According to a Dove survey of 8,000 men between the ages of 30 and 55 in seven countries, it appears that men are bothered by how they're portrayed in advertising. According to Michael Kaufman, Dove gender expert consultant, "These are bad news about what our standards of men's bodies should look like, they're impossible images. Men can't live up to that."
Dove launched an ad campaign during the NFL's Super Bowl for its new line of men's skin care products. What Dove's new ads convey and what their survey reveals is that reak men are not the fit, toned and buffed male models we see in ads. Men are just as frustrated by those portrayals as women are annoyed by fashion images suggesting all women should looked like photoshopped-to-perfection super models.
Sharon MacLeod, a director at Unilever which owns the Dove brand reports "What our campaign does is look to celebrate men who have different responsibilities in life and are comfortable in their own skin," Ms. MacLeod says. "These are not guys who are ladies men or heroes or power-hungry. These are real men with real lives" -- film directors, business people -- and the campaign is "about their definition of success."
Of note: Dove's survey found 65% of Canadian men are comfortable using women's skincare products but only 24% are prepared to admit to using women's products to their friends.
Outside of toiletries; other articles indicate that male demand for fillers, injectibles, liposection, laser hair removal and other cosmetic procedures are on the rise. Does this indicate that it is time of use promotional marketing materials (brochures, posters, countertop displays, DVDs) which show men - in and around your practice? Should your web site and advertisments appeal to your male patients? Should your practice offer product lines for retail with a focus on male concerns? Are male patients the new demographic? It's an equal opportunity world of aesthetics!
Wendy Lewis, acclaimed author and expert in aesthetic consultancy, has a helpful article on "Instilling Loyalty in Cosmetic Patients" in the October 2009 issue of Plastic Surgery Products.
Wendy recommends offering your loyal clients a reward program to encourage repeat business and referrals.
Customer Loyalty Programs may include:
courtesy vouchers
offer of extra service
complementary product
volume discount
refer-a-friend bonus
discount on particular treatment
trial of a new product or technology
Even offering a "thank you - using personal notes, calls or emails can be enough to make them feel special. I highly recommend saying thank you after any aesthetic laser treatment such as laser hair removal or skin rejuvenation or injectible; and keep them coming back for more.
Skin Disease Education Foundation sent a very interesting newsletter by email. They co-hosted the Cosmetic Dermatology Seminar 2009 this past weekend in Santa Monica, CA. Skin and Allergy News provided real-time coverage on Twitter. Reading the Tweets was fascinating - what a great idea!
Joel Schlessinger, MD had an interesting article in Practical Dermatology on the benefits to dermatologists in providing both clinical dermatology services with aesthetic. Offering a balance of both medical and cosmetic is good advice for any practice; i.e. diversification will help you ensure that revenues come from many sources.
This kind of aesthetic laser system purchase involves asking thorough questions to ensure the decision is good for your practice.
Questions to Ask Before Buying an Aesthetic System from a Third Party
Does the seller have a clean title on the system? Most aesthetic systems are leased. For any system that is less than 3 years old, there may be a sizable payment remaining on the lease. Until the lease is paid in full, the lien holder (usually the lease company) has rights to the system. At a minimum, you should call the manufacturer to check the serial number on the system to verify the title is clear.
How old is the system? What is the pulse count on the handpieces? Are you buying the system sight-unseen? Is the system in good condition?Are the handpieces at the end of their life-cycle for pulse count?
How long will it take to service your system? Each day your system is not operating can cost you thousands of dollars. Without access to parts and with a limited staff, how long will it take for your system to be repaired?
How will the system be calibrated after repair? Many companies use proprietary tools and software for system repairs. Do your patients want to be treated with a system that may not be calibrated properly after repair?
How will you receive certified clinical training on the system? Many insurance companies require training on the device for a malpractice insurance policy to be activated. Will your insurance company honor training not performed by a manufacturer’s representative?
Do you have access to the latest technology? Technology evolves faster today than ever before, and patients have access to the latest information through the internet. Will you have access to the most recent innovations to offer your patients the procedures they are demanding?
The American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS) released statistics today, indicating "ethnic cosmetic procedures increased 11 percent in 2008, with more than 3 million performed, while procedures among Caucasians dropped 2 percent. Cosmetic procedures among Hispanics, the largest and fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S., experienced the greatest growth; up 18 percent."
That is great news for any practice offering aesthetic procedures with a diverse patient population.
"We're seeing a rise in Hispanics opting for cosmetic procedures that coincides with the growth we're seeing in the nation's population," said ASPS President John Canady, MD. "Less social stigma, as well as, advances in procedures allow patients to maintain their ethnic look. While the majority of patients continue to be Caucasian, the profile of the typical patient is changing."
Tripti Burt, MD, is shown here treating her hispanic patient with fillers and Cutera's Laser Genesis to improve her skin's tone and texture.
Things to ponder: What are you doing to reach out to your diverse patient base? What aesthetic laser (and other) procedures can you perform safely on these patients? Do they know these options are available to them?
