NEWS AND ANALYSIS

Buttock surgery showed highest growth of all procedures worldwide in 2019

The number of surgical and non-surgical aesthetic procedures undertaken in the world increased by 7.4% in 2019.

This is higher than the year-on-year increase from 2018 to 2019, which was 5.6%. In 2019, both surgical and non-surgical procedures increased, by 7.1% and 7.6% respectively, compared to 2018, when only non-surgical procedures increased.

The figures come from the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery’s (ISAPS) Global Survey 2019.

Buttock surgery showed the highest growth for all surgical procedures. Buttock augmentation increased by 38.4% in 2019 and by a huge 65.9% since 2015, while buttock lifts increased by 25.5% in 2019 and by 77.6% since 2015.

Labiaplasty was also on the rise, increasing by 24.1% in 2019 and by 73.3% since 2015. 

Breast augmentation remained the most common cosmetic surgical procedure, making up 15.8% of all procedures, despite a 3.6% decrease year on year. Interestingly, surgery to remove implants increased by 10.7% in 2019.

Following breast augmentation, liposuction, eyelid surgery, abdominoplasty, and rhinoplasty made up the top five surgical procedures. Among men, these were gynecomastia, eyelid surgery and liposuction.

The top five non-surgical procedures also remained the same as in 2018; botulinum toxin, hyaluronic acid, laser hair removal, non-surgical fat reduction, and photo rejuvenation.

Face and head procedures increased by 13.5%, compared to a 14.7% decrease the previous year, while eyelid surgery had increased in popularity among men.

Unsurprisingly, the use of non-surgical injectables was up by 8.6%. While botulinum toxin remains the most used, the highest percentage increase was seen for calcium hydroxyapatite fillers, up 64.9% in 2019. The use of hyaluronic acid also showed continued growth, up 15.7% since 2018.

Researchers develop technology to reverse dermal fibroblast ageing

The research arm of South Korean skincare brand Amorepacific has developed an original technology that reverses the ageing process in human dermal fibroblasts. Together with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), the research team developed a signalling network model for ageing skin cells and ran simulations to analyse the model. They discovered a core factor that reverses ageing in old cells and converts them into younger cells. Using this factor, the team were able to develop an original technology for reverse ageing.

Park Won-seok, director of the research and innovation centre at Amorepacific R&D Centre said, “The joint research enabled us to build an ageing signal network model and an artificial model for aged skin, with which we saw the potential to reverse the ageing process in the skin.

“Amorepacific will continue to build on our studies on dermatology and bio sector to slow down or improve the progress of ageing that was previously thought impossible. We will continue to put in our utmost efforts to safeguard the health of our customers worldwide.”

Lockdown boosts prestige skincare sales

Sales of prestige skincare online reported the largest growth in the prestige beauty market in the period of January to October 2020, reported data analyst The NPD Group.

Overall, the prestige beauty market saw a 38% increase in online sales during the majority of 2020, accounting for over £491 million-worth of sales. Skincare sales were responsible for the largest portion of growth however, increasing 54% from January to October compared to the same period in 2019. Breaking it down further, “face creams” increased by 67%, sales of cleansers grew by 66% and sales of face serums were up 32% when compared to the previous year.

E-commerce accounted for 41% of total prestige beauty sales in the period from January 2020 to the end of October 2020, compared to 21% over the same period last year. This substantial shift in consumer behaviour was of course driven by lockdown and the closure of bricks-and-mortar retailers, salons and clinics in the early part of the year.

Emma Fishwick, account manager at NPD UK Beauty, commented: “The prestige beauty market was quick to respond to the change in consumer behaviour during lockdown. Many brands switched their marketing efforts online with innovations including virtual consultations, classes and facials at home led by a skincare professional.”

AM to hold virtual conference and expo this month

Aesthetic Medicine is holding a virtual conference and expo on 25 and 26 January 2021.

