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March 22, 2007 Ready for Prime Time?
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March 22, 2007
Ready for Prime Time
Longer, thicker lashes--they're what every woman wants. And now a new surgical procedure is offering women a better alternative to eyelash extensions and mascara, with permanent results. Eyelash transplantation (ET) is a breakthrough microsurgical procedure that allows patients to have healthy new long lashes that will last forever.
First developed years ago, ET has been performed primarily by hair-restoration surgeons as a reconstructive procedure to help those suffering from permanent milphosis (eyelash loss, also called madarosis) or alopecia adnata (underdevelopment of the eyelashes). For many women--and the occasional man--who have experienced permanent eyelash loss as a result of alopecia, trauma, or trichotillomania, ET has been the only reconstructive option for regaining their lost lashes, helping them restore a normal appearance and function to their eyelids.
But today, this advanced microsurgical hair-restoration procedure is finding a whole new audience among image-conscious women and the fashionable elite. It has been reported that the procedure is now being requested more often for aesthetic enhancement--to make women's eyes more beautiful--than it is for reconstructive purposes.
What Is Eyelash Transplantation?
ET is a minimally invasive microsurgical hair-restoration procedure performed in an outpatient setting under local anesthesia. Its purpose is to permanently restore or aesthetically improve the eyelashes. The procedure enhances the eyes by adding lash density, length, and volume to eyelids that--for whatever reason--have fewer, thinner, or shorter lashes than "average."
Whereas some women may prefer a glamorous, "Hollywood-style" look with their new lashes, the typical procedure is focused on normalizing the patient's eyelids by implanting roughly 20 to 40 lashes per lid. ET is an effective alternative or adjunct to mascara and eyelash extensions, and a permanent solution for weak or missing lashes.
However, it is important for patients to realize that with this permanence comes a lifetime of responsibility. Because the new lashes are the result of hair follicles transplanted from the scalp, they will continue to grow--just like scalp hair does. As a result, the new lashes will typically need to be trimmed and curled every 4 to 6 weeks for the rest of the patient's life.
The ET procedure can transplant anywhere between 40 to 100 lashes for both eyes. The entire procedure takes 2 to 3 hours to complete, depending on the difficulty of the case.
http://www.plasticsurgeryproductsonline.com/issues/articles/2007-03_02.asp
FDA issues marketing clearance for laser hair-growth device
The Food and Drug Administration has issued clearance for Lexington International LLC to market its medical laser device, the HairMax LaserComb,® for use in combating hair loss.
As part of the process for acquiring FDA clearance, Lexington conducted a clinical study in four locations in the United States. Results of the study showed that 93 percent of the participants (ages 30-60) experienced an increase in the number of terminal hairs over a six-month period. There were no reports of serious adverse events.
According to its Boca Raton, Fla.-based manufacturer, the HairMax LaserComb® uses a patented technology to part the hair, which allows the laser energy to reach the scalp. A company-issued statement notes that the laser is most effective when it has an unobstructed path directly to the hair follicle.
http://www.cosmeticsurgerytimes.com/cosmeticsurgerytimes/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=409721
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Botox for Back Pain
Millions of Americans suffer from back pain, but could Botox be the answer. Now the same stuff that is used to get rid of wrinkles is being used at Scripps La Jolla to give patients relief from chronic back pain.
Hank Coleman loves to surf, but chronic back pain is keeping him out of the water.
"I have to take a pill to get up, I have to take a pill at mid-day, and a pill to go to bed," he said.
In addition to medication and other treatments, Coleman says he's tried back surgery, physical therapy and exercise.
Today, he's trying Botox, the same drug used to get rid of wrinkles. Dr. Joseph Shurman is chairman of pain management at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, and says Coleman isn't alone when it comes to back pain.
"It's probably the number one type of patient we see in our pain clinic and in other pain clinics is back pain," Shurman said.
When injected into muscles in Coleman's back, the Botox can stop or reduce muscle spasm.
"The concept is to have a muscle contraction, you have this chemical that's released from one nerve that goes to a muscle called acetylcholine," Coleman explained. "Botox interferes with that, therefore you get relaxation."
