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Hot off the press
Government announces consultation for new licensing scheme
The Department of Health and Social Care has announced the Government’s first-ever consultation on aesthetic procedures. Practitioners, patients and businesses are being invited to share their views on how to ensure the safety of people undergoing nonsurgical cosmetic procedures and the responses will be used to help shape a new licensing scheme for aesthetics practitioners and businesses operating in England. The consultation exercise will close on Saturday, October 28. The licensing scheme is currently due to consist of two interlinked components: a practitioner licence and a premises licence. It will become an offence for an individual to carry out prescribed non-surgical cosmetic procedures without possession of a nationally approved license.
Maria Caulfield, minister for the Women’s Health Strategy, said: “There’s no doubt that the popularity of cosmetic procedures is increasing, so it’s our role to ensure consistent standards for consumers and a level playing field for businesses and practitioners.
Professor David Sines CBE, chair of the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners, added: “I would urge everybody to seize the opportunity provided by this consultation and support the move towards sensible and proportionate regulation in this important sector.” Sharon Benett, chair of the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses, said the organisation “supports any move towards regulation which puts patient safety at the heart of its agenda.”
BABTAC comments on reported Hepatitis C cases from cosmetic tourism
Sky News has reported that thousands of patients may have unwittingly contracted Hepatitis C from treatments abroad. The bloodborne virus can be transmitted during treatment if proper hygiene measures are not followed, such as equipment not being properly sterilised between patients receiving dental, cosmetic, or health treatments.
The increase in patients travelling abroad for aesthetic surgery and treatments has been closely linked to serious complications for some time, with the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (BAAPS) and the British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society (BOMSS) issuing a joint statement about the problem in April of this year.
BABTAC and the Confederation of International Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (CIBTAC)’s chief executive and chair, Lesley Blair MBE said, “This is a sobering reminder that, when it comes to invasive procedures, whether that is cosmetic or dental work, opting for cheaper solutions or travelling abroad can carry huge risk and dangerous complications. As tempting as it may be to take advantage of cut-back prices when getting cosmetic treatment, this could have the potential for your treatment to be carried out by somebody with little experience, minor training, and ultimately unsafe hygiene practices – simply not worth the risk.”
“To minimise risk before booking any form of cosmetic treatment, it’s important to always do your due diligence and not just be persuaded by low costs. Don’t be afraid to ask what training they have had, ensure they are adequately insured, as well as what preliminary and aftercare they offer. In the case of injectables, an experienced and adequately trained professional doing your treatment should also be legally allowed to prescribe relevant antidotes required to manage any associated complications.”
RCSEd issues NHS workforce warning considering survey results
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is urging the Government to prioritise staff retention in its forthcoming NHS workforce plan, warning of an impending “potentially devastating” loss of workers.
The medical college, which represents 15,000 members across the UK, conducted a membership survey which showed that 75% of the 253 respondents have considered moving overseas for work and 50% claim it is very or somewhat likely that they will move overseas for work in the future.
In addition, 45% of surgeons surveyed said they are planning on leaving the workforce in the next five years, and of this group, 43% claimed this is because they are unhappy with the direction of the NHS.
As well as moving abroad for work, the survey also showed there is a risk of losing NHS workers to other professions, with almost a quarter of respondents saying they have considered an alternative career outside of healthcare, with 56% stating a better work-life balance is the reason behind this.
Professor Rowan Parks, president of RCSEd said “These results are deeply concerning, but unfortunately, they do not come as a surprise. We have been calling for greater clarity and detail around workforce planning for several years, but the Government is yet to set out how it plans on retaining healthcare workers in the face of the chronic staff shortages we’re continuing to see.”
Experts call for increased measures in Ireland to deal with unregulated cosmetic treatments
A group of aesthetic medicine experts in Ireland have called on their government to respond to the unregulated use of botulinum toxin and other cosmetic treatments.
In a letter sent to all TDs (Teachtaí Dála), the group of 30 doctors has called for a range of measures to deal with non-medics administering botulinum toxin to their clients. The letter said as follows:
“We are growing increasingly concerned about the exponential rise of lay persons including hairdressers, nail artists, make-up artists etc. attending short one-day crash courses in ‘medical aesthetic procedures’, often in the UK, and setting up shop literally the next day, posing as ‘aesthetic medical practitioners’ or similar misleading titles.”
“These individuals are utilising highly sinister social media strategies to prey on vulnerable members of the public. They offer high-risk cosmetic medical procedures at bargain prices, often in unsanitary and unregulated premises.”
Study reveals benefits of using a pigment meter with laser treatments
A study led by Dr E Victor Ross investigated a 755/1064 nm laser with pigment meter guidance to optimise outcomes for the reduction of hair and benign vascular/ pigmented lesions.
It was hypothesised that a pigment meter could help laser operators provide the very best and safest settings for their patients, by erasing overestimation and underestimation of melanin content before treatment.
Over 24 areas were treated among 20 patients. With a typical laser, practitioners choose settings guided by their eyeball and possibly an application-driven menu guided by skin phototype. With the introduction of a pigment meter, the operator can choose settings in a more predictable and reliable fashion.