AM Online 2021 is aimed at medical professionals and will offer opportunities to discover the latest innovations and meet key brands, network with experts and fellow professionals, learn from the best in three conference streams – Aesthetic Practice, Clinical and Business Workshops – and benefit from exclusive offers and incentives. The event will run from 8:00 to 18:00 GMT across the two days. With thanks to Solta Medical, AM Online’s first Platinum Sponsor. 

For more information visit aestheticmed.co.uk/site/amliveonline

Survey looks at consumer attitudes to aesthetic treatments in a pandemic world

Over 50% of women have aesthetic treatments without understanding what is being done to their skin, found a consumer market research survey by new digital platform Etre Vous. 

The research asked 1,015 members of the public questions around demand for and the booking of aesthetic treatments following industry changes caused by the pandemic. Highlighting the need for further-reaching education on treatments, over 60% of people would be more likely to book an aesthetic treatment if they had a better understanding of what their options were.

The survey also found that over 50% of people would actually now prefer a digital consultation to discuss their treatment options over a face-to-face appointment. This could be because over half of women said they are worried about being pressured to spend money if they were to physically visit a clinic. Over 65% said they would book a treatment online if booking platforms and the practitioners they feature were more regulated.

Meanwhile almost half of men feel uncomfortable visiting an aesthetic clinic in-person and over 60% would rather receive treatment advice online.

British Skin Foundation TV programme to launch

The British Skin Foundation (BSF) is teaming up with ITN Productions Industry News to co-produce a newsstyle TV programme that addresses skin stigma, skin disease and mental health.

More than Skin Deep will look at the connection between skin and mental health issues, and how the prevalence of filtered images can skew the perception of real skin. It will also explore how the pandemic may have exacerbated issues people have about their skin as a result of increased face time online, as well as highlight the degree of misinformation available on skin and skincare, and the latest advancements in dermatology.

The programme will combine interviews with industry figures from leading organisations and will launch at the British Association of Dermatologists’ Annual Conference in July 2021.

“Our mission is to help find cures and treatments for common conditions like acne and eczema through to potential killers like melanoma skin cancer,” said Matthew Patey, chief executive of the British Skin Foundation.

“We’re looking forward to working with the talented ITN Productions team to help amplify our voice and tell the stories of those who are affected by skin disease and those who are fighting to beat it.”

Elizabeth Fisher-Robins, head of ITN Productions Industry News, added: “We’re delighted to be producing a programme in partnership with BSF that raises awareness of skin disease and its effects on mental health, the significance of social media and remote working on people’s self-perceptions, and the exciting research and developments leading dermatology into the future.” 

Injector mentorship programme launches

Two aesthetic doctors have come together to offer a mentorship programme for “ambitious injectors”.

Dr Rupert Critchley, lead clinician, founder and director of VIVA Skin Clinics and Dr Sarah Tonks, founder of The Lovely Clinic, will run the virtual training scheme, The Aesthetic Mentors, which will allow mentees to access one-to-one guidance and detailed feedback along the way. The subscription-based programme will be split into three tiers, with features ranging from personal Zoom meetings, injecting technique sessions and hands-on in-clinic training.

Dr Critchley said: “With a lack of ongoing support and feedback available through regular aesthetics courses, we identified the need to provide injectors with the ability to access expertise and knowledge from some of the most renowned and experienced injectors in the industry.

“The virtual world has never proven more important than throughout 2020 so there couldn’t be a better time to change the face of aesthetic mentorship and lend support to those looking to take their skillset to the next level. Our primarily virtual platform allows injectors to access training and guidance from leading aesthetic doctors from anywhere, at a time that suits them.”

Cosmedicare to open new cosmetic surgery hospital in Scotland

Work has commenced on a new cosmetic surgery hospital in Livingston, Scotland.

