THE place of many crows is fast becoming the town of very few crowlines, as laser and cosmetic skin treatments once known only to Tinseltown are hitting the bush.
More and more locals are turning to laser treatment, skin peels, botox and needling in an unprecedented demand to look younger and feel better, according to Riverina Laser and Skin Clinic owner, Mary Lotfi.
Business at the region’s only clinic of its kind has doubled every month since it opened four months ago, with laser hair removal the most popular treatment.
“Everybody wants to look younger,” Mrs Lotfi said. “There’s an increasing demand, especially for laser treatment.”
Mrs Lofti, a former Iranian doctor, moved to Australia four years ago and has since poured efforts into making her dream of opening the region’s first laser and skin clinic come to fruition.
"People want to look good ... It's about the accessibility. (You) have the ability to go to the shops, look better and feel better, but at a price you can afford."
- Laser Clinics Australia general manager, Tim Sinclair
Also offering chemical peels, facial treatments, laser pigmentation removal and vascular treatments, the clinic treats clients as young as 14 and both genders – a market that is dramatically growing.
It is a trend backed by the country’s largest franchise-run laser company, Laser Clinics Australia, who are on the hunt for a franchisee to open a clinic in Wagga.
General manager Tim Sinclair said there was a demand for the “technology-enabled business” in regional areas.
“It’s a fast-growing environment,” he said.
“People want to look good. I don’t think it’s about being more vain, it’s about accessibility. (You) have the ability to go to the shops, look better and feel better, but at a price you can afford."
Laser hair removal accounts for half of the company’s business, while cosmetic injectables like botox is growing at a 40 per cent rate across the country to account for about 30 per cent of the company’s total business.
“It’s the fastest growing part of our business,” Mr Sinclair said.
“Five years ago, people were reluctant to talk about botox or cosmetic procedure. People are much more comfortable talking about it now.”
While up to 90 per cent of the company’s clientelle are women, male clients continue to rise.
