Features

Number of men opting for laser hair removal doubles in a year

October 21, 2013 by Laura Casewell

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.

New breast implants come equipped with radio frequency chip to help diagnose problems

October 21, 2013 by Laura Casewell

Establishment Labs is set to market a new silicone breast implant equipped with a radio frequency identification (RFID) microchip that gives doctors and patients easier access to information about the implants, including their serial number, manufacturer name and other data.

Using a handheld device, doctors would be able to quickly determine the make and model of the implants even years down the road. The innovation could provide an extra level of safety assurance following health scares like the one generated by a French company last year after it was discovered their products had been made with an unauthorised silicone filler. The implants manufactured by Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) had double the rupture rate of similar products, causing health risks such as scarring and breast malformation to about 300,000 women in Europe and South America.
The new product, Motiva Implant Matrix Ergonomix, will soon hit the market in 28 European countries, and the company is seeking approvals in South America, the Middle East and Asia, Establishment Labs said.

The microchip technology “is about giving women the power of verification and control throughout the life of the device, if they choose to have breast implants,” the company’s CEO, Juan Jose Chacon-Quiros, said in a statement.

“We are already in final talks with the biggest groups of clinics in Europe to provide the highest degree of safety, which patients have been rightly demanding after the recent breast implant scare in the EU.”

Monu Partner DermaCo to provide unique industry solution

October 21, 2013 by Laura Casewell

DermaCo, leading provider of some of the most technologically advanced aesthetic solutions in Europe, has announced a partnership with MONU skincare. Under the terms of the partnership, both companies will work closely together to provide a unique industry solution: – a package of a 6 in 1 beauty machine and a supporting package of specially formulated skincare.

The DermaCo Pro VX 6 in 1 machine offers affordability, flexibility and quality. DermaCo Pro VX (Versatile eXchange of treatments) has been designed and built in the UK and offers the best in British manufacturing and engineering. Treatments with the DermaCo Pro VX include Thermotherapy, Cryotherapy, Microdermabrasion, Ultrasound, Micro-current and LED Light Therapy.

The DermaCo Skincare range has been produced in close cooperation with MONU Skincare. Using pure ingredients that provide natural care for the skin, these gentle, naturally pure professional beauty products are formulated especially for DermaCo Skincare thus forming a unique partnership with an internationally renowned professional skincare company MONU, plus the leading supplier of non surgical treatment technology equipment.

DermaCo was established in 2009 with the single aim to provide beauty professionals with the most technologically advanced equipment in Europe. DermaCo are pleased to be developing and manufacturing products in the UK to be sold in the UK beauty market. With many years of experience within the industry the company are able to offer their clients affordable, unique and professional products of high quality. MONU Professional Skincare has over 30 years’ experience in developing unique, gentle and naturally pure beauty products. MONU use unique formulations that utilise the special properties of pure, natural ingredients using plants and herbs, minerals and essential oils. With such resources becoming ever more precious, MONU is committed to setting new standards in ethical and environmental responsibilities. No MONU formulation contains damaging chemicals, artificial perfumes, or synthetic colours; nor do they test them on animals.

DermaCo European Training Manager Julie Richardson commented “We took a long time to find the perfect skincare partner, MONU are that perfect partner. This industry partnership satisfies the salons demand for a beauty machine with a supporting skincare package. We are working very closely with MONU and I am convinced this will be a successful partnership for both parties as we are utilizing each others expertise within the beauty industry”

MONU Professional Skincare MD Laurent van Bekkum added “We are looking forward to further developing our long term partnerships with leading British brands so that we can help showcase British creativity and innovation, the cornerstone of our 30 years in this industry.”

Please visit www.dermacoskincare.co.uk for more information or call DermaCo customer support on 01666 503570

Cynosure Completes Acquisition of Palomar Medical Technologies

October 21, 2013 by Laura Casewell

Cynosure, Inc. (NASDAQ: CYNO), a leader in laser- and light-based treatments for minimally invasive and non-invasive aesthetic applications, today announced the completion of its acquisition of Palomar Medical Technologies, Inc. Cynosure purchased Palomar in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $287 million. In the transaction, Cynosure issued approximately six million shares and paid approximately $146 million in cash contributed by both Cynosure and Palomar.

“Combining with Palomar brings together two world class research and development organizations creating what we believe is one of the world’s premier aesthetic laser and light-based companies,” said Michael Davin, Cynosure’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

“We believe the acquisition complements our product portfolio and customer base, provides new product and service revenues, strengthens our global distribution network, opens new cross-selling opportunities and enhances our intellectual property position. We appreciate the overwhelming support of our stockholders in recognizing the value of this transaction to our long-term growth strategy. We welcome Palomar’s employees to the Cynosure team and look forward to the continued success of our unified organisation.”

The closing of the transaction follows approvals by Cynosure stockholders and Palomar stockholders at separate stockholders’ meetings today. At the Cynosure stockholders’ meeting, Cynosure stockholders approved the issuance of shares of Cynosure Class A common stock in the merger. At the Palomar stockholders’ meeting, Palomar stockholders adopted the merger agreement between the companies. Under the terms of the agreement, each outstanding share of Palomar common stock converted into the right to receive $6.825 in cash and 0.2819 shares of Cynosure Class A common stock.

As previously announced, the acquisition is expected to be accretive to Cynosure in calendar 2014 with the implementation of $8 million to $10 million in projected synergies. Following the closing, Michael Davin will serve as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; Joseph Caruso has joined Cynosure’s Board of Directors as Vice Chairman and will serve as President; and Timothy Baker will serve as Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer.

