We’re finalists in the My Face My Body Awards!

Cosmetic Courses: Banner showing that we are finalists for the My Face My Body Awards 2015

Our sister company, Aurora Clinics, won ‘Best Aesthetic Clinic’ at the 2013 My Face My Body Awards, and we made the shortlist for our training courses last year.

Now we’re delighted to say that, thanks to the hard work of our team, we’ve both made it through to the finals again.

This year, Aurora has been shortlisted in the category of ‘Best Customer Experience’, while Cosmetic Courses has once again been shortlisted for ‘Best Training Program’.

Both awards are hotly contested, and in our own category nine finalists are in the running to win – so there’s plenty of healthy competition!

Naturally, we’d love to be recognised for the quality of our training as well as our treatments. And we can only be in with a chance of winning with the support of our amazing delegates, friends and colleagues.

It only takes a few seconds to vote in the My Face My Body Awards. So if you’ve trained with us at Cosmetic Courses and would like to lend us your support, we’d really appreciate it!

How you can vote for us

You can cast your vote on the main My Face My Body Awards page. Scroll down to Best Training Program, click in the check box next to Aurora Clinics, then on the green ‘Submit Your Vote’ bar.

Alternatively, you can go to our entry page and leave your comments – this also counts as a vote for us, so either way is fine with us!

The judging team will decide the winner based on comments and votes, as well as the following criteria:

  • Demonstrating advancements in the knowledge base of aesthetic medical professionals.
  • Engaging with delegates, with training being well received.
  • Breadth of knowledge in the subject being taught.
  • Time allocated to practical hands-on assessment.
  • Level of support given after training such as e-learning, videos or mentoring.
  • Offering a full range of training workshops within aesthetics.

We’ve worked hard on our entry, so fingers crossed we’ve managed to show that we fulfil the above credentials – but we’ll have to wait and see…

About the My Face My Body Awards

Cosmetic Courses: Image showing the My Face My Body Awards Finalist LogoThe My Face My Body Awards were launched to better educate a wider audience about the aesthetic industry. They’ve quickly become one of the most high-profile awards in the industry, attended by experts and thought leaders from the fields of dentistry, cosmetic surgery, aesthetics and beauty as well as journalists and celebrities.

This year’s My Face My Body Awards ceremony takes place on Saturday 7th November at the Intercontinental Park Lane, and promises a lavish three course dinner, drinks reception and fantastic entertainment, with dancing until the small hours.

As in previous years, we’ll be well represented on the night by as many of our hardworking team as we can fit on our table. And whether we win, lose or share our award (as awards can be shared between more than one entrant), we’ll be sure to have a fantastic night.

Keep an eye on our website and Facebook page in the coming days. We’ll be putting up some badges soon that will link through to our award entry page. After the awards, we’ll put up some photos from the night too.

In the meantime thanks for your support, and if you can spare a couple of seconds to vote for us, we’d be hugely grateful!

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Visiting the CCR Expo? Come and see Mr Richards discuss the Aurora Lift

Cosmetic Courses at the CCR-EXPO

 

One of the highlights of the aesthetic industry calendar, the CCR Expo, is fast approaching. It takes place this year on 8th-9th October at London Olympia – and we’re delighted to say we’re exhibiting. 

Whatever stage you’re at in your aesthetic career, the CCR Expo (Clinical Cosmetic and Reconstructive Expo) is sure to have something of interest for you.

If you’ve been before, you’ll know it’s one of the most respected events of its kind in the industry, comprising two days of surgical and non-surgical conferences, workshops, Continuing Professional Development content and live demonstrations – with the vast majority being free to attend as well as CPD accredited.

If you’ve never been to the CCR Expo, or are new to the industry, we’d really recommend a visit. You’ll access valuable information and resources that will enhance your knowledge, sharpen your skills and help develop your career.

What can you expect at the CCR Expo?

This year, for the first time, the CCR Expo programme includes a useful new educational stream specifically for those who are planning on making the move into aesthetics.

“Getting Started in Aesthetics” runs on both the Thursday and Friday, and aims to guide you through the whole process of making the transition to facial aesthetics.

The masterclass will cover both how and why to make the move into aesthetics, as well as filling you in on the specific regulations and legal complications you need to be aware of.

But there’s plenty that will be of interest if you’re already established in the industry too.

A varied programme of free lectures, seminars, meetings and demos includes a Surgical & Non-Surgical Workshop, Non-Surgical Conference and an Allergan Injectables Masterclass.

