While reading an article just the other day, I came across something I had never heard of before:
Aesthetician Bridge Practices.
Intrigued by the name, I dove in and discovered a business model that could potentially reshape the way medspas operate, making them safer and more collaborative. This fascinating idea was featured in an insightful piece by Dr. Lunderville on Lipgloss & Aftershave (Jan 2025 issue), and perhaps this is another occurance of me being late to the party, but I figured I would break it down for anyone else who is also new to this concept.
What Exactly is an Aesthetician Bridge Practice?
According to Dr. Lunderville, an aesthetician bridge practice involves a partnership between a licensed aesthetician and a nurse injector and the goal is to provide more comprehensive skin health services.
Aesthetician bridge practices emphasize pre- and post-procedure care, which can improve patient outcomes and overall satisfaction.
The aesthetician works either in the same location as the injector or as a contracted business, ensuring that clients receive continuous, expert care throughout their aesthetic journey.
WHO DOES THIS WORK FOR:
Injector offices with no Estheticians and Esthetician practices with no Injectors.
It’s basically like a Referral Program on Steroids – but the client gets a better treatment, both providers have a hand in it, the business can grow without hiring more providers, AND everyone gets paid.
I like it.
One quote that stood out to me was Dr. Lunderville’s observation:
“The biggest safety gap in the medspa space is the lack of foundational skin knowledge among some providers.”
This makes perfect sense—without a solid understanding of skin health, complications like burns or acne flare-ups can arise after treatments like lasers or injectables. Aesthetician bridge practices help fill that gap by ensuring patients have optimized skin health before and after procedures.
Learn more about Dr. Lunderville by visiting her website.
How Do Aesthetician Bridge Practices Work?
In practice, an aesthetician bridge model includes:
Pre-procedure Skin Prep:
Aesthetic treatments such as laser therapy or microneedling yield better results when the skin is properly prepped. This includes cleansing, balancing the skin’s microbiome, and ensuring the stratum corneum is in optimal condition.
Post-procedure Care:
After treatments, aestheticians can help patients with recovery by offering post-treatment facials, providing skincare product guidance, and monitoring for adverse reactions.
Lifestyle Assessment:
Aestheticians can assess factors such as diet and skincare routines that might be contributing to ongoing skin concerns like acne or dryness.
Why Should Medspa Owners Care?
For medspa owners, adopting this model could create a significant competitive advantage.
Not only does it enhance patient safety, but it also fosters stronger client relationships through continuous, personalized care.
Plus, it’s a great way to drive mutual referrals between injectors and aestheticians.
Dr. Lunderville highlighted a typical scenario where a patient seeking Botox may have underlying skin concerns that need to be addressed first. Without addressing these issues, the results of injectable treatments might not be as effective or long-lasting as desired.
“Patients will often present for injectables without having optimized skin health. Addressing this first can greatly enhance the final outcome,”
Dr. Lunderville explained.
How Can Aestheticians Get Started?
If you’re an aesthetician interested in setting up a bridge practice, here’s a step-by-step approach:
Networking: Attend industry events, join online communities, and reach out on social media to find potential nurse injector partners.
Read →Mastering Conference Networking: Actionable Tips for Every Type of Attendee (Even If You’re Alone)
Preparation: Come prepared with a detailed proposal outlining how your services will complement the nurse injector’s offerings.
Communication: Emphasize the mutual benefits—referrals, enhanced client care, and a holistic approach to beauty.
Final Thoughts
Before reading this article, I had no idea about the “term” aesthetician bridge practices, but I do know a number of medspas that use a very loose “referral-type” version of this.
Now, I see how this could be a game-changer for medspas looking to elevate their services and client outcomes. It’s a model that blends expertise with collaboration, creating a win-win for everyone involved—patients, injectors, and aestheticians alike.
There are a lot more “logistics” to figuring out how to properly operate under a bridge system, however the “headaches” in the beginning would be well worth it in the long run.
If you want to learn more about this concept, I highly recommend checking out the full article by Dr. Lunderville on Lipgloss & Aftershave. You can also email me at [email protected] or [email protected] as we work to create some support resources, tools and systems to help those looking to “bridge this gap.”
