Fat reduction was the most researched minimally invasive treatment category in 2017, according to the world’s leading cosmetic treatment research website.

RealSelf, which had 94 million people visit its website to research elective cosmetic treatments in 2017, reports that searches for fat reduction treatments surpassed searches for fillers and toxins (eg, Botox) during the year.

In addition fat reduction devices (CoolSculpting, Smart Lipo and Sculpsure) accounted for nearly one-third of the top 10 most researched branded laser and energy treatments in the same year.

The growth in demand for fat reduction was one of the four key trends identified in RealSelf’s inaugural US Laser & Energy Report.

The report also found that interest in vaginal rejuvenation treatments is rising amid high consumer satisfaction; that new facial lasers are gaining traction; and that the popularity of laser hair removal is continuing to grow:

• Consumer interest in vaginal rejuvenation treatments increased by 17 percent from 2016 to 2017 with the ThermiVa and MonaLisa Touch devices recording the fastest year-over-year growth (45% and 28% respectively).
• Vaginal rejuvenation treatments also yielded high patient satisfaction, with four devices named among the most ‘Worth It’ laser and energy device treatments ‒ diVa Vaginal Therapy (98% Worth It Rating), FemiLift (94%), MonaLisa Touch (92%) and ThermiVa (91%).
• Interest in newly developed vaginal rejuvenation treatments is also on the rise, with four new devices included among the top emerging treatments ‒ Geneveve (+80%), Ultra Femme 360 (+68%), FemTouch (+36%) and diVa Vaginal Therapy (+23%).
• Facial lasers were the fourth most researched nonsurgical treatment category in 2017 with interest in new-to-market lasers trending up, with three brands named among the top emerging treatments ‒  Resurfacing Perfected (40% growth), Excel V (+25%) and Pico Genesis (+18%).
• Despite the emergence of do-it-yourself hair removal devices, interest in laser hair removal grew 12 percent from 2016 to 2017.

Launching the report, RealSelf CEO Tom Seery said the overall interest in laser and energy device treatments on RealSelf grew 10.5 percent in 2017, and five of the top 10 most researched minimally invasive categories on RealSelf included treatments using a laser or energy device.

“RealSelf attracts millions of consumers every month and has become a barometer of aesthetic interest and demand.

“Based on consumer interest and review patterns we see on RealSelf, we expect to see interest in treatments using laser and energy devices continue to rise.”