When Hello Perfect aesthetic clinic opened in Nigeria 7 years ago, aesthetic beauty treatments were still an unpopular exclusive. Onyeka Michael Ugwu, the founder, returned from the United States a decade ago as a licensed aesthetician, to pursue a profession that was mostly reserved for the wealthy and served under hush tones.
I spoke with Onyeka, a US-certified aesthetician who is committed to rebuilding self-esteem in Nigerian women, one beauty solution after another. We discussed the rise of aesthetic beauty treatments in Nigeria, building standards and empathy in the middle of a trending practice.
What are Aesthetic treatments?
Aesthetic treatments are non-invasive, relatively painless cosmetic procedures that are used to enhance natural beauty. They often range from mild procedures like chemical peels to fillers, botox, and even non-surgical facelifts.
“When I started out doing this, people didn’t know what medical aesthetic practice was. And then within 10 years, the speed at which this industry has grown is so exciting for us.”
How aesthetic treatments became popular
In the last decade, aesthetic beauty treatments have grown in popularity, not just in Nigeria but worldwide. The procedures have become mainstream and even more affordable. Onyeka attributes this popularity majorly to social media and pop culture. There’s also been some cross-generational influence where older millennials and GenZs, influenced by pop culture have gone on to demystify these treatments for their mothers. Now, almost 70% of cosmetic treatments are done on individuals aged 35-64. In 2023, over 85% of that number were women.
In addition to this, treatments have evolved over time, reducing the downtime for healing after procedures and in many cases eliminating it completely. For example, now you can schedule a chemical peel and after that, slap on some sunscreen and a hat and run a few errands for the day without compromising the process.
Onyeka also spoke about the myths behind these procedures and how many people believed that it was unnecessary to even wear sunscreen, not to mention fillers and injectables. She said, “There was a gap between the mythology of the treatments and general medicine. People wanted a bit more, which is where aesthetic practice comes in: to treat skin concerns from the beauty aspect, not from the skin disease and dermatology aspect.”
The introduction of social media filters may have been another rung on the aesthetic beauty ladder. They created an insecurity that many women did not know existed, presenting skin perfection that they aspired to. Who wants to look different from their Instagram posts? These women looked to aesthetic treatments for a solution.
Are aesthetic treatments the solution?
“Once I had to turn a woman back because she told me ‘I just had fillers done on Friday’ and it was a Tuesday. She said, ‘Give me more’. I said, ‘Mommy it’s not like that. We don’t do it like that.”
Onyeka’s approach to aesthetic beauty treatment is to focus on maintaining natural beauty. She explained that because the skin encounters environmental and chemical pollutants, these procedures are important to correct those issues and maintain the original beauty of each woman.
Malaika Kubwa, formerly known as Martina Big is a German trans-racial model who employed cosmetic procedures like fillers to ‘Africanise’ her facial features. While Malaika’s case may be considered extreme, she is representative of what could happen in an unregulated industry where cosmetic procedures are administered only according to the request of the patient.
I asked Onyeka what the process was at Hello Perfect and she explained how every patient regardless of rank, class and economic position must undergo a consultation and proper testing before procedures are recommended to them. In addition to this, she also has a consultant physician on hand to ensure that the treatments are medically acceptable for each patient.
The need for regulation
“One day you’re going to see corner shops for Botox. You’re going to see barber shops where they’ll finish with your hair and tell you there’s somebody here that can do your buttocks too.”
We can already see this happening in a few beauty spas where injectables are offered for popular procedures like vampire facials. There’s a need for certification, high standards and repeated inspections for aesthetic practices in Nigeria, such that is not currently available in the country. Onyeka shared how in opening a branch of Hello Perfect in the UK, the process is more stringent than it was here in Nigeria.
To understand the need for aesthetic regulation, explore the case of the skin bleaching epidemic in Nigeria. Back in the day, some beauty treatments for the older generations were trying to tone their skin and keep an even complexion. They purchased a lot of creams for this and in many of these products, hydroquinone, a bleaching agent was included.
Enter Exogenous Ochronosis, a skin condition caused by excessive use of hydroquinone. The condition causes a blue-black pigmentation in the skin and has become a point of stigma for many women. A simple need to maintain the skin’s quality has led many to more skin problems. This is why it is important to regulate the sale of skin care products, and the ingredients contained in them as well as the performance of aesthetic treatments.
Beauty in imperfection
While aesthetic treatments are effective, it is important to note that these treatments are meant to enhance your natural beauty, one you must first accept that you already possess. In this way, the procedures not only beautify but also builds confidence in several women.
“I was holding the hand of a patient who, when she saw me, started to cry. She couldn’t believe the results she had gotten after just one treatment of micro-needling and a combination of chemical peels to treat acne and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. This is it for us, and we’ve been able to pass that culture down to every member of the team.”
Among all the achievements that she has had in this time, impact is one that Onyeka holds dear. Watching others experience the life-changing quality of proper aesthetic beauty treatments has been a part of her life she claims will never change if she was in another profession. With a strong affinity for impact, Onyeka and Hello Perfect are on a mission to transform Nigeria, one confident woman at a time.
