The Harley Street Journal

Bi-monthly newspaper for the cosmetic and plastic surgery sector

Events

Exilis Comes To Kent

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An aesthetics clinic in Canterbury is now offering state of the art cosmetic and aesthetic procedures, popular with the rich and famous, to Kent.

The owners of The Canterbury Skin and Laser Clinic have invested in the latest high tech non-surgical fat busting and skin tightening treatments, aiming to bring a little glitz and glamour to Kent without patients having to go under the knife.

Husband and wife team Drs Mark and Alice Hudson-Peacock, Directors of The Canterbury Skin and Laser Clinic, say the private clinic is thrilled to offer the effective non-invasive treatments – similar to those favourited by Hollywood darlings including Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston – as they know the importance of looking good and feeling great.

“We’re so pleased to be bringing something different to the local area,” says Dr Mark, who met wife Alice during their medical school training in the University of Wales College of Medicine.

APSARAS1“Hollywood trends always make their way over to the UK, and the team at The Canterbury Skin and Laser Clinic – all leading skin specialists – are proud to be the first clinic in the area to be treating our patients with devices like Exilis Elite, which uses radio frequency energy rather than scalpels.”

Explaining what treatments the Exilis Elite can offer, Consultant Dermatologist Dr Mark says this unique machine can both contour the body and tighten the skin.

“Exilis offers a 2-in-1 treatment, meaning the machine itself can get rid of stubborn fat pockets anywhere on the body, and also tighten the skin on the face. You can tone up your tummy and shrink that sagging neck using the same device.”

Claiming radiofrequency machines are replacing traditional surgery, Dr Mark says he can see why Hollywood’s famous faces are replacing facelifts and liposuction in favour of energy-assisted treatments.

“Our patients love the natural results. The treatments are simple but effective, providing fantastic changes to the body and face without the pain, recovery and knives that go alongside surgical anti-ageing and body sculpting treatments. We want all of our patients to feel like Hollywood royalty, and with Exilis Elite we’ve found the answer.”

Dr Mark established his private dermatological and laser practice at The Chaucer Hospital in Canterbury in 1996 before expanding into the Spencer Wing at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate. With the practice continuing to grow as demand for skin and cosmetic treatments increased, the couple acquired a building in Castle Street in Canterbury, which continues to offer accomfortable environment in which to provide modern and comprehensive skin care, unique to this part of Kent.

This now well established clinic continues to be the only specialist Dermatology and Laser clinic in East Kent, which combined with the couple’s forward-thinking business sense, makes it a popular destination for patient’s in the south.

“We’re always investing in the latest and best treatments from across the world to make sure the local community can look and feel fabulous without leaving Kent,” Dr Alice says.

Olympia Beauty Comes To London

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During September, Olympia Beauty is set to life once again, as visitors pour into the trade beauty exhibition to discover new innovations the industry had to offer.

The show – a popular event in the cosmetic beauty calendar, amasses a vast amount of visitors hoping to get their hands on a whole host of special offers, discounts and brand new releases.

It will take place 21-22 September 2014.

FreeFrom Skincare Awards 2014 Shortlist Revealed

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8234123_xlOver 100 products from more than 70 skincare brands have made the shortlist of the third annual FreeFrom Skincare Awards.

Green People lead the way with four shortlisted products, followed by four brands with three shortlisted products each – Botanicals, Odylique, Shea Mooti and Tropic Skincare.

Entries across the 12 categories were up 20% on last year, and over 50% of the brands were first-time entrants – evidence of the growth in ‘free from’ skincare over the last year.

“The shortlist is much longer than we anticipated, but it deserves to be because the standard of entries was noticeably higher this year,” said Alex Gazzola, Awards Co-ordinator.

“Drawing up the shortlist has been a challenge,” added Michelle Berriedale-Johnson, chair of the judging sessions.

“Our panels had to assess ‘free from’ qualities, skin-healthy ingredients, effectiveness, innovation, value for money, clarity of labelling, preservative content, and much more. When combined with the personal tastes and unique perspectives of judges, it all makes for a lot of vigorous debate,” she concluded.

Shortlisted products now go forward for month-long assessment by testers from The Ultimate Natural Beauty Bible, and their detailed feedback will be used to draw up lists of winners and runners-up in all twelve categories – plus an additional award for Best FreeFrom Skincare Brand, and of course Best Overall FreeFrom Skincare Product – to be announced at the Love Natural, Love Organic show at Olympia on 4th July 2014.

Rise of Medical Tourism Shows Impact On Cosmetic Surgery Market

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8193012_xlA recent paper, by ASPS Member Surgeon Dr. Kevin C. Chung and Lauren E. Franzblau of the University of Michigan, discusses “the rise and transformation of the medical tourism industry, foreign and domestic forces that influence cosmetic surgical tourism, and the pros and cons for all involved parties.”

“The rapid globalisation of the industry also marks a fundamental shift in the world’s perception of elective procedures: patients are becoming consumers and these medical services are being viewed as commodities,” say Chung and Franzblau.

More ‘Medical Tourists’ Are Traveling for Cosmetic Surgery

Travelling for medical care is nothing new — but in the past, people were more likely to travel from poor countries to obtain higher-quality care in wealthier countries. Today, prompted by the ease and relatively low costs of travel, more patients from the United States and other western countries are travelling to the developing world to access less-costly medical and surgical procedures. Because cosmetic plastic surgery procedures aren’t covered by insurance, they make up a major part of the burgeoning medical tourism market.

