At Flycatcher Medical Aesthetics, men of all ages can find treatments and solutions to a range of skin concerns, from acne to aging to hair removal. The business, which is owned by local marketing professional Chris Heiler and located in Spicewood, aims to fill a gap in the aesthetics industry, which is often catered specifically to women.

“I want to really focus on men and create that atmosphere and build a space and whole experience designed in a way to make men comfortable,” Heiler said.

Heiler takes on that mission with the assistance of his partner Aurora Escalante and medical director Dr. Arash Esmaili, who provide in-clinic expertise at Flycatcher.

The backstory

The idea for Flycatcher first struck Heiler when he met and began dating Escalante, a licensed esthetician and certified laser technician currently working for Flycatcher.

“I was always curious about what she did as an esthetician and kind of curious about how [medical spas] work,” Heiler said. “As a guy, I didn't know much about those treatments. So when I would go into those clinics, it was kind of overwhelming and really uncomfortable because it’s pretty clear that most of these clinics are designed with women in mind.”

Coming from a background in business marketing, Heiler explained that the aesthetics industry became more and more interesting to him as he explored it, and he noted med-spas specifically as an area in which significant improvements could be made for male clientele.

“It was just seeing kind of a gap in the industry and trying to fill it,” Heiler said.

What’s in a name

The name for Heiler’s business was inspired by the local Texas Flycatcher—a bird species whose males are bright and red-breasted, attracting attention from other birds with their vibrant appearance.

Inspired by the Flycatcher’s bold appearance, customers at Heiler’s business are encouraged to explore various treatments that may help them to improve their appearance. A lot of those treatments, Heiler says, customers are unaware of until visiting the practice.

Though customers may initially visit Flycatcher for simple procedures like facials, during their appointments they often grow more comfortable and begin to ask about other concerns related to their appearance, Heiler said. That curiosity is exactly what allows Heiler’s business to flourish.

“We had a ... 68-year-old man, [he] wanted to learn about laser hair removal. I was super happy that he came in, because that’s exactly who I created this for,” Heiler said. “I want to be able to take care of guys like that, no matter what their age is.”

What they offer

Apart from laser hair removal, Flycatcher provides a wide range of services. For younger men, acne treatments may be of interest. For men with concerns regarding aging skin, tightening treatments and laser facials are available. Other services include microneedling, chemical peels, intense pulsed light–or IPL, for short– facials, and laser treatments.

Both Heiler and Escalante emphasized that they are interested in helping all age ranges, and that, although their primary customer base is men generally between the ages of 35 and 55, they would like to see more young men benefit from their services as well.

“[We want to] make the younger generation more comfortable with having a skincare regimen, getting facials, and just taking care of yourself in general,” Escalante said.

What’s next?

The business is looking to expand to about five locations throughout the West Austin area, with the company eyeing potential spots in places like Dripping Springs and Tarrytown.

Beyond that, the business may have an opportunity to grow and franchise, but considering that their Spicewood practice only opened in October, their focus is on the local market right now, Heiler said.