A very important element of the patient consultation and skin care treatment plan are uniform photos of the treatment area. Patients often forget how much hair they had before starting Laser Hair removal. Pictures help to identify changes in pigment. This is important when performing a Limelight facial for pigmented lesions or Laser Hair removal. Pictures really are worth a thousand words.
Having a simple protocol for patient photography is essential. This means taking steps to standardize not only the method of taking representative photographs, but also of storing/cataloging them for efficient retrieval for presentations and patient use.
The key to this is to simplify the process and make the number of photos required for each patient uniform.
Finally some really good news: The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery conducted and published results from its annual Procedural Survey.
The most remarkable finding is the move toward non-invasive laser treatments. "During the past three years, cosmetic surgeons have seen a significant increase in both males and females electing to have laser resurfacing."
"Demand for cosmetic laser technology procedures seems to be thriving despite the U.S. economic downturn."
Minimally-invasive anti-aging procedures will continue to secure the majority of the aesthetic medical procedures’ market over more invasive, expensive surgical offerings.
The public will choose these less expensive and less risky procedures over surgeries. People generally desire to look 10 years younger, and minimally-invasive procedures can achieve this desired outcome. “During hard economic times, men and women look to non-invasive cosmetic treatments such as Botox Cosmetic, Dermal Fillers and Skin Rejuvenation as a means to feel and look better about themselves physically and emotionally,” says Dr. Alexander Ataii of Laser Clinque in San Diego.
Source: International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine
Women appear to believe cosmetic procedures can give them the edge in an increasingly competitive workplace.
Source: February 11, 2009 Healthy Aging.
Women consider laser based technology, chemical peels and advanced skin care very important part of the "dress of success". Laser Genesis can be used on all ages and skin types to improve tone, texture and poor size. Limelight can treat pigmented lesions anywhere on the body and provide a vascular treatment to the face, neck and chest.
Author: Andrew D Montemarano, DO, Consulting Staff, The Skin Cancer Surgery Center
Pathophysiology
The pathophysiology of melasma is uncertain. In many cases, a direct relationship with female hormonal activity appears to be present because it occurs with pregnancy and with the use of oral contraceptive pills. Other factors implicated in the etiopathogenesis of melasma are photosensitizing medications, mild ovarian or thyroid dysfunction, and certain cosmetics.
The most important factor in the development of melasma is exposure to sunlight. Without the strict avoidance of sunlight, potentially successful treatments for melasma are doomed to fail.
Race
Persons of any race can be affected. However, it is much more common in constitutionally darker skin types than in lighter skin types, and it may be more common in light brown skin types, especially Hispanics and Asians, from areas of the world with intense sun exposure.
Treatment with Cutera Laser Based technology may include the use of a Limelight facial in the "C" mode and Laser Genesis to treat the pigmented lesions. The use of Laser Genesis also provides improvement in texture of skin rejuvenation.
Advanced skin care of Skin types III-VI may require the use of skin lightening and depigmenting agents. The limelight facial may be used to treat pigmented lesions, to remove the melanin from the epidermis. This may be more easily accomplished with the use of depigmenting agents such as tyrosinase inhibitors.
Depigmenting agents are commonly prescribed to treat disorders of hyperpigmentation. A basic understanding of the pigmentation pathway is helpful prior to a discussion of various skin-lightening agents and their known mechanisms of action. The type and amount of melanin synthesized by the melanocyte and its distribution pattern in the epidermis determines the actual color of the skin. Melanin forms through a series of oxidative reactions involving the amino acid tyrosine and the enzyme tyrosinase.
"Skin Lightening and Depigmenting Agents"
Author: Alaina J James, MD, PhD, Staff Physician, Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center Coauthor(s): Cherie M Ditre, MD, Assistant Professor, Director, Cosmetic Dermatology and The Skin Enhancement Center, Department of Dermatology, Penn Medicine at Radnor, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; P Michael Tabibian, MD, Consulting Staff, Department of Dermatology, Daniel Freedman Hospital, Marina Hospital
Contact dermatitis may occur with any aesthetic laser system or laser based technology that has the capacity to ablate the epidermis. Contact dermatitis is usually irritant in nature. Because of the loss of the epidermal barrier and protection, the skin is more susceptible to irritation. An allergic or irritant raction to fragrances or allergens contained within a wide variety of topical ointments, soaps, moisturizers, or cosmetics may develop. It is important that clients refrain from the application of self prescribed remedies during the healing phase since these applications may exacerbate the irritation and contribute to post treatment complications. Signs and symptoms of irritant or allergic contact dermatitis include diffuse and intense facial redness (erythema) and itching. Frequent applications of cool compresses such as with vinegar soaks (acetic acid) may help decrease the intense itching and discomfort.
Lasers and Lights Volume 2 "Complications in Laser and Light Surgery" Tina S. Alster, Elizabeth L. Tanzi
"The obsession of Americans to look young drives demand for cosmetic surgery products. US cosmetic surgery products market is projected to reach $3.07 billion by 2012, while the cosmetic surgery procedures market is projected to reach $15.13 billion by 2012"
This press release has great information for our industry's growth over the next few years. I was very pleased to read it.