Additional paid-for events include the BAAPS Annual Scientific Meeting and the Journal of Aesthetic Nursing Conference, as well as the application-only British Cosmetic Dermatology Group Expert Session.

Meet Cosmetic Courses at the CCR Expo

If you do decide to come along, be sure to swing by our stand and say hello. You’ll find us in the BAAPS area on Stand G50.

Cosmetic Courses: Photo showing aesthetic trainer Dr Olha Vorodukhina

Our Medical Director Mr Adrian Richards and our trainer, qualified dentist Dr Olha Vorodukhina (pictured), will both be there, and will be happy to help if you’d like any advice on training courses, treatment techniques or the practicalities of getting started in aesthetics and setting up your business.

Adrian will also be talking about his ‘Aurora Lift’ on both days. You can catch him on Thursday 8th at 12.40pm and again on Friday 9th at 2.30pm.

The Aurora Lift is the Botulinum toxin and filler technique we use in our advanced facial rejuvenation training at Cosmetic Courses, as well as with patients at our sister company Aurora Skin Clinics.

It’s based on the concept of an A-frame, and involves treating the ageing face by injecting Botox and facial fillers at strategic points on an imaginary ‘A’.

Treating several areas along this ‘A’ – the Glabella, Cheeks, Nasolabial Folds, Marionette Lines and Pre Jowl Salcus – allows us to more effectively counter the downward migration of facial volume to restore the youthful ‘inverted triangle’. (Find out more about the Aurora Lift.)

If you know the basic Botox and filler techniques but are interested in learning more advanced applications, Adrian’s talk will be well worth a visit. So we hope to see lots of you there!

If you’d like to come along to the CCR Expo, registration is still open and you can book. For more information on the Aurora Lift or Cosmetic Courses’ programme of aesthetic training courses, please feel free to contact the team on 01844 318745 or email [email protected].

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Scotland to introduce non-surgical clinic regulations

Do you currently run, or are planning to set up, a cosmetic clinic in Scotland? Then it’s important you know about the new clinic regulations coming into force next year.

Many in the industry have been crying out for a change in the law when it comes to non-surgical treatments. And now Scotland has become the first nation in the UK to take action.

The Scottish Government have announced plans to start regulating clinics offering healthcare services and non-surgical cosmetic treatments from April 2016.

The change will be managed by Healthcare Improvement Scotland, and will apply to all private clinics where services are provided by doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives.

As the law stands in the UK, there is currently no regulation for the non-surgical cosmetic industry (despite last year’s Health Education England review). So this represents a trailblazing move by Scotland’s devolved Government – and one we’d like to see rolled out nationwide.

The new clinic regulations – why now?

The clinic regulations are a response to recommendations made this month by the Scottish Cosmetic Interventions Expert Group (SCIEG).

The Group was set up in January 2014 by Scottish Government ministers who gave them a simple brief – find the best way to regulate the cosmetic industry and make non-surgical treatments safer for patients.

They commissioned research which found that less than a quarter (23%) of Scots have a fair amount of confidence in non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

With stats like that, it was clear the public were looking for reassurance.

What the Scottish clinic regulations will mean

SCIEP have proposed to roll out the clinic regulations in three phases. The first priority will be to introduce checks on independent cosmetic clinics, followed by healthcare clinics where medical professionals offer Botox and dermal fillers, and the third phase will concentrate on other aesthetic practitioners.

There are a raft of other recommendations too, including new requirements for practitioners to have adequate and up-to-date training and insurance, a transparent complaints procedure, and a duty to report breaches of advertising legislation to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

Scotland’s Minister for Public Health, Maureen Watt, had this to say about the new clinic regulations:

“Cosmetic procedures, both surgical and non-surgical, have increased massively in popularity over the last few years.”

“There are many reputable practitioners in Scotland, but unfortunately there are others who do not live up to those high standards. That can lead to complications after procedures, sometimes leaving the customer with lasting injuries. By introducing a sound system of regulation and inspection we hope to reduce those instances.”

The move has been publicly supported by the GMC, so it will be very interesting to see whether England follows suit. We’ll be sure to keep you posted with any developments.

Cosmetic Courses offer accredited aesthetic courses, including Botox training, to medical professionals looking to enter the cosmetic industry. For information on our range of courses, or to book a place, please contact the team on 01844 318317 or email [email protected].

 

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Run your own business? Here’s how the Budget will affect you

Cosmetic Courses: The Budget 2015 - How to run your business...

