Dr. Steven Dayan has seen recessions come and go after owning his plastic surgery clinic, Impressions Face + Body, since 2000. That experience, he said, means he can almost sense when business is about to hit a lull or a boom.
“We’re getting ready for the boom,” Dayan said.
Since GLP-1 agonists, a class of prescription drugs sold under brand names like Ozempic and Wegovy, have hit the market, Dayan has noticed a spike in interest from clients hoping to get face and body lifts offered at his Streeterville clinic, 845 N. Michigan Ave.
The drug, used to treat type 2 diabetes, has soared in popularity in recent years for its ability to help with weight loss, with a number of Hollywood celebrities and reality TV stars trying the drug. Roughly one in eight U.S. adults have tried GLP-1 agonists, according to a KFF Health poll conducted last year among 1,479 adults.
And as more people lose weight and have loose skin, they’re seeking out aesthetic procedures like face and body lifts, Dayan said.
“Ozempic has taken off,” he said. “And it’s going to impact this culture, this society and the aesthetics field more than any other drug that’s ever come to market.”
In addition to surgical treatments, his clinic also offers fillers, facials, laser treatments and botox injections.
Dayan expects even more business to trickle in as people take their health and looks more seriously, especially with the growing use of social media.
“These people now are going to be back in the workforce, they’re going to be more motivated about who they are and what they do every day, which means they’re more involved in taking better care of themselves,” Dayan said. “For people like myself in the aesthetic fields or the self-help fields, I think you’re going to see a lot of impact. … The aesthetics industry is going to explode.”
Impressions Face + Body recently hired another plastic surgeon, adding to its staff of roughly 25, and hopes to bring on additional staff to meet client demand.
Dayan also has plans to relocate his clinic — currently just under 5,500 square feet — to a more than 11,000-square-foot space in June that would house an accredited in-office surgery center.
Because aesthetic treatments are luxury services that generally aren’t covered by insurance, Dayan’s business feels the impact of the economy before it hits other industries. But given the growing interest in plastic surgery and other treatments, he expects 2025 to be a banner year.
“2024 was not one of our best years, but ‘25 already feels like it’s on the way up,” he said. “I can say with optimism that it’s going to be a good ‘25.”
As uncertainty circulates in the wider economy, Dayan said a general economic downturn could impact his business. He also said some brands, devices and products like Botox are produced outside of the U.S. so the company has been monitoring the White House’s trade policy since it could impact the center’s services.
For now, he’s not too concerned as the center has been developing strategies to adapt to any changes. But he’ll be keeping an eye on consumer trends and feelings in the coming year.
“We’re luxury items — one of the first things to go; one of the first things to start back up. That’s why I think I always have a little bit of my sense of the pulse of the year,” Dayan said.
He also said his connection to Chicago and his commitment to being a vocal part of the business community has enabled his success.
“People don’t come here just for the weather,” he said. “They come here because they want opportunity. And Chicago offers that to people who work hard.”
