Treatment Categories

Quick Reference: Organize services with categories and color coding

📋 TL;DR - Quick Start

Create categories to group similar treatments
Assign colors for visual calendar differentiation
Keep categories broad (5-10 total)
Use consistent naming across all treatments

What Are Treatment Categories?

Purpose

Categories organize your service catalog into logical groups:

Easier for clients to browse services
Visual organization on calendar (via colors)
Reporting and analytics by category
Consistent branding and messaging

Standard Categories

Most aesthetic clinics use these categories:

| Category | Treatments Included | Calendar Color | |----------|---------------------|----------------| | Anti-Wrinkle | Botox, Azzalure, Bocouture | 🟦 Blue | | Dermal Fillers | Lip filler, cheek filler, nasolabial | 🟪 Purple | | Facials & Skincare | Hydrafacial, chemical peels, microdermabrasion | 🟩 Green | | Laser Treatments | Laser hair removal, skin resurfacing, IPL | 🟧 Orange | | Body Contouring | CoolSculpting, EMSculpt, radiofrequency | 🟥 Red | | Injectables - Other | Mesotherapy, PRP, vitamin injections | 🟨 Yellow | | Consultations | Initial consult, follow-up, treatment planning | ⬜ Gray | | Packages | Course treatments, combination deals | 🟫 Brown |

Creating Categories

How to Create

Method 1: During Treatment Creation

Click Add Treatment
In Category field, type new category name
Press Enter
Category created and selected

Method 2: Via Settings (Coming Soon)

Navigate to Settings → Treatment Categories
Click Add Category
Enter name and choose default color
Save

Category Naming Best Practices

✅ Good Category Names:

Clear and specific: "Anti-Wrinkle Treatments"
Client-friendly language: "Facials & Skincare" not "Non-Invasive Dermatology"
Broad enough to encompass multiple treatments
Consistent terminology across all categories

❌ Poor Category Names:

Too vague: "Treatments", "Services"
Too specific: "Botox Only" (what about other brands?)
Jargon-heavy: "Neuromodulators", "Volumizing Agents"
Inconsistent: "Anti-Wrinkle" and "Filler Treatments" (different naming patterns)

How Many Categories?

Ideal Range: 5-10 categories

Too Few (<5):

❌ "Injectable Treatments" includes both Botox AND fillers
❌ Clients confused about what's what
❌ Calendar color coding less useful

Too Many (>15):

❌ Decision paralysis for clients
❌ Categories with only 1-2 treatments
❌ Administrative overhead

Sweet Spot (5-10):

✅ Clear groupings
✅ Easy to navigate
✅ Meaningful color coding
✅ Analytics remain useful

Color Coding

Why Use Color Coding?

Calendar Benefits:

Instant visual recognition of treatment types
Spot patterns (e.g., "lots of purple filler appointments on Fridays")
Reduce booking errors (wrong treatment selected)
Quick calendar scanning

Team Coordination:

Multiple practitioners with different specialties
Color indicates which practitioner should handle
Example: Blue (Botox) → Dr. Smith, Purple (Fillers) → Dr. Jones

Choosing Colors

Color Picker:

Edit treatment
Click color box
Choose from palette OR enter hex code
Preview on calendar
Save

Recommended Color Scheme (Industry Standard):

| Treatment Category | Color | Hex Code | Why This Color? | |-------------------|-------|----------|-----------------| | Anti-Wrinkle | 🟦 Blue | #3B82F6 | Calming, medical, trust | | Dermal Fillers | 🟪 Purple | #A855F7 | Luxury, premium | | Facials | 🟩 Green | #22C55E | Natural, skin health | | Laser | 🟧 Orange | #F97316 | Energy, technology | | Body Treatments | 🟥 Red | #EF4444 | Passion, transformation | | Consultations | ⬜ Gray | #9CA3AF | Neutral, administrative | | Packages | 🟫 Brown | #A16207 | Bundled, earthy | | Mesotherapy | 🟨 Yellow | #EAB308 | Gold standard, vitamins |

Custom Colors:

Use brand colors if you have strong branding
Ensure sufficient contrast for readability
Test in both light and dark mode
Avoid very similar shades for different categories

Color Accessibility

Contrast Requirements:

Text must be readable on color background
Test: Can you read white text on your chosen color?
Dark colors = better contrast
Very light colors = poor contrast

Color Blindness Considerations:

~8% of men have color blindness
Avoid: Red/Green combinations (look identical to color-blind users)
Solution: Use different saturation levels or patterns
Alternative: Include text labels alongside colors

Managing Categories

Editing Categories

Renaming:

Find any treatment in that category
Edit treatment
Change category name in dropdown
All treatments with that category update automatically

Changing Colors:

Edit one treatment in category
Change color
Option to "Apply to all treatments in this category"
Click Yes → All category treatments update

Merging Categories

If you have duplicate or overlapping categories:

