W L AESTHETICS
SDS REJUVENATE IN MIAMI By Sally Ann Dolan , SDS Rejuvenate
Ian and I decided to attend the Aesthetic and Anti-aging Medicine World Conference ( AMWC ) North America in Miami last month . We were keen to hear what was ‘ trending ’, were there any new technologies or any clinical advancements in medical aesthetics over in the United States of America that had not yet made their way across to the UK and Europe .
Of course , it was also very tempting as the temperatures in Miami were forecast to be in the high 20 ° C ’ s and the conference centre was only five minutes away from the renowned Ocean Drive of South Beach Miami . What were we waiting for ? So , with no more ado and the help of Hays travel in Heswall we were setting off for Miami .
Since we returned , we have been asked many questions by our patients and colleagues so I thought I would share some of them with you in this article .
What are the benefits of attending aesthetic conferences ? Conferences such as this one address the science , the practice and techniques of aesthetic surgery and medicine . In Miami the faculty featured the foremost researchers , educators and practitioners and provided cutting-edge content which aimed to advance the delegates knowledge , enhance skills and techniques to improve outcomes . The Miami meeting certainly came up to our expectations , in fact superseded our expectations in many ways .
Was the American conference different to other conferences you ’ ve attended in the UK ? In some ways , yes . The speakers were independent in that they were not sponsored by a company or product . In the States doctors study aesthetics as a speciality of medicine and look well beyond just basic training , they undertake research and base their practice on their findings . At the meeting they were presenting their own research and described how they practice in their offices ( the Americans call their clinics their offices ), in other words they were delivering information which was evidence based . The speakers were subsequently very passionate and keen to share their knowledge . It was truly inspiring .
Are there any emerging trends in America ? Yes , there is a very definite trend to steer away from the overfilled look . The Americans have coined the phrase ‘ facial overfilled syndrome ’ ( FOS ) and believe that injecting so as to produce a ‘ pillow face ’ or ‘ sausage / duck lips ’ or ‘ Chipmunk / butt cheeks ’ is totally unethical and unacceptable . The take-home message was to always aim for the natural look and return to basics . 1 . Take care of your skin , to use a cosmeceutical skincare range rather than a high street brand and to use retinol over the age of 30 years . 2 . Look for treatments that stimulate your own body to produce collagen elastin , such as microneedling , laser and radio frequency .
3 . Continue with injectable treatments ensuring these treatments administered by a qualified practitioner and that the results are subtle , natural , should refresh and enhance the appearance , not change it and should be age appropriate .
One doctor made an impression on us when he said , “ Everyone will notice but no one will know .” This was music to our ears as everyone who knows us , knows this is our ethos entirely !
Have you changed your practice since returning from Miami ? No , not really but every conference or meeting we attend we learn something ! There is always a take-home message . However our trip to Miami did both confirm and reassure us that we are up there with current opinions and practices . It inspired us to continue performing laser treatments especially those that promote collagen and elastin . We have a Fotona laser in clinic and we were delighted it was also the laser of choice at the conference . The results of the laser 4D Laser facelift , LipLase and SmoothEye treatments filled a complete session and during this interactive talk we discussed our protocols , our results and the prices we charge . We caused havoc … we were told we had to not just double our prices but to at least quadruple them otherwise they reckoned the Americans will be flying over to the Wirral for their monthly treatments ! Don ’ t worry we are not planning any price increases !
It also reassured us that introducing MORPHEUS8 into our Heswall clinic was the right thing to do . The speakers repeatedly spoke about bio stimulation , i . e . stimulating our own bodies to do the work , to produce collagen and elastin using radio frequency and microneedling which is exactly what M8 , and Forma do . These treatments continue to be popular worldwide . We have however considered introducing a new treatment to clinic but more of this later in the article .
I suppose in summary the take-home message was to keep it simple , less is more , and adopt a holistic approach when considering treatments , to encourage the use of cosmeceutical skin care and retinol after the age of 30 and to educate our patients on the concept of bio stimulation .
Are you considering introducing any new treatments into your clinics as a result of the conference ? Yes , most certainly . There was a great emphasis on the subject of anti-ageing and regenerative medicine with the use of topical exosomes .
Exosomes have been considered the cutting edge regenerative medicine to rejuvenate your skin and hair . Exosomes are bio active particulates that communicate cell information from every single cell in our body including stem cells , they activate and instruct cells to work more efficiently . Exosomes increase your bodies collagen production by around 600 % and elastin production by around 300 %. They help repair damaged tissue and are beneficial in treating many inflammatory skin conditions . They also improve scalp health as well as stimulating hair growth making this an ideal treatment for thinning hair and dry scalps in both men and women . Exosomes treatment can be combined with other skin therapies such as radiofrequency , microneedling or laser treatments to enhance results and supercharge recovery .
As you can imagine I am very keen to learn even more about these tiny little magical cells . I am already in the process of sourcing exosomes , and we are very excited to soon be able to offer this revolutionary treatment in clinic .
What was your impression of Miami ? I can only comment on South Beach and Ocean Drive as we did not venture far from the conference ( not this time anyway but I look forward to returning next year ). Ocean Drive is part of Miami South Beach where the images I had of Miami became reality . People roller skating along the seafront , vibrant loud music , tropical cocktails , white sandy beaches and an array of beautiful art deco buildings . People watching ( and car watching ) has never been quite so good especially whilst we enjoyed ice cold margaritas awaiting our Latin / Cuban inspired dinner in temperatures in the high 20 ’ s . We had a fun filled 4 days and we returned to the UK totally inspired ( and very cold as it was literally freezing temperatures as we landed ) What a week !
To discuss any of the treatments I have mentioned in this article please don ’ t hesitate to contact clinic on 0151 625 8080 and book your free skin consultation .
58 wirrallife . com