day, whether that’s clinical education, business guidance or simply connecting with peers who understand what they’re going through.

At the end of the day, that’s what the podcast has always been about.

Listen to the full episode: Med Spa Lessons from Australia featuring Inside Aesthetics