Example: Merge "Botox" and "Anti-Wrinkle"

Edit all treatments in "Botox" category
Change category to "Anti-Wrinkle"
Save each treatment
"Botox" category automatically deleted when last treatment moved

Deleting Categories

Auto-Deletion:

Category deleted automatically when no treatments use it
Prevents orphaned categories

Manual Process:

Find all treatments in category (use filter)
Change each to different category
Category disappears when empty

Category-Based Features

Filtering

Calendar Filter:

Click Filter on calendar
Select category (e.g., "Dermal Fillers only")
Calendar shows only matching appointments
Useful for specialist practitioners

Treatment List Filter:

Navigate to Treatments page
Filter by category
See all treatments in that group
Bulk edit pricing or duration

Reporting

Revenue by Category:

See which treatment types generate most revenue
Example: "Anti-Wrinkle: £12,000 (40%), Fillers: £9,000 (30%)"
Informs marketing and inventory decisions

Popularity by Category:

Appointments booked per category
Example: "Facials: 45 bookings, Fillers: 30 bookings"
Identifies growth opportunities

Seasonality by Category:

Example: "Laser hair removal peaks in spring, drops in winter"
Plan product stock and marketing campaigns

💡 Pro Tips

Category Strategy

Think Like Your Clients:

How do they search for services?
"I want smoother skin" → "Facials & Skincare"
"I want fuller lips" → "Dermal Fillers"
Use language they understand

Separate Injectable Types:

✅ "Anti-Wrinkle" + "Dermal Fillers" = separate categories
❌ "Injectables" = too broad
Clients distinguish between types, so should you

Group Related Treatments:

"Laser Hair Removal" + "IPL Skin Rejuvenation" = both "Laser Treatments"
Easier than 10 separate laser categories

Create "Other" Category:

For miscellaneous or one-off treatments
Prevents category bloat
Example: "Other Treatments" or "Specialist Services"

Visual Consistency

Color Families:

All injectables in cool colors (blues, purples)
All non-invasive in warm colors (greens, yellows)
Creates visual logic

Brand Alignment:

If your brand colors are pink and gold
Use variations: Light pink for facials, dark pink for fillers
Strengthens brand recognition

Calendar Clarity:

View your calendar fully booked
Can you distinguish treatment types at a glance?
If not, adjust colors for more contrast

❓ Common Questions

Q: Can one treatment be in multiple categories? A: No, each treatment has one category. If needed, create duplicate treatments (e.g., "Consultation - Anti-Wrinkle" and "Consultation - Filler").

Q: Can I change a treatment's category after creating it? A: Yes! Edit treatment → Change category → Save. Doesn't affect past appointments.

Q: Do clients see categories? A: If you enable online booking, yes. They browse by category. Otherwise, categories are internal organization only.

Q: Can I have subcategories? A: Not currently. Keep categories broad to avoid complexity. Use treatment names for specificity.

Q: What if I offer services that don't fit standard categories? A: Create custom categories! Examples: "Wellness Treatments", "Men's Grooming", "Medical Aesthetics".

Q: Can different practitioners have different colors for same treatment? A: Not directly via categories. But with team accounts, you can filter calendar by practitioner + color combo.

Q: Should consultations be a separate category? A: Yes! Makes it easy to track consultation-to-booking conversion rate. Also different calendar slot (often shorter).

Q: Can I export category data? A: Yes, reports can be filtered and exported by category for accounting/analytics.

🎯 Example Category Structures

Small Clinic (5 Categories)

1. Anti-Wrinkle Treatments
2. Dermal Fillers
3. Facials & Skincare
4. Laser Treatments
5. Consultations

Medium Clinic (8 Categories)

1. Anti-Wrinkle (Botox, Azzalure)
2. Dermal Fillers (Lips, Cheeks, etc.)
3. Skincare Treatments (Facials, Peels)
4. Laser Hair Removal
5. Skin Rejuvenation (IPL, RF)
6. Body Treatments (Contouring, Tightening)
7. Consultations
8. Treatment Packages

Large Multi-Service Clinic (12 Categories)

1. Anti-Wrinkle Injections
2. Dermal Fillers - Face
3. Dermal Fillers - Lips
4. Advanced Injectables (PRP, Profhilo)
5. Medical-Grade Facials
6. Chemical Peels
7. Laser Hair Removal
8. Laser Skin Resurfacing
9. Body Contouring
10. Men's Treatments
11. Consultations
12. Wellness & IV Therapy

🎯 Next Steps

After organizing categories:

Create Treatment Protocols - Standardize procedures
Optimize Pricing by Category - Category-based pricing strategy
View Category Analytics - Data-driven decisions
Book Appointments - See color coding in action

🆘 Need Help?

If you need help organizing categories, contact support at: 📧 support@aestheti.cc

Last Updated: 2025-11-10 Related Documentation: Creating Treatments, Calendar Basics, Business Analytics