The Chancellor has just delivered his first Budget of this government – and as usual, some will benefit and others lose out. But if you run your own business, how will you be affected by his red box revelations?

Essentially, how the Budget is likely to affect you depends on how your business is structured, and how established you are.

By and large, this Budget focused on two kinds of business – very large companies and successful smaller businesses that are ready to grow.

Some commentators were disappointed by the lack of new incentives for entrepreneurs looking to launch solo start-up businesses. But if you already run your own business and are doing well, there are measures that may help you. 

Let’s take a look at some of the major announcements and what they could mean for you.

Tax

The Chancellor announced the rate of corporation tax would fall from its current 20% to 19% in 2017, and then further still to 18% in 2020 – giving the UK the lowest corporation tax rate in the G20.

Great news if you run your own business – but only under certain circumstances.

If you’re a limited company making significant profits, you’re likely to benefit from the drop in corporation tax. But if you’re a sole trader or partnership, a start-up or small limited company that only generates a marginal profit, the change probably won’t affect you.

Other new tax measures may make life easier, and save you time – if not money!  

The Office for Tax Simplification has been given more powers to cut red tape, and will be putting forward its recommendations for a reformed tax system as part of the 2016 Finance Bill.

And the dreaded tax return, having already been moved online, will see further digitisation over the next few years. 

Employees

If you run your own business, you may already have, or be looking to take on, members of staff.

The National Living Wage will come into effect in April 2016, requiring all employees to be paid a new minimum wage of £7.20 per hour, rising to £9 per hour by 2020. 

This will mainly impact small businesses with a significant number of employees earning the minimum wage. But if that applies to you, there’s also a measure that will help offset your increased wage bill. 

The national insurance employment allowance will be raised by 50%, from £2,000 to £3,000. Only you and your accountant will know whether this completely offsets the impact of the increased minimum wage on your business, but every little helps.

Investment

One of the most crucial allowances when you run your own business and are looking to grow is the Annual Investment Allowance – and there’s good and bad news on that front.

The allowance lets small and medium-sized firms make tax-deductible investments in equipment and machinery to help fuel their growth.

It currently stands at £500,000, but was set to be cut to just £25,000 from 1st January 2016 – though many were calling for an increase on the £500,000.

Mr Osborne has decided the new allowance will be £200,000. So, not cut as much as it was going to be, but still by a significant amount.

Finance

Another important area if you run your own business and are looking to grow is access to finance. And two new measures announced by the Chancellor will make it much easier to secure business loans.

First, the UK’s major banks will have to share credit information on small businesses with other lenders, and must share details of firms they reject for finance with online platforms that can pair them up with other finance providers.

In addition, the British Business Bank will look to increase and diversify the supply of finance available – with plans to make £10bn available by 2019.

So there you have it. Not quite as exciting for business as it could have been, but some incentives nonetheless. Perhaps the biggest incentive of all being that to benefit from many of the measures, your business needs to grow! 

Looking to run your own business?

Cosmetic Courses offer expert training for medical professionals looking to enter the aesthetics industry. Our ongoing support network provides comprehensive advice and resources to help you set up and run your own business. For information on our aesthetic training courses, please contact the team on 01844 318317 or email [email protected].

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Non-surgical cosmetic procedures growing faster than surgery

ISAPS cosmetic procedures statsGlobal plastic surgery body ISAPS (International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery) have released some interesting stats on the number of cosmetic procedures performed in 2014.

And they make compelling reading for those looking to offer non-surgical treatments.

The figures, published on ISAP’s website on Wednesday, show a drop in the total number of cosmetic procedures performed in 2014 compared to the previous year (20,236,901 vs 23,474,273).

Breaking that down by area, surgical procedures fell from 11,599,336 to 9,645,395, while non-surgical procedures dropped from 11,874,937 to 10,591,506.

But while they both saw decreases, the non-surgical side held up markedly better – and increased its percentage of the total market.

Cosmetic procedures – a shift taking place?

The figures suggest a shift is under way, with non-surgical treatments continuing to gain ground at the expense of surgery.

Though non-surgical procedures already accounted for the majority of total procedures by a slim margin, the scales have tipped even further in their favour.

Looking at the stats in percentage terms, non-surgical procedures accounted for 50.6% of the total in 2013, but an increased percentage of 52.3% in 2014.

We can speculate on the reasons why people are increasingly choosing non-surgical options. It may be that cost is a factor in a still-shaky global economy – non-surgical procedures being generally far less expensive than surgery.