I know that the media is full of doom and gloom; creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of dismal events however, a few nuggets of positive news are surfacing that show that in order to stay competitive in the job-market today, consumers are still embracing fillers, injectibles, skin resurfacing and cosmetic surgery procedures. Advance for Healthy Aging has a good article on this entitled "Tall in Tough Times".
Chronological aging and changes in the skin are part of the natural aging process. Genetic factors and hormones influence the skin quality and durability over time. Thicker, darker skin tends to wrinkle less.
Environmental factors such as sun exposure, prolonged exposure to wind, cold and pollution cause cumulative damage to the skin over time.
Smoking also causes skin damage over time. Nicotine causes constriction of the blood vessels that decreases the blood flow to the skin. Toxic substances from smoking affect the skin through the circulatory system and may damage collagen and elastin fibres.
Degeneration of elastin fibres and collagen fibres causes the skin to lose it's strength with subsequent loosening of the skin. These changes in the skin lead to the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, deep facial expression lines and skin laxity. Fine lines and wrinkle are caused by the decline in the quantity and quality of the elastin fibres.
Additional changes in the skin is the gradual thinning of all layers of the skin (epidermis, dermis & subcutaneous layers). Loss of subcutaneous fat is seen in areas of the face and hands. The skin becomes drier due to the gradual decline in the activity of the sebacious glands. There are changes in hair growth with thinning of the hair on the body.
Sun exposure is the primary environmental cause of skin damage along with prolonged exposure to cold and wind. Sun exposure degenerates the elastin in the skin leading to the formation of wrinkles and loss of elasticity. Sun exposure also creates uneven pigment, formation of solar lentigines, dilated blood vessels (telangiectases), wrinkles and skin laxity.
Advanced Skin care and skin rejuvention may include skin tightening with Titan to address laxity. Laser Genesis to address texture and diffuse redness. Laser vein treatment for dilated blood vessels. LimeLight facial to address pigmented lesions but may also treat vascular issues. These treatment modalities may be combined with both Pearl and Pearl Fractional Laser treatments to address both epidermal & dermal changes. Cutera Laser based technology has been optimized to address the many issues of aging skin.
TRUTH: Actually, winter is one of the best times to start in-office laser treatments like laser hair removal, as pre-laser skin shouldn't be at all tanned, and post-laser skin won't tolerate sun exposure."
To expand on this particular myth, many of Cutera's aesthetic laser and light treatments such as Titan, Laser Genesis, CoolGlide Laser Hair Removal and CoolGlide Excel Laser Vein Therapy are color-blind; they can be performed on all six skin types and can be performed year-round, irregardless of tanned or tanning skin.
Let your patients know they don't have to wait for Spring or Summer to start laser or light-based cosmetic treatments. In fact, they will appreciate that they can get a head-start now!
Fox News reports that an enterprising Arizona cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Semone Rochlin is offering layaway payment plans to patients to enable them to afford the aesthetic treatments they desire.
"I call it a savings account for my patients," said Rochlin, 42. "Offering a payment solution where no credit is needed is a financially sensible alternative in today's market. It's my answer to the economic recession."
In the article, the president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), Richard D'Amico is quoted saying "It appears more consumers are choosing the less invasive cosmetic procedures because of the economic downturn".
While the article reports using layaway plans for cosmetic surgery, it could be expanded for package treatments such as laser hair removal or combination skin rejuvenation packages (chemical peels, Pearl Fractional, IPL such as LimeLight and/or Laser Genesis).
It's time to get really creative! Your patients will appreciate it.
Choosing the best cosmetic dermatology candidates and appropriate interventions for each appears deceptively simple at first glance. Ideally, objective assessment of the individuals’ skin and relevant cosmetic units is performed. This objective data are compared to the culturally determined “norms for beauty” and areas of discrepancy are targeted for correction. Once adequate correction is achieved, patient satisfaction and “happiness” should be a certainty
Myth #10: After taking my “after pictures” for a before-and-after series, I can forget about them.
Truth #10: I need to save pictures for 7 years.
Medical images that are part of the medical record need to be saved just as long as the medical record, which in most states is 7 years. Pictures are an essential part in the billing for MOHS, as images showing the defect are needed for the medical record.
Exceptions. Images taken for educational purposes or at medical conferences that are not parts of the medical record do not fall under the ambit for the strictures involved in retaining the integrity of the medical record. (Note that this issue has not been tested in court.) The taking of pictures for educational as opposed to clinical purposes must be made clear to the patient.
Varicose leg veins and telangiectasia (spider veins) are the visible surface manifestations of an underlying venous insufficiency syndrome. Venous insufficiency syndromes allow venous blood to escape from a normal flow path and flow in a retrograde direction into an already congested leg.
Mild forms of venous insufficiency are merely uncomfortable, annoying, or cosmetically disfiguring, but severe venous disease can produce serious systemic consequences and can lead to loss of life or limb.
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