Dr. Shurman says the use of Botox to treat back pain is an off-label use of the drug, which means that it has not been approved by the FDA. That means that some insurance companies might not cover it. He says Botox can take a week or two to work, and Coleman will need to come back about every three months for more injections.
"The biggest problem is spasm in one particular area and we've done local injections with local anesthetics, and he gets relief, and the concept is could we get him more prolonged relief with the Botox," Shurman said.
"It would be incredible if it would just stop," Hank said.
We spoke with Hank and he said he had an immediate relief of pain, although his pain isn't completely gone.
Dr. Shurman says the Botox can take a few weeks to fully work.
He says if you suffer from chronic back pain, you should talk to a doctor about options and possible side effects of using Botox.
Original Source: News 8 HD;http://www.inboxrobot.com/news.php?fid=116219348
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Plunging Into Something New
by Cheryl Whitman
If you plan to add a medical-spa component to your practice, here are some things to consider
Running a successful practice is no simple task. It takes dedication from you and your employees to deliver your products or services effectively and profitably. This article will cover what you should consider if you are planning to open a medical spa alongside your existing plastic surgery practice.
I assume that you already have an established plastic surgery practice based on a robust infrastructure that includes an actionable business plan, a solid patient roster, and qualified employees. Now, you perceive an opportunity to branch out and open a medical spa. A few of the natural synergies between the two businesses are:
- The medical spa may become a source for new plastic-surgery patients.
- Plastic-surgery patients may become a source for new medical-spa patients.
- Medical-spa procedures can be performed by other health care professionals under your supervision. (Check your particular state's regulations on this.) Thus, you are able to obtain more income without actually having to perform the procedures.
- Additional retail opportunities present themselves through the medical spa.
Perhaps there is an extra exam room in your existing practice that may be used for this new venture, or at least for the start-up. Before you know it, a new business is born. Nevertheless, please wait before taking the plunge. Important planning work needs to be done.
Look Before You Leap
Before embarking on this powerfully exciting opportunity to expand your practice, use caution. Be sure to ask your current patients if they would be interested in obtaining medical-spa services from you and at your location; and if so, which types of services they would want.
Other considerations to be resolved beforehand include developing a separate financial infrastructure. Even if your medical spa will be located in an additional exam room in your plastic surgery practice, you should have a separate accounting function for that business that properly identifies its expenses and tracks its profitability to ensure that adding the new treatments or services is indeed profitable for your practice. One of the pitfalls of adding new treatments to existing practices is that most owners never know if they are profitable.
Although your plastic surgery practice and medical spa may have the same owner, they are very different businesses. To realize their full scope of profits and benefits, they should be treated as such from the outset.
If you wish, you could overlap some of your businesses' back-office functions. For example, you can centralize the call center and appointment-setting function, as well as bookkeeping, accounting, and purchasing. This way, you will achieve economies of scale without affecting the way the two businesses appear to the public.
Build the Diving Board
Once you decide that you are primed to launch into the medical-spa business, be sure to create the vital step in your road map to success: a business plan. Think of your business plan as your plan for success. It will help you navigate around the potential business barriers, recognize opportunities, and remind you of your organization's strengths and weakness.
For complete article go to: http://www.plasticsurgeryproductsonline.com/issues/articles/2006-12_11.asp
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Body Contouring Without Surgery
Various techniques may offer non-invasive alternatives, but more research needed
The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) announced today that a panel titled "Non-invasive Body Contouring: Fact or Fiction," will be held at the Society's Annual Meeting, April 21-25 in Orlando, FL. The panel will be moderated by Franklin L. DiSpaltro, MD, of New Jersey, and will include Spencer Brown, PhD, Dennis Hammond, MD, and Peter B. Fodor, MD. Panelists will discuss three potential non-invasive alternatives to surgical body contouring: mesotherapy (Lipodissolve), Thermage (Thermacool or Thermalift) and LipoSonix. All three techniques may provide plastic surgeons with minimally-invasive treatment options, but are not yet sufficiently backed by clinical data, an important distinction that needs to be communicated to patients.