Or it could be part of the shift we’re seeing towards a less-is-more approach. Subtle and natural are fast becoming watchwords in the aesthetic industry. Nobody wants to look ‘done’, and non-surgical treatments are seen by many patients as less invasive than surgery, with results that are less likely to be apparent to others.

Whatever their motivations, patients are speaking. And for aesthetic professionals, this brave new world represents a very exciting opportunity.

Non-surgical treatments – a great time to train

The table below shows the ISAPS data for non-surgical procedures:

Non-surgical cosmetic procedures

As you can see, Botulinum Toxin (including BOTOX® Dysport and Xeomin) holds on to its position at the top of the non-surgical tree. In fact, it remains the world’s most popular procedure overall – both non-surgical and surgical.

And again, though the numbers have dropped, it has actually increased its share of the total cosmetic market – from 21.9% to 23.9%.

So if you’re a medical professional thinking about a move into aesthetics, Botox training still represents the best investment you can make for your future career.

But the stats are also impressive for chemical peel and laser resurfacing. In 2013, between them – and combined with dermabrasion – there were only 773,442 procedures in total. In 2014, chemical peel and laser skin resurfacing alone racked up a combined total of 973,314 procedures.

So it may be worth your while to add chemical peel training to your repertoire too.

Though the ISAPS data is based solely on countries from which they obtained sufficient survey responses (USA, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Germany, France & Colombia), the scale of the survey lends weight to the findings.

And ISAPS themselves say they consider the data to be representative of the industry globally.

“We have improved our survey methodology to reflect a detailed profile of our field,” said Susumu Takayanagi, MD, ISAPS president. “Our society is committed to following sound analytical practices in creating this valuable report.”

Cosmetic Courses offer medical professionals expert training in a wide range of cosmetic procedures. If you would like information on our aesthetic training courses, or would like to book a place, please contact the team on 01844 318712.

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New Botox? Allergan branches out with fat-dissolving Kybella

Kybella fat dissolving injectionsThe aesthetic industry doesn’t stand still for long. With increasing regularity, new treatments come along and grab the public imagination. 

And we could be on the threshold of another.

Botox and fillers may be sharing headlines with a brand new injectable treatment soon. Aesthetic giant Allergan have just bought the company behind fat dissolving injectable Kybella.

What is Kybella?

The deoxycholic acid based drug was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in April this year.

It is designed specifically to treat submental fat – the dreaded double chin. While traditionally this area has been treated surgically, the goal is for Kybella to position itself as a viable non-surgical alternative to chin liposuction.

Though non-surgical options are available for the double chin, none are effective at reducing the submental fat. So if the treatment works well, it could be in huge demand from both practitioners and patients.

As New York dermatologist Dr Heidi Waldorf explains:

“We could lift from above with a facial filler, tighten from outside with an ultrasound laser, and smooth with a toxin — but we could not get rid of the underlying fat without something more invasive like liposuction”.

Unlike liposuction, the results won’t be instant with Kybella. Patients will need a course of the fat-dissolving injections over several months to achieve the best outcome.

But with no general anaesthetic or surgery needed, the treatment is bound to appeal to patients who are looking for improvement but nervous about the knife.

Allergan’s investment in Kybella

It’s clear Allergan has faith in the treatment’s potential, having paid a staggering $2.1bn to acquire Kythera, the biotech group behind Kybella, to stop it being snapped up by rivals.

The cosmetic treatments market is huge in the US. More than 6m treatments were performed last year, including 1.6m anti-wrinkle injections and more than 1m facial fillers.

Acquiring Kybella is Allergan’s latest move to diversify its product portfolio as it looks to capitalise on the growing demand for non-surgical treatments.

Other recent new products have included facial filler Juvéderm Voluma and Latisse, a serum for growing longer, thicker eyelashes.

Pricing for Kybella has yet to be announced, but the company are currently rolling out a training programme for the treatment.

As we know in the UK aesthetic industry, what happens ‘over there’ inevitably happens over here too. So we’ll be watching with interest to see how Kybella takes off. Who knows, perhaps we’ll see Kybella training sitting alongside our regular Botox and filler courses soon.

Cosmetic Courses offer a varied programme of aesthetic training courses for medical professionals, including Botox and filler training. For information on our courses, or to book a place, please contact the team on 01844 318317 or email [email protected].

 

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Patient consent in the aesthetics industry – are you protecting yourself?

