Everything You Need to Know About Aesthetics for the Silent Generation

We’ve reached a point in time where patients from five generations will be walking into your aesthetics practice. Their preferred treatments, communication styles, and ideal experiences vary greatly. Younger generations crave a digital, efficient experience while older generations may struggle if there’s too much technology to navigate.  

What Are the 5 Generations of Aesthetics Patients? 

• The Silent Generation 
• Baby Boomers 
• Generation X 
• Millennials 
• Gen Z 

The generation least likely to have a TikTok and most likely to prefer a phone call is the Silent Generation. As the oldest generation alive, these cool cats are traditional, loyal, and great patients in your aesthetics practice. Here’s how to optimize your marketing strategies, communication style, and more to serve Silent Generation patients. 

Who Is the Silent Generation? 

Born between 1928 and 1945, this stoic, conformist generation is known for their valiance in World War II and the decades that followed. To this day, they are the most traditional generation, both in terms of technology and how they view the patient-physician relationship. They are also the most likely to follow the advice of their doctor, and they may be shy to ask questions. 

The Silent Generation’s values and view of medicine greatly influence how they approach aesthetic treatments, including: 

• Their preferred communication style
• What treatments they want
• Their favorite marketing strategies
• How they view loyalty and referrals
• Their perspective on the patient-physician relationship  

Preferred Aesthetic Treatments 

For the Silent Generation, there’s still a negative stigma around plastic surgery. Because of this, they receive aesthetic treatments less than other generations. Even so, there are some treatments that are more popular among these patients. Their preferences are also highly influenced by the results of similar procedures by their baby boomer children. 

The Silent Generation’s preferred nonsurgical procedures: 

• Botox 
• Fillers 

The Silent Generations’ favorite surgical procedures: 

• Liposuction 
• Hair transplantation 

Breaking News 

The Silent Generation is the least likely to have Wi-Fi in their home. This means they’re more likely to respond to traditional advertisements in offline places, such as newspapers, billboards, direct mail, and TV commercials. 

When you market your services to them, there are a few key principles to keep in mind: 

• Use simple marketing language and visuals. 
• Since they respond well to authority, highlight your credentials. 
• To collect leads, include a way they can contact your office via telephone instead of through email or a digital channel

A Traditional Physician-Patient Relationship 

This generation already sees you as a qualified expert and will typically follow treatment plans without hesitation. Unlike baby boomers or Generation X, they are less likely to question your authority or do their own research before coming to an appointment. They also don’t expect the more personal connection that millennials and Generation Z want in a physician-patient relationship.  

While this can be a good thing, it also means this generation is less likely to ask questions, which can lead to confusion. You and your team can use the patient teach-back technique, where you ask them to summarize important information back to you to avoid any misunderstandings. 

Personalized Communication 

The Silent Generation prefers to keep patient communication old school. Phone calls, direct mail, and a personalized touch go a long way with the Silent Generation. If you have a lot of patients in this age range, you may want to consider creating mailers to advertise new treatments. Small touches like sending out a holiday card at the end of the year will resonate with this generation as well.  

No matter if you’re talking to the Silent Generation over the phone or through a mailer, keep the communication simple. This generation doesn’t like frilly language and probably won’t navigate a patient portal with ease. Instead, they prefer easy-to-understand messaging and communication methods.  

Loyal, Silent Patients 

Perhaps the most loyal generation alive, these respectful patients can become repeat customers if they experience professional, informative care with positive treatment results. However, true to the generation’s name, they are less likely to refer friends, since they can be silent about their likes and dislikes. 

Becoming a Multi-Generational Practice

The Silent Generation is one of five generations entering your practice, and each has different preferences. It can be overwhelming to cater to patients with such a broad spectrum of specific care needs. And, without the right technology and strategies, it's even harder to make connections that create lasting relationships with patients from each generation. 

But if you take the time to understand each generation’s preferences and implement the right technology, you can become a multi-generational practice. Get more information about how your practice can implement the best strategies in our in-depth white paper “The 5 Generations of Aesthetics Patient Personas.”