Cynosure develops and markets aesthetic treatment systems that enable plastic surgeons, dermatologists and other medical professionals to perform non-invasive and minimally invasive procedures to remove hair, treat vascular and benign pigmented lesions, remove multi-colored tattoos, rejuvenate the skin, liquefy and remove unwanted fat through laser lipolysis, reduce cellulite, treat toe fungus and ablate sweat glands. Cynosure’s product portfolio is composed of a broad range of energy sources including Alexandrite, diode, Nd: YAG, picosecond, pulse dye, Q-switched lasers and intense pulsed light. Cynosure sells its products globally under the Cynosure, Palomar and ConBio brand names through a direct sales force in the United States, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Australia, China, Japan and Korea, and through international distributors in approximately 100 other countries.

Cosmetic surgeon optimises natural-looking breast augmentation results.

October 21, 2013 by Laura Casewell

Dr Jerome Edelstein, head plastic surgeon at aesthetic medical practice, Edelstein Cosmetic, has introduced Dimensional Breast Augmentation.

This cutting-edge approach is designed to optimise the most natural-looking results for patients.

“One of the most difficult decisions for a breast augmentation patient to make is related to breast implants. With thousands of breast implants currently available on the market, much of the pre-surgery consultative process with a plastic surgeon is often devoted to helping a patient choose the most suitable implant to achieve their desired goals. There are so many choices that patients are often confused as to which they should choose,” he explains.

Extensive measurements are taken of a patient’s pre-surgery body contour. Considering their aesthetic goals, the most suitable implant and surgical technique is used to achieve an improvement that complements the patient’s appearance without looking ‘plastic’.

Cosmetic and aesthetic market to reach £775m this year

October 21, 2013 by Laura Casewell

The market for cosmetic surgery and non-surgical procedures is expected to grow in value by 9% this year to reach £775million. The sector, which includes procedures such as lasers and injectables as well as invasive surgery, will continue to expand, but at a slightly slower pace than in recent years, as the market reaches maturity.

Market analyst, Key Note, forecasts that the cosmetic beauty market will grow 8.4% in value to reach £840m by the end of 2013.

The number of cosmetic surgical and non-surgical procedures increased by 15.1% in 2011, while in value terms, the market grew by 10.1% to £711m over the same period.

The number of non-surgical procedures carried out in the UK increased substantially between 2007 and 2011, and accounted for 32.2% of the total market in terms of value in 2011. Audit figures from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) showed that, in 2011, nose surgery experienced the strongest growth in volume terms, with the number of rhinoplasty procedures increasing by 7.4%.

Breast augmentation continued to be the largest sector and accounted for 23.3% of all procedures carried out by its members in 2011, despite the well documented French PIP breast implant scandal.

Key Note’s Cosmetic Surgery Market Report also included a consumer survey, which found that half of the respondents (50.1%) were against cosmetic surgery or non-surgical procedures in principle and said that they would never consider it, while an additional 14.1% said that they would consider having cosmetic surgery or procedures but felt that the cost was prohibitive.

50 YEARS OF SILICONE GEL BREAST IMPLANTS

August 16, 2013 by CarlFrascina

Gel 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.”

LASER HAIR REMOVAL TOPS MOST WANTED LIST

August 16, 2013 by CarlFrascina

New research has shown laser hair removal is top of the list for females who want to explore cosmetic surgery. Novelist Nicholas Coleridge
suggested UK females are becoming increasingly fixated with “extreme grooming” and how they look.

He pointed out that research shows over 60% of people aged between 16-24 would have cosmetic surgery if they could afford the treatment. Although the majority of women questioned revealed they would opt for laser hair removal, a breast augmentation, liposuction and a tummy tuck were also high up on the list.

Laser hair removal is an easy option for permanently removing unwanted hair and uses specialist machines to focus light that penetrates the epidermis of the skin, destroying the pigment of the hair. This removes the hair instantly and stops further growth.

COSMETIC SURGEON OPTIMISES NATURAL LOOKING BREAST AUGMENTATION RESULTS

August 16, 2013 by CarlFrascina

Dr Jerome Edelstein, head plastic surgeon at aesthetic medical practice, Edelstein Cosmetic, has introduced Dimensional Breast Augmentation. This cutting-edge approach is designed to optimise the most naturallooking results for patients.

Extensive measurements are taken of a patient’s pre-surgery body contour.

Considering their aesthetic goals, the most suitable implant and surgical technique is used to achieve an improvement that complements the patient’s appearance without looking ‘plastic’.

BAAPS Say Better Injectable Regulations Needed

August 16, 2013 by CarlFrascina

Injectable anti-wrinkle treatments should be classed as medicines so they can be properly regulated, the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) said.

BAAPS has recently raised concerns that people can buy dermal filler treatments online without knowing exactly what chemicals are in them.

The organisation suggests that the treatments, which involve injecting a gel-like substance into wrinkle sites, should be classed as medicines so that they are properly tested before they can be sold.

The move would also regulate who can give the treatments and would ban advertising for the products.

BAAPS president Rajiv Grover said: “It is of paramount importance that the growing area of largely unregulated dermal fillers be controlled and we have put forward for consideration the simple measure of reclassifying these injectables as medicines.

“This will kill three birds with one stone by regulating which ones come on the market, automatically banning their advertising and defining who is qualified to dispense them.”

The body made the recommendation to the Keogh review of cosmetic surgery and procedures. BAAPS also recommended that the term ‘surgeon’ is legally protected and that there should be an obligatory register for practitioners.

Surgeons from abroad should have UK-based indemnity insurance and advertising for cosmetic procedures should be “severely restricted”, a BAAPS spokeswoman added.

BAAPS said there should also be a financial protection scheme for people who choose to have cosmetic surgery to prevent another scenario akin to the PIP implant scandal.

It is of paramount importance that the growing area of largely unregulated dermal fillers be controlled and we have put forward for consideration the simple measure of reclassifying these injectables as medicines.