While the UK has traditionally lagged behind the US when it comes to medical litigation, this appears to be changing. Litigation rates in the NHS and Private Practice are now reported to be rising by 20% every year.

Needless to say, this affects all of us working in the aesthetics industry. If you’ve been practising for a while, you’ve probably noticed the gradual increase in your indemnity costs year on year.

So in this climate of increasing litigation, what can you do to protect yourself?

Improving the patient consent process

A substantial proportion of medical litigation cases hinge on the issue of patient consent. So examining and, if necessary, improving the way you manage this crucial part of your practice is essential to safeguard yourself against future problems. 

Broadly speaking, in medical litigation cases the proceedings will focus on two questions:  

  • Were the risks of the procedure fully explained to, and understood by, the patient?
  • Were the risks, and the patient’s understanding of the risks, recorded accurately in the patient’s notes?

So it’s important that your approach to both these parts of the process is as efficient as possible.

Approaching patient consent for non-surgical procedures 

Taking a sufficiently thorough approach to patient consent will benefit both you and your patients.

For your patients, a better understanding of the benefits and risks of a treatment will help them to make a more informed decision. And for you, detailed, accurate and – importantly – legible consent will reduce any risk of litigation.

Here are five steps you can take to protect yourself and your business:

1. Information packs

Send out an information pack when patients enquire about a particular treatment. This should outline the treatment process, recovery period any possible complications, and include contact details they can refer back to should they have any concerns after treatment.

2. Discuss and document

During a consultation, take time to discuss all the pros, cons and potential risks of the treatment, and crucially, make sure you document this in the patient’s notes.

3. Seek specific consent for photos

Under standard medical practice guidelines, practitioners must not show before and after photographs to other patients or publish them without specific written consent from the patient. If photographs are taken, obtain specific consent from your patient to use them – ideally on a dedicated form.

4. Detailed patient consent form

Make reference to your information pack in your general patient consent form. On the form, specifically ask the patient to confirm they have read and understood the information pack. And make sure you ask patients to sign a new consent form before each and every treatment. 

5. Detailed patient notes

A patient’s notes should reflect the detailed discussion that took place before their treatment, so be as thorough as is practical. Patient notes should also be used to document the completion of each stage of the consent process.

As aesthetic professionals, we need to ensure we spend sufficient time educating patients about the risks and benefits of treatment before going ahead – and documenting everything we’ve discussed.

Rushed and incomplete consultation notes leave us vulnerable to litigation (warranted or not), so it’s impossible to be too thorough when it comes to keeping patient records. New technology (apps, tablets) has allowed many of us to streamline the process, and this may be a good investment for your practice. But whichever tools and methods you choose, diligence and detail are key.

Cosmetic Courses provides all delegates with access to downloadable consent form templates and other useful documentation. For information on training with us, give the team a call on 01844 390110 or email [email protected].

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See our latest articles in Aesthetics Journal

Our Clinical Director Adrian Richards recently joined the editorial board of Aesthetics Journal, the specialist monthly publication for medical aesthetics professionals.

As part of his work with the magazine, he’ll regularly be contributing expert articles on a variety of subjects. If you don’t subscribe to the magazine, or didn’t catch the latest couple of issues, you can read Adrian’s latest contributions here.

In this article, Adrian offers advice on the most appropriate treatments for each area of the face, based on what your patients are looking to achieve. He covers each area of the face in turn, from the forehead down to the neck, giving his thoughts on whether surgical or non-surgical treatments would produce the best aesthetic results. Click on the link above to read the full article.

Adrian wrote this article in collaboration with Cosmetic Courses trainer and Aurora Skin Clinics Clinical Lead Mel Recchia. They discuss two recent cases treated at Aurora. Both female patients had received dermal fillers to the upper face region at other clinics, and experienced significant late-onset peri-orbital swelling some time afterwards. Both were successfully treated with Hyaluronidase. The article looks at both the causes of Hyaluronic Acid dermal filler associated peri-orbital swelling, and its management. Click on the link above to read the full article.

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Are you a medical professional considering a move into the aesthetics industry? Or do you already have an aesthetic practice and would like to broaden your repertoire of treatments?

Cosmetic Courses offer a wide range of medical aesthetic training courses to help equip you with all the skills you need to build a successful aesthetic business. As the industry develops and new treatments become available, we are regularly adding new training courses to our programme.

Our newly launched Cosmetic Courses website includes plenty of support to help you carve out your new career, from podcasts and videos to downloadable materials and a jobs board.

