At Ari Blanc Medical Spa in Old City Philadelphia, we understand that aesthetic treatments like tox, fillers, and laser skin care aren’t about vanity or chasing perfection. They’re about feeling like the best version of yourself. Whether you’re preparing for a big event, addressing stubborn acne scars, or simply wanting to refresh your appearance, investing in self-care can be incredibly empowering.

There have been plenty of studies over the years discussing what universal traits make an individual beautiful. Symmetry, skin health, cultural differences, secondary sexual characteristics (femininity/masculinity), age, eye color and many other factors have been researched. It sounds superficial, but we unfortunately live in a society where physical attractiveness has important consequences. It affects social standing, upward economic mobility, job eligibility, “datability”…the list goes on and on.

Physical beauty truly IS skin deep. I do believe this. I have worked in the aesthetics industry for 14 years and at times it feels like a place that is impossibly superficial. With that said, I cannot describe how rewarding it is to help patients feel better about themselves. Whether or not a focus on physical appearance is problematic – it is very deeply engrained in all of us as a society. That is fact. We may not like it or agree with it, but the way that we feel about ourselves affects our mental health and well-being. There is some absolutely incredible emotional power in aesthetic medicine. When someone is struggling with acne or scarring or deep lines or anything that makes them feel less attractive, it affects their general self-esteem and mental health. There is a great deal of depression connected to feeling inferior or “less than” physically. Whether it is a result of cruel criticism from peers or just aggressive self-critique and unfair comparisons, not many of us can say we’ve escaped these feelings.

Seeing tox erase those lines that you have hyper-fixated on, seeing your skin clear of acne that has tormented you since your teenage years, erasing scarring you’ve been self-conscious about, erasing sun damage and texture…it gives the kind of serotonin and dopamine rush that we all crave. It may sound dramatic, but injectables, lasers and skincare aren’t just superficial and vain – they can legitimately be life changing.