Figures vary, but there’s a consensus that medical tourism is growing rapidly: India alone may have more than one million medical tourists per year. Other countries with growing medical tourism industries include Mexico, Dubai, South Africa, Thailand and Singapore.

Prices for cosmetic surgery in these countries are typically much lower than at home. For example, a breast augmentation procedure that would cost £4,000 in the U.S. can be done for £1,200 in India. Even after the costs of airfare are factored in, having an operation overseas can be much less expensive.

In many countries, governments are working actively to foster their medical tourism industry. Some destinations even market procedures performed in resort-like settings, encouraging patients to combine a vacation with cosmetic surgery. Travelling abroad also lets patients recuperate privately, without anyone at home knowing that they’ve had plastic surgery.

Raising Potential Concerns Over Safety and Quality

The growth of medical tourism may have a significant impact on the cosmetic surgery market in the U.S., but also raises concerns over physical safety and legal protection. Although destination countries promote the quality and safety of their procedures and facilities, there is often little evidence to support these claims.

“Because the practice of medical travel does not appear to be going away in the foreseeable future, plastic surgeons must understand the international market and learn to compete in it,” Chung and Franzblau write.

Since U.S. surgeons may find it hard to compete on price, effective strategies may include emphasising superior quality and safety of care, or developing “niche markets” of procedures that can be profitably performed at home.

The authors emphasise that medical tourism  “is not purely good or bad” – neither for patients nor the countries involved. Patients may be drawn by lower costs, but must consider the potential risks of undergoing surgery in a foreign country, as well as travelling after surgery.

50 YEARS OF SILICONE GEL BREAST IMPLANTS

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iStock_000010195246_LargeGel implants, used routinely as part of breast augmentations all over the world, have now been in use for 50 years, but what are the important lessons and questions from half a century of clinical use?

Few medical devices are still in use nearly 50 years after introduction. Silicone gel breast implants – despite the controversies over the years – are one of the exceptions. Half a century after silicone gel breast implants were first introduced clinically, what are some of the lessons that plastic surgeons have learned about these devices, and what have they yet to uncover? These questions are discussed in a new editorial, “Silicone Gel Breast Implants at 50: The State of the Science,” appearing in the November issue of the Aesthetic Surgery Journal.

“In this piece, I wanted to point out specific highlights from the history of silicone gel breast implants and the implications for plastic surgeons,” said author Mark Jewell, MD, an Assistant Clinical Professor Plastic Surgery, Oregon Health Science University, Portland, Oregon, and former co-chair of the Joint American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)–American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) Breast Implant Task
Force from 2005 to 2006.

He added: “One important lesson is that plastic surgeons cannot simply be end users of a device. Instead, we need to be clinician-scientists, collecting data on a daily basis.”

NUMBER OF MEN ” OPTING FOR LASER HAIR REMOVAL DOUBLES IN A YEAR

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Men all over the UK are seeking professional help to rid themselves of hairy ‘hobbit feet’ according to a London dermatologist.

Dr Michael Prager said the number of men visiting his clinic to have laser hair removal on their feet had doubled since 2012. Despite the process regularly costing upwards for £700 for six sessions, he is booking around two people a day for the procedure.

“For men, feet are a big area, because they all go out in flip flops at the moment, that is the big craze,” he said. “The fashion has changed: men show more leg and they want their feet to look good.” He also predicted that in the future this trend may extend to men getting rid of their leg hair altogether.

9% GROWTH IN COSMETIC SURGERY MARKET

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The cosmetic surgery sector and market for non-surgical procedures has been predicted to grow by 9% in 2012. Key Note has forecast that the industry will be worth £775 million by the end of the year. In addition, this trend is expected to continue into the next year and it is thought the sector will expand by a further 8.4% to reach a value of £840 million by the end of 2013.
There has been a noteworthy increase in the popularity of non-surgical procedures in recent years, with these treatments accounting for 32% of the whole market’s entire value in 2011. This suggests an increasing number of men and women could be realising the benefits of choosing fast, non-invasive treatments such as Botox that do not cause inconvenience to their everyday lives and have practically no recovery time.

FIRST GOVERNMENT RECOMMENDATION FROM COSMETIC SURGERY REVIEW TO BE IMPLEMENTED: INSURANCE FOR PATIENTS

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Image-2In the wake of the findings from the Government enquiry into cosmetic surgery published in the last week, the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons is first to announce the implementation of one of the report’s major recommendations: for patients to be protected through insurance. The only aesthetic surgical society to conduct a yearly audit of the procedures performed by its members, the BAAPS was able to work with the world’s leading specialist insurance market, Lloyd’s of London, to create a policy that will safeguard all patients of surgeons who are part of the Association.

The ‘Aesthetic Surgery Commitment’ or ‘ASC’ policy (www.asurgerycommitment.com) is ground breaking in that not only does it cover corrective treatment of all the most common complications of surgery (such as infection or bleeding) but also – a world first – capsular contracture, an abnormal reaction of the body to breast implants.

According to consultant plastic surgeon and BAAPS President Rajiv Grover:

“In line with Sir Bruce Keogh’s recommendations for more safeguards in the aesthetic surgery sector, we are pleased to launch a truly innovative insurance package that will further protect our patients. No procedure is risk-free and ASC covers all common complications, so people undergoing surgery with BAAPS members can enjoy peace of mind that they will be looked after, in the unlikely event of any problems.”