For more information on any of our aesthetic training courses, our trainers or our training venues, please contact the team on 01844 390110 or email [email protected].

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Adrian Richards interview – a chat about his new book ‘Key Notes on Plastic Surgery’

Anyone interested in better time management would do well to have a chat with Adrian Richards. As well as being a busy surgeon, aesthetic trainer, bass player, father of four, sometime marathon runner and Clinical Director of both Aurora Clinics and Cosmetic Courses, Adrian has also found time to write a book.

He has just finished the second edition of his best-selling textbook, ‘Key Notes on Plastic Surgery’, a concise reference guide for surgeons in training, along with co-author Hywel Dafydd. We sat down with Adrian for five minutes to talk about the book.

Hi Adrian, why did you write the first edition of Key Notes?

When I was doing my final exams in Plastic Surgery, I really felt a need for this type of book. As it didn’t exist, I decided to write it myself. I’m delighted that most Plastic Surgeons doing their final exams now have a copy with them.

How would you describe the style of the book?

George Orwell felt that sparse writing was the best. While I can’t claim to write like him, I tried to live by this principle – using the shortest word that would convey meaning and keeping the text and sentences as concise as possible.

Who do you think will read the book?

Anyone who buys it I suppose! But most people who have it are either junior Plastic Surgeons preparing for their major Plastic Surgery exam or experienced surgeons who want to keep up with the latest information.

Is Key Notes in Plastic Surgery suitable for members of the general public?

The book is quite technical but it’s designed to be easily understood. We’ve broken up the information using bullet points, so anyone with an interest in Plastic Surgery will be able to dip into it.

Why might a member of the general public read the book?

Perhaps if they were researching a particular aspect of Plastic Surgery the book might be a good reference for them.

Why have you published a second edition of Key Notes in Plastic Surgery?

The first edition was really popular but times and techniques change. Plastic Surgery is a rapidly evolving speciality and the book has been updated to reflect this.

What are the differences between the 1st and 2nd Editions?

The second edition is slightly longer and has many more diagrams to bring it to life and help the reader understand what is a very visual speciality.

Why have you recruited a co-author?

When I wrote the first edition back in 1999 I was a young Plastic Surgeon with an up-to-date knowledge of the breadth of Plastic Surgery. Like all Plastic Surgeons, I now focus on specific types of surgery. For this reason, Hywel Dafydd has been responsible for the majority of the updated content in the 2nd edition.

What is Mr Dafydd’s background?

Hywel reminds me of a younger version of myself. He has just passed his final Plastic Surgical exams and is travelling the world learning the latest Plastic Surgical techniques before starting his Consultant post in Swansea. Having studied for the exams for the last 3 years Hywel has an excellent and broad understanding of the current state of Plastic Surgery.

Will there be a 3rd edition of Key Notes?

I would like to see a new edition of Key Notes published every 10 years – ideally updated and improved by a new generation of Plastic Surgeons finishing their training and at their peak of understanding the wide scope of Plastic Surgery.

‘Key Notes on Plastic Surgery (Second Edition)’ is published on 21 November 2014 and available to pre-order now from all good book shops, including Amazon.

 

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More training needed before entering cosmetic industry, doctors and patients say

As the law stands, newly qualified consultants can walk straight into the operating theatre and perform the full repertoire of cosmetic surgery procedures for anyone who asks.  But in a recent survey, both doctors and patients have expressed their dissatisfaction with the status quo – and called for more specialist training for cosmetic surgeons to be made a legal requirement. The poll was conducted on 2,000 women and 500 doctors to coincide with the Clinical Cosmetic and Reconstructive Expo (the UK’s biggest plastic surgery conference), which takes place next month. 93% of the doctors surveyed said that they didn’t feel newly qualified surgeons were of the required standard to provide complex specialist surgeries like facelift and breast enlargement. Even though the law says otherwise, and NHS training is deemed to be sufficient.

Which leaves a vanishingly small one in 14 clinicians who felt things were fine the way they are, and no accredited training was necessary. Three-quarters of the patients surveyed also said they would feel more confident having cosmetic surgery if they knew their surgeon had undertaken further specialist training.

When asked about non-surgical cosmetic treatments, including injectables and laser treatment, both doctors and patients agreed that comprehensive specialist training was necessary. A minority of the doctors surveyed (around a third) thought medical professionals should have a minimum of three months’ training before being allowed to perform laser