Editor’s Note: Last year, a new presidential administration stepped in with plans to disrupt the way companies do business through new policies, an effort to spur growth.To help gauge the administration’s impact, the Chicago Sun-Times reached out to 10 Chicago area businesses in January 2025 and shared their plans and concerns for the future.We’re now circling back, 12 months later, to see how they’ve fared. After a year marked by growth — from a relocation to a larger shift in the aesthetics industry — Dr. Steven Dayan said his Chicago aesthetics clinic Impressions Face + Body now looks entirely different.The practice moved last year from its long-time home in Streeterville to a newly-built center in Old Town — a change Dayan describes as transformative. “The move has completely changed the whole dynamic and face and delivery of who we are and what we have,” Dayan said. “It finally matches the level of professionalism and expertise that we have. We have an office that equals it so it’s wonderful.”The new center has three state-of-the-art procedure rooms and has a QUAD A accreditation, relatively few facilities in Chicago have an accreditation from QUAD A, formerly the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities.The practice is also preparing to add a hyperbaric oxygen chamber in the next few weeks. While the treatment has grown in popularity for general wellness, Dayan said his team will use it primarily to support recovery. During the therapy, a patient breathes pure oxygen while inside a special pressurized chamber.“We believe that it helps in the healing process,” he said. The main lobby of Impressions Face + Body at 224 W. Hill St. in the Old Town.Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times Few forces have shifted the aesthetic field more than GLP‑1 drugs like Ozempic.“Ozempic continues to be one of the greatest influences on our social culture, our society and aesthetic medicine in general,” he said. “The industry is expecting millions of people to come into the aesthetics funnel this year.”His clinic, which he founded in 2000, now offers comprehensive GLP‑1 support, including monitoring, hair loss prevention treatments, referrals to physical therapy for resistance training and nutrition counseling.“You’re going to get your GLP-1s here, and you’re going to be monitored closely aesthetically too, to make sure that, in parallel, you look good and feel good,” Dayan said. Impressions Face + BodyAbout: Plastic surgery clinic also offering non-surgical proceduresNeighborhood: LoopOwner: Dr. Steven DayanFounded: 2000Staff size: 27Estimated annual revenue: Undisclosed Economic uncertainty and industrywide trends have created an uneven landscape for aesthetic practices. Some national reports show declines for services like facial fillers, while surgery and biostimulators, or injections that help stimulate collagen production, have surged.Dayan attributes some of the consumer pullback on injectables to experiencing inconsistent results across low-cost providers.“We trained the masses … to do paint‑by‑numbers and recipe formulas,” he said. “What we got were results that really weren’t good.”He said the clinic's Chicago clients prefer subtlety.“People don’t want to show that they’ve had anything done; they just want to look better," he said. “You’re going to see a Tiffany’s and Walmart divide when it comes to aesthetic experiences. And we’re going to cater to those people who want a more assured experience.”The clinic's move to Old Town has brought a younger clientele, more foot traffic and a sense of renewed energy, Dayan said.“Old Town is a lot more current. It’s more relevant; it’s more dynamic,” he said. “It’s like new energy. It’s exciting; it’s fun.”The practice also started hosting open houses and happy hours for its neighbors in the surrounding buildings. “We really want to be part of the community,” he said.Despite economists anticipating broader economic challenges this year, Dayan said he remains optimistic. He’s also watching the rise of neurocosmetics, an emerging category of skincare designed to interact with the skin–brain connection.“Your skin walks into the room before you do,” he said. “Learning how to make that better first impression … I think that’s the next big thing.”For now, he feels the practice is positioned for a strong year. “I’m very optimistic about the coming year,” he said. More in this series Housing and Development Evergreen Real Estate Group found growth out West, despite concerns about economy in 2025 The West Loop-based real estate firm started 2025 with concerns about tariffs and labor but have found that it was able to grow thanks to more work in states like Colorado. 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