Scottish private cosmetic surgery provider Cosmedicare UK has been granted planning permission for the 12,443sq ft St Ellen’s Hospital in Livingston, on a 3.57-acre plot of parkland. The new facility will house two theatres with private en-suite recovery rooms, recovery wards, three minor operation suites, two treatment rooms, a standalone laser suite and four consultation rooms including a telemedicine conference suite and training area.

A multi-disciplinary medical team will work out of the hospital, providing procedures including aesthetic treatments such as facial rejuvenation, as well as medical surggeries like gender reassignment, breast reconstruction, cancer excisions and lumps, cysts and burns treatments. The covid-compliant hospital has been designed to facilitate expansion in the future.

“We are absolutely delighted that our plans have been approved and with the support we’ve received for it from the medical community and public. These proposals herald a new era of healthcare provision with St Ellen’s delivering a more holistic, practitionerfocused facility than the traditional private hospital set up with the patient pathway central to the service,” said Cosmedicare founder and managing director Gill Baird.

“We work with the top surgeons and consultants in the private sector and NHS to deliver the highest standards of medical practice with enhanced technology. As part of the service for our practitioners, we have designed a novel online booking system that will dramatically speed up the appointment process and surgeries schedule, which consultants will be able to directly access and manage, thereby streamlining the administration and booking systems.”

Environmental group calls for ban on beauty product sample sachets

Environmental group A Plastic Planet is calling for a ban on single-use sample sachets in the beauty industry to help reduce the amount of waste the sector creates every year.

The group has written an open letter to UK and EU officials asking lawmakers to add single-serve sachets to the single-use plastics ban, which currently includes stirrers, plastic straws and cotton buds. The Sack the Sample Sachet letter states that sachets used by the personal care sector to package moisturiser, shower gel, face wipes, shampoo and more creates 122 billion items of waste ever year. The letter has received support from many members of European Parliament and UK politicians, including Lord Randall of Uxbridge, who was formerly environmental advisor to Theresa May.

“We’ve seen governments across the world crow about bans on singleuse plastics, but the sample sachet is a huge piece of the pollution puzzle which every one of them is missing,” said Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet.

“The hundreds of billions of sample sachets pumped out by the personal and home care industries each year are used to drive instant sales but will pollute the planet for centuries. With solutions readily available, there is no excuse for inaction. Any ban on single-use plastics must cover sample sachets to stamp them out once and for all.”

The use of plastic sachets across all industries is expected to reach one trillion by 2030, says A Plastic Planet, but most can’t be recycled, meaning they end up in landfill where it can take up to 1,000 years for the plastic to decompose.

Weight-loss surgery patients not receiving proper aftercare

A peer-reviewed observational study from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the University of Birmingham suggests that the majority of patients don’t receive the recommended follow-up care from their GPs after weight-loss surgery.

While clinical guidelines recommend that patients receive nutritional and weight monitoring annually for life following procedures such as a gastric bypass, the new study published on 14 December 2020 shows that this does not appear to be happening in most cases. Researchers say this can lead to patients putting weight back on or developing low levels of vitamins and other nutrients, which can have serious health consequences.

The team, led by Dr Helen Parretti from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, wanted to find out whether the nutritional care and weight monitoring delivered by GPs following bariatric surgery meets current clinical guidance. They studied data from 3,137 patients in the UK who had received bariatric surgery between 2000 and 2015.

It is the first study to investigate whether patients receive sufficient long-term routine care and monitoring in primary care following weight loss surgery. Dr Parretti said: “Patients are supported to make changes to their eating before surgery and these changes need to continue after surgery to help avoid putting weight back on and to keep well. In addition, it is important that patients take lifelong nutritional supplements after their surgery.

“But patients need support to achieve this after their operations and current guidance recommends this is offered by GPs. Without this, weight loss surgery has long-term risks such as nutritional deficiencies, and weight regain can occur.

“There is international clinical consensus that long-term follow-up care following bariatric surgery is important to optimise patient outcomes and reduce the risk of preventable harms.”

The study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network West Midlands.