This week: Indiana sets its med spa registration date, FDA keeps pressure on counterfeit toxin and GLP-1 marketing, Skinvive is approved for the neck, and Galderma's record half stands out against flat Allergan aesthetics.
The Aesthetic Velocity Insider is your weekly briefing on what’s new in the medical aesthetics industry. Browse past issues →
In This Issue
Indiana's registration date, Texas's IV therapy law, Rhode Island's medical director rules, New York's inspection results, FDA enforcement and the peptide vote.
SkinCeuticals signs Ali Larter to champion at-home plus in-office skincare.
What content is working now, the risky "DIY tox" trend and #BabyBotox.
Skinvive's neck approval, a new SkinStylus indication and Dermalogica's first medical device.
The Aesthetic MEET 2027 abstract window and AmSpa's 2027 speaker decisions.
Galderma's record half, flat Allergan aesthetics and RealSelf's latest trend data.
What This Means for Your Practice →
Four moves for this quarter: Indiana prep, sourcing, your 2027 menu and your content.
Compliance & Regulatory
State Med Spa Laws and FDA Enforcement Keep Tightening
Indiana sets January 1, 2027 for med spa registration
Indiana's SB 282 took effect July 1, 2026. It requires med spas to register with the Medical Licensing Board, name a responsible practitioner who is on site for a sufficient amount of time, and report serious adverse events. On September 30, 2026, the board announced that registration opens January 1, 2027 through the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency's online portal. Operating without registration can bring fines of up to $5,000. The board has not yet issued guidance on several provisions, including physician-office exemptions, responsible-practitioner requirements and delegation.
Sources: AmSpa, registration date · AmSpa, SB 282 overview
Texas's IV therapy law is the model other states are watching
HB 3749, known as Jenifer's Law, was signed June 20, 2025 and took effect September 1, 2025. It covers elective IV therapy given outside physician offices and licensed health facilities. A physician may delegate prescribing to a physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse, and only licensed professionals (RNs, APRNs, PAs and physicians) may administer it. Delegation to unlicensed staff is not allowed.
Sources: Frier Levitt · AmSpa
Rhode Island's Medical Spas Safety Act sets medical director standards
Signed June 30, 2025, the act requires med spas to be licensed as healthcare facilities and to have a medical director, either a physician or a certified nurse practitioner, who is trained in the procedures and devices used. Manufacturer or vendor training can't be the director's only training. The law directed the Department of Health to adopt implementing regulations by July 1, 2026, so Rhode Island operators should confirm the current status of those rules.
Source: Nixon Peabody
New York cited 87 of 223 inspected med spas
On January 8, 2026, the New York Department of State released the results of statewide inspections. Investigators found expired and suspected counterfeit products, controlled substances including fentanyl and propofol, and used sharps. Outcomes ranged from fines to license suspensions and revocations, with many cases still awaiting hearings.
Source: New York Department of State
FDA keeps up pressure on counterfeit toxins and GLP-1 marketing
- November 2025: warning letters to 18 websites selling unapproved or misbranded botulinum toxin products.
- April 1, 2026: a Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) warning letter to a Texas med spa that dispensed more Botox than it had bought through legitimate channels.
- June 2026: 25 warning letters to telehealth companies over misleading claims about compounded GLP-1s.
- August 12, 2026: Slate reported on a "DIY tox" community selling self-injection content and discount codes for unapproved overseas vendors (see Social Media below).
Sources: Modern Aesthetics · RAPS · Bloomberg Law
An FDA panel backed six peptides for compounding, but there's no final decision yet
At its July 23–24, 2026 meeting, FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted to recommend adding BPC-157, KPV, TB-500, MOTS-c, epitalon and semax to the 503A bulk substances list, and voted against emideltide. The vote is advisory. FDA still has to decide whether to move forward with rulemaking, so these peptides are not cleared for compounding on the strength of the vote alone.
Culture & Celebrity
Celebrity Partnerships Are Shaping Patient Expectations
SkinCeuticals names Ali Larter its newest brand ambassador
Announced July 1, 2026. Larter, a SkinCeuticals user for more than 20 years, will spotlight the brand's pairing of at-home skincare with in-office treatments. It's part of a wider push by aesthetic brands to build consumer trust before patients ever book a consult.
Source: NewBeauty
Product & Device Launches
New Indications for Skinvive and Microneedling
Skinvive is now FDA-approved for neck lines
On June 16, 2026, Allergan Aesthetics announced FDA approval of SKINVIVE by JUVÉDERM to reduce horizontal neck lines in adults over 21, making it the first hyaluronic acid injectable for the neck. In the pivotal trial, 74.8% of participants saw at least a one-point improvement at one month, and 66% maintained it at six months. Most reactions were mild and resolved within two weeks, and severe events occurred in fewer than 5% of participants.
