Jenni Gilbert As the cosmetic medical, aesthetics and wellness industries merge ever-closer, it’s important to keep an eye on breakthroughs and trends in all these spheres, even if you don’t offer the procedures or treatments yourself.
Knowledge is power, and the more knowledge you can offer your clients, the more respected and trusted you will be – ergo, more repeat business and referrals.
One of the key media-aesthetic events of the year, Cosmetic, was held May 12-14 at the Sydney Hilton, attended by more than 400 leading cosmetic medical and surgical practitioners, manufacturers, suppliers and regulators.
Hosted by the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (ACCS), College president Dr Ron Bezic said the annual meeting is unique forum in the AUD $1 billion growing specialty area of cosmetic medical practice.
“Cosmetex is the only truly inclusive conference for anyone working in cosmetic medicine or surgery,” he says. “From its foundation cosmetic medical practice has been multi-disciplinary.
“Its great innovations have come from many different fields of medicine, and Cosmetex reflects that reality.
“Whether you’re a cosmetic, maxillofacial or plastic surgeon, an ophthalmologist, a dermatologist, or one of many other specialists or a cosmetic nurse, Cosmetex is the event to share clinical experience, insights, research, new techniques and innovations that will benefit patients.
“Although the market for cosmetic treatments and procedures is far from mature, the specialty itself has really come of age. Cosmetic medical practice continues to grow significantly and become more defined with each passing year.
“But with that growth comes a responsibility to ensure that standards are continually improved.
“Our Fellows are also seeing an increasing number of Millennials seeking treatments, and they bring different expectations than the Boomers who preceded them.
“Practitioners will need to keep pace with innovation and technology, be responsive and be responsible.”
This year, a number of important new regulatory initiatives were presented at Cosmetex:
- The presentation by the Medical Board of Australia’s Associate Professor Stephen Bradshaw on the Medical Board’s just-released cosmetic surgery guidelines, to which the College contributed and welcomed.
- The NSW Health Care Complaints Commission head Tony Kofkin outlined the important role of the HCCC.
- Dr John Javorniczky, from the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), provided a much-anticipated update on laser and IPL safety regulation.
Adds Dr Bezic: “The College benefits from key learnings from peers overseas – for example, from the Netherlands a complications registry developed by Dr Jani van Loghem offers a model for a similar College initiative in Australia.
“And Dr James Fouché presented research and clinical experience on the phenomena of pain perception between the left and right side of the body and how that may be used to reduce patient discomfort during wrinkle reduction injection treatments.
“These and many other presentations demonstrate why Cosmetex has become one of the world’s most significant meetings for cosmetic medicine and surgery.”
Program highlights included:
- Can we prevent skin ageing? Dr Ashraf Badawi, Vice President, European Society of Laser Dermatology, Egypt
- Advances in ablative and non-ablative fractional resurfacing, Dr Christine Dierickx, Belgium
- Re-evaluation and definition of mid face sculpting, Dr Kate Goldie, UK
- International interactive face panel, Dr Kate Goldie (UK), Dr Patrick Tansley (AUS), Dr Jani van Looghem (Netherlands), Dr Christine Dierickx (Belgium), Dr Raj Aquilla (UK)
- Beauty across the ages, Dr Raj Aquilla, UK
- Advanced knowledge in tattoo, pigmentation and vascular treatments, Dr Tahl Humes, US
- Lifting, rejuvenating, filling and restoring the lower face, Dr Mary Dingley, AUS
- It’s a marriage, not a one night stand, Grazina Fechner, AUS
- The laser “Brains Trust”, Ms Kate Gillman, Head of the Medico Legal Advisory Service
FAST COSMETIC FACTS
Total annual expenditure on cosmetic surgical and medical and related procedures and treatments in Australia is estimated to be $1 billion.
Australians annually consume more than $350 million worth of wrinkle reduction procedures with botulinum toxin.
TOP 5 COSMETIC PROCEDURES IN AUSTRALIA
- Anti-wrinkle injections
- Fillers
- Laser and IPL
- Breast augmentation and reduction
- Liposuction
ABOUT THE ACCS
Established in 1999, the ACCS is a not-for-profit, multi-disciplinary fellowship-based college of general surgeons, cosmetic surgeons, plastic surgeons, maxillofacial surgeons, cosmetic physicians, dermatologists, ear nose and throat surgeons, ophthalmologists, general practitioners and other doctors who practice in cosmetic medicine and surgery. The College also admits nurses as affiliate members.
The primary goal of the ACCS is to ensure the safe provision of cosmetic medicine and cosmetic surgical procedures to the Australian community through the supply of appropriately trained and certified health care practitioners.
The ACCS is the only medical college which provides education and training leading to fellowship specifically in cosmetic medicine and surgery.
Fellows of the College are medical doctors who have completed post-graduate education and training and have demonstrated competency specifically in cosmetic medicine and surgery.
To become an ACCS Fellow, doctors must typically complete a minimum 12 years medical and/or surgical education and training.
ACCS.ORG.AU
