With the world of cosmetic medicine constantly evolving, it has become increasingly essential for New Zealand clinics to keep on top of the latest international trends, techniques and safety procedures in order to expand expertise in this area.
Clinic 42 doctors have recently returned from a number of international seminars and have shared the key trends and learnings from abroad.
The “Jeck”
At the UK’s premier medical aesthetic conference in London, called FACE, Dr Lynn Theron discovered that the “Jeck” is one area getting plenty of attention at the moment. The “Jeck” is where the jowls and neck blend into one, similar to cankles (calf-ankles).
“The lower face is prone to losing definition as we age, which results in a poorly defined jawline that blends with the neck,” says Dr Theron. “By harnessing the benefits of a number of minimally invasive treatments we can achieve definition and tone,” Dr Theron says.
Treatments for this area include Belkyra to treat double chin fat, Botulinum Toxin to address the muscular neck bands (that can resemble a lizard) and Dermal Filler for volume loss around the jaw line.
Emotional beauty
Global leaders in cosmetic medicine are moving away from the ‘overdone and emotionless’ look and enhancing patients using their own natural beauty, something Clinic 42 has done from the beginning, explains Dr Theron. “We’ve always focused on helping patients look like a happier more rested version of themselves.”
This trend is similar to something called the ‘Signature Feature’ which involves enhancing your best or more defining feature, says Dr Theron. “A perfect example would be Angelina Jolie - imagine all your energy enhancing her eyes, it would draw attention away from her naturally beautiful lips, and ultimately make her look less like Angelina Jolie.”
Filler innovations
At the 2019 Non-Surgical Symposium in Sydney, the largest in Australasia, Dr Joanna Romanowska found new innovations in how fillers are used.
Dr Romanowska says, “I’m fascinated with how Radiesse (calcium hydroxyapatite) can be used for its bio-stimulating rather than filler properties. In a diluted form it works. It essentially makes skin look younger and more refined visually as well as under the microscope. We expect to see developments using this product coming to Clinic42 soon.”
Additionally, there are new ways to use filler in the chin area to make faces appear more feminine or masculine. “[Using filler through different injection sites] can reduce the need for botulinum treatments of the lower face, as well as soften dimpling and the crease, and allow the lower lip to avert reducing the need for filler volume in the lip!” says Dr Romanowska.
Volume
While attending the Galderma Masterclass seminar in Verona, Italy, Dr Ellen Selkon saw that global injectors are using volume to redefine the face. “While this may conjure up a vast array of overfilled faces, it’s more about the way we are using filler,” explains Dr Ellen Selkon.
“In the past, if someone had 3mls or more at a time they would tend to look overdone and too filled. However, the leading injectors are now using more like 8mls but placing it within the five different layers of the face and in key areas – the results are fabulous!”
Safety
At all three conferences the doctors attended, safety was a clear theme more so than usual. During training, injections were performed on cadavers which were then dissected to see just how close some injections were to blood vessels, with attendees shown how to avoid them.