Source: AbbVie
SkinStylus adds a third FDA indication
On July 7, 2026, the SkinStylus SteriLock MicroSystem was cleared for periorbital wrinkles in adults 22 and older across Fitzpatrick skin types I–VI. It is also cleared for facial acne scars (types I–III) and abdominal hypertrophic scars, making it the only microneedling device with all three indications.
Source: AmSpa
Dermalogica launches its first medical device
The PRO Pen Microneedling System, FDA-cleared as a Class II device for facial acne scars, is rolling out to U.S. practices in 2026. It's a notable move for a brand best known for skincare, not hardware.
Source: AmSpa
Conferences & Speaking
Spring 2027 Speaking and Submission Windows
The Aesthetic MEET 2027 opens abstracts October 15
The Aesthetic Society's meeting runs April 15–18, 2027 at the Miami Convention Center. Abstract submission opens October 15, 2026, so anyone on your team considering a submission has about two weeks to prepare.
Source: The Aesthetic Society
AmSpa Medical Spa Show 2027 speaker decisions are rolling out
Sessions run April 16–18, 2027. The call for presentations closed June 30, 2026, and acceptance notices go out between July and December 2026. AmSpa sessions must be educational and product-neutral, so if you missed this round, start planning for the 2028 call.
Source: AmSpa
Market & Publications
Galderma Surges While Allergan's Aesthetics Business Stalls
Galderma posts a record first half
H1 2026 net sales reached $3.134 billion, up 24.6% at constant currency, the first time Galderma has passed $3 billion in a half year. Injectable Aesthetics grew 12.1% to $1.437 billion, and the company raised full-year guidance to 19–21% growth (from 17–20%).
Source: Galderma
AbbVie's aesthetics portfolio is essentially flat
Second-quarter 2026 aesthetics revenue was $1.282 billion, up 0.3% reported and down 0.9% operationally, as dermal fillers faced continued headwinds. Botox Cosmetic grew 5.2% reported (3.4% operationally) to $728 million, and Juvéderm brought in $245 million.
Source: AbbVie
RealSelf: patients are favoring longevity over one-time fixes
RealSelf's Q1 2026 Trend Report, published May 6, showed Botox interest down 12%, with strong growth in Sculptra, microneedling and regenerative treatments. The most viewed non-invasive procedures were Botox, microneedling, Sculptra, scar removal and lip filler. Breast augmentation interest rose 45% quarter over quarter, and breast implant revision interest jumped 89%.
Source: AmSpa, citing RealSelf
Takeaways
What This Means for Your Practice
Indiana practices: use the runway
Registration opens January 1. Name your responsible practitioner, document how oversight works and set up adverse-event reporting now, then watch for the board's guidance so there's no scramble in December.
Make sourcing part of your trust story
Buy only through authorized distributors and keep DSCSA records that reconcile what you purchase with what you dispense. With counterfeit toxin in the headlines, being able to show patients where your product comes from is a real advantage.
Revisit your 2027 menu
Neurotoxin interest is dipping while biostimulators and skin-quality treatments grow. If your revenue leans heavily on toxin, look at where Sculptra, microneedling and new indications like Skinvive for the neck fit in next year's service mix.
Show the process, not just the polish
Short, honest, provider-forward video is outperforming heavily curated feeds. Show your mapping, explain your approach and give before-and-afters real patient context.
This brief is for general information and isn't legal or regulatory advice. Laws and agency guidance change, so talk to a healthcare attorney about your specific situation.
Social Media & Trends
Process Over Polish, and a Risky DIY Corner of Social Media
What's working in aesthetic content right now
Trend tracker The Aesthetic Vault says heavily polished results, generic educational posts and trend-chasing are losing engagement. Short videos of around 15 seconds that show a provider's real facial mapping and injection philosophy, before-and-afters that give patient context, and conversational education are outperforming curated feeds.
Source: The Aesthetic Vault
"DIY tox" content is spreading, and it's the same market the FDA is chasing
Slate reported on August 12, 2026 that creators on Rumble, TikTok, Reddit and Telegram are posting self-injection videos and sharing discount codes for overseas sellers of unapproved toxins and fillers. The largest creator profiled has nearly 265,000 followers. Separately, health officials reported 10 people with suspected botulism between May and August 2025 after they injected toxin bought from unlicensed sources. Today's viral trend can become next quarter's warning letter.
Sources: Slate · Plastic Surgery Practice
#BabyBotox is bringing in patients in their early 20s
The trend uses smaller doses, roughly a third of a standard treatment, as preventive care meant to delay resting lines. It's driven largely by TikTok creators posting before-and-afters under the hashtag.
Source: MM+M
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