A patient satisfaction survey near the clinical findings showed overall improvement was approximately 70%. The study concluded that a 1064/755 nm long pulse laser complete with integrated fluence guidance via melanin density proved effective in treating leg telangiectasia, facial telangiectasia, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and reduction of brown dyschromia.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Alma announces Teresa Tarmey as ambassador
Former Dior Beauty global skin expert Teresa Tarmey is exclusively launching Alma’s new Opus device, a radiofrequency platform, delivering a completely tailored treatment for facial skin tightening and resurfacing. The full launch of the device will be happening at Aesthetic Medicine North on September 24 and 25, 2023.
Definition Aesthetics Clinics opens first clinic in Cheshire
Sussex-based Definition Aesthetics Clinic has opened its first clinic in Cheshire, at the ionic Champneys’ Mottram Hall resort. This state-of-the-art facility has been designed to provide patients with a secure and inviting environment, offering the latest in injectable treatments aimed at rejuvenating, resurfacing, and refining facial contours.
New survey reveals UK’s sleep habits
Nuffield Health’s 2023 ‘Healthier Nation Index’ has highlighted that, out of a survey of 8,000 UK adults, respondents are only getting 5.91 hours of sleep a night, down from 6.11 in 2022 and 6.19 in 2021. Of those surveyed, only 36% said their sleep was ‘good’, with the average healthy adult needing between seven and a half and eight and a half hours per night, equating to five sleep cycles. 11% of respondents get between two to four hours of sleep per night, with only 8% getting more than the recommended eight hours per night.
SJ Partnership strengthens fraud prevention services
Business services company SJ Partnership has announced its membership of the Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to fostering a culture of resilience against cyber and fraud crimes within businesses. Retired detective superintendent Kenny Thomson has also joined its Business Resilience team, as a consultant and expert in cybercrime and fraud.
MiA consumer event announces educational line-up
Menopause in Aesthetics (MiA) conference’s team has announced the educational line-up for its consumer event, including topics like shedding light on weight loss and unlocking the puzzle of hormone replacement therapy. Aimed at empowering women to take back control of their lives and bodies through their menopause journey, ‘Pause Live!’ will take place at London’s Business Design Centre, on November 25, 2023.
Dr Sana Sadiq joins Beyond Medispa London
Beyond Medispa has announced that Dr Sana Sadiq is joining the dedicated and passionate team at its Harvey Nichols London location, bringing her signature ‘whole face approach’ to the clientele of the prestigious London landmark.
Sinclair appoints two new key executives
Aesthetics specialist Sinclair has announced the appointment of John Campbell as country head for the UK and Ireland, and Lauren Clarke as head of marketing UK and Ireland.
Together, they bring a wealth of industry experience, mutual respect and understanding which they plan to leverage as they take Sinclair UKI into its next phase of business expansion.
Non-invasive device gains FDA clearance
Aesthetic device brand Sofwave has received FDA clearance for its device, Superb, for the treatment of acne scars and released details from the clinical study used to gain the clearance. Following three treatment sessions, 97% of treated subjects showed improvement in the appearance of acne scars.
Aesthetic doctor launches new app for injectors
Botulinum Toxin Club, Dr Harry Singh’s training club, has announced the launch of a new app for injectors. The ‘Botulinum Toxin Converter app’ is a calculator that helps clinicians work out units of toxin, depending on the brand and how much diluent is used for reconstitution. The app aims to counteract any concerns about using a new toxin, using a dosages converter. All a practitioner needs to do is enter the brand and dilution of saline, and then let the app do the hard work. New toxins will be added to the app with time, as they are released. The app is available now, for free, on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Sinclair collaborates with Harley Academy to offer facial treatment training
Sinclair has joined Harley Academy to offer advanced medical professionals a cutting edge educational experience.
The programme, titled ‘An evidence based approach to treating the full face with soft tissue fillers in 2023’, will combine essential anatomical knowledge with key practical skills using Sinclair’s portfolio of products. The course is led by globally respected anatomist, Professor Sebastian Cotofana, who has joined Harley Academy as academic director.
“Our main goal is to improve patient safety, which we do by raising educational standards for the most widely requested cosmetic procedures: botulinum toxin, dermal fillers and cosmetic dermatology treatments”, explains Dr Tristan Mehta, founder of Harley Academy.
Held at Harley Academy’s new training campus in the City of London, the course will prepare attendees to safely treat using Sinclair products with confidence.”
Non-surgical rhinoplasty study introduces new assessment scale
Researchers Dr Ayad Harb, Dr Amane Abdul-Razzak and Dr Shahd Twijiri have proposed the Nose Pliability Assessment Scale (NPAS) to assess nasal skin pliability and flexibility before filler injections to ensure patients are suitable candidates. The scale, which is to be conducted before non-surgical rhinoplasties, was introduced in a study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.
The assessment covers skin mobility, firmness, and thickness, and uses a ‘pinch test’ to judge the pliability of the soft tissue envelope, helping to ascertain the potential space between the soft tissue layers and the periosteum/perichondrium, where the dermal filler is injected. Pliability ratings are scored between 1-5, with a rating of 3-4 being an ideal candidate, and 1-2 signalling a higher risk of vascular and cosmetic complications.