For the past several years, working mothers who have entered Medical Aesthetics have discovered that a career in the field often aligns with their priorities.¹ Part of this has to do with predictable hours; moms who work for a large practice, for example, are frequently able to schedule predictable shifts and seamlessly delegate patient care to their colleagues when they leave for the day.¹

However, predictable hours aren’t the only reason that Medical Aesthetics can be a great fit for working moms. For providers who seek long-term relationships with their colleagues and the larger patient community, a career in Medical Aesthetics may allow them to fulfill many other professional and personal goals.

Being a working mother can help with patient education.

According to Houston-based working mom and board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Camille Cash, “People drawn to the field of Medical Aesthetics tend to be particularly driven by making others feel their best.”

This quality pairs with what Dr. Cash feels is a mother’s tendency toward educating those in her care. “Mothers tend to be excellent educators in meeting others where they are and sharing their experience and expertise in a way that is both authoritative yet responsive and receptive,” she explains.

This specialized ability to educate patients on procedures can be helpful. Patient literacy is a component of successful procedures, and aesthetic healthcare providers with a natural affinity for explaining complex concepts to patients will likely do well in their careers.

It may be beneficial to choose colleagues who share similar goals.

Unsurprisingly, working moms tend to find solidarity with other working parents.¹ Choosing to work in a practice that employs other parents may create a mutual support system that helps everyone align their career and personal goals.

When Tennessee-based Dr. Carey Campbell decided to have a baby, she told the Limitless Podcast² that she coordinated with her colleagues to help cover her patients via a system of referrals. As a result, “I was not penalized for taking that time off. This speaks to joining the right group—it was also significantly more collegial. I joined a group where the people are great. It will be hard to consider leaving this practice and going out on my own.”

Work-life balance and flexibility can be easier to achieve.

Medical Aesthetics can offer opportunities for healthcare providers to structure the division between their professional and personal lives.

“The beauty of being in private practice and being my own boss is I could decide if I wanted to take the day off to go to the school play, the cheerleading competition, or field day,” Dr. Camille Cash explains. “I structured my days so that I could be fully present for my patients and my family. There were times when it did not balance as well as I might have liked, and it took an entire village of grandparents, nannies, aunts, uncles, friends, and parents to make it happen. But I am proud of the fact that I have always had a strong presence in each of my children’s lives and not at the expense of treating my patients.”

For Pawnta Abrahimi, RN-CANS, her genuine love for her occupation makes it easier to achieve a balance. “Medical Aesthetics has always been my passion,” she explains. “A healthy work and personal life are not too hard to maintain if you love what you do at your work. Nothing feels better than loving the work you do every day and being able to also spend time with the people you love. The key is finding balance as an aesthetic healthcare provider and aligning it with your working-mother priorities.”

Children may benefit from growing up in a community of patients and providers.

Beyond personal and professional fulfillment, there may be unexpected benefits for those who pursue a career in Medical Aesthetics. For example, a child may benefit psychologically from being regularly exposed to the results of their mother’s work.

“I think it’s wonderful for children who are growing up in a home with a working mom or dad who is in aesthetic medicine because they get to see that you respect and care for yourself,” MBA and CEO of a recruiting agency dedicated to supporting non-physician injectors in Medical Aesthetics, Mary Beth Hagen, says.

Studies have shown that working moms frequently inspire their children to follow in their footsteps and become working parents themselves.³

As Mary Beth Hagen summarizes, “I think that the psychological aspect of a career in Medical Aesthetics is something that can have benefits for both patients and providers.”

Spark acknowledges that there are many working parents in the field of Medical Aesthetics. Our Spark community is 96% female, and we’ve encountered many expert perspectives and questions about being a working mother. Spark is meeting this need with a content series on mothers in Medical Aesthetics to help educate our audience on the benefits of mothers in the workplace in general, and specifically in the field of Medical Aesthetics.