"As plastic surgeons, we are constantly searching for new, less invasive body contouring techniques that are efficient, safe and effective," said Dr. DiSpaltro. "In this panel, we want to separate the hype from what we actually know about these treatments based on clinical experience and the limited available data."
The featured non-invasive therapies utilize three distinct methods. Mesotherapy involves the injection of various compounds into the skin to "dissolve" fat. Thermage uses radiofrequency to tighten facial skin for a "non-surgical face lift." LipoSonix uses a high-intensity ultrasound device to target and destroy unwanted fat cells while sparing intervening tissue and skin.
"The concept behind these approaches is to limit the invasiveness of our methods. For example, LipoSonix non-invasively disrupts and selectively reduces fatty tissue," said Dr. Fodor, a plastic surgeon in Los Angeles. "Approaches such as these are very attractive to patients. The more we learn about how well they work and how safe they are, the better the advice we can give our patients."
Although these minimally-invasive techniques are being offered with increasing frequency across the United States, reliable data on their safety and efficacy is lacking. Clinical trials are being planned; including a study of mesotherapy designed by the Aesthetic Society and funded by the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation (ASERF), and a study of the sonic body sculpting method, LipoSonix, by plastic surgeon and panelist Peter Fodor. LipoSonix has been tested in Mexico in both porcine models and humans, and has submitted a protocol to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical trials in the US. Dr. Fodor will present several months of data from the Mexican studies, including before and after photos.
Patients considering any body contouring procedure must be fully informed about any unpredictability of non-surgical body contouring results, and their expectations must be realistic. As always, patients should seek treatment only from medical professionals who are qualified to carry out proper, clinically proven therapies.
"There is a lot of controversy and confusion surrounding non-invasive body contouring treatment. None are yet FDA approved or otherwise medically proven. We welcome new research on the issue. As always, the more facts we have at our disposal, the more completely we can inform our patients to help ensure their safety and satisfaction," Mark Jewell, MD, President, ASAPS
http://www.surgery.org/press/news-release.php?iid=434
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Trends in Advanced Education
Aesthetics has come a long way in the U.S. since licensed professionals had to spell 'aesthetics' for those who asked 'what do you do?' Clients know what aesthetic services are now, and many have placed them firmly into their lifestyle must-haves. Due to this populartity, aesthetic schools are filled with students excited to join our profession, and committed aestheticians graduate with the fundamentals for practicing basic skin care. But is this basic education enough? Our services and our businesses have become more complex and many believe require higher levels of education for the safety of our clients and to just stay in business.
Higher Licensing Requirements
A new trend is emerging in states toward requiring added hours of skill and safety training before performing certain advanced services. For example, Colorado requires state approved hours for graduates prior to their performing microdermabrasion (14 hours) and acid treatments (24 hours), as does Ohio (8 hours).
Medical Aesthetics?
A trend is out there for aestheticians to add 'ME' (Medical Esthetician) and 'CME' (Certified Medical Esthetician) after their names. But what is the basis for using these letters as professional designations? For example, graduates of the Florida College of Natural Health paramedical course are not awarded an advanced license or title after graduating from this second level course. "Our graduates are still known as Registered Facial Specialists in Florida, but can be confident they have the advanced skills they need to work in these environments and can portray this capability to potential employers," says Sherry Parker, Director of Education, Steiner Education Group. Many employers in southeast Florida, when they look for an aesthetician specify that they must have their associates degree, which means they must be from this program. At the present time, the only persons authorized by states to use the initials 'M.E.' in the U.S. are the Master Estheticians who have graduated from the second level courses in Utah and Virginia. Graduates from these courses learn all the skills required of the person who wishes to be called a medical aesthetician, and much more, and have many hours of hands-on practice time. Even though no cosmetology board will label them a 'medical aesthetician,' in deference to the medical boards, these aestheticians are learning the skills and the support information needed to be working in these advanced settings, and graduate with a legitimate ME as Master Estheticians.
By Janet McCormick, M.S
For complete article go to:
http://www.dermascope.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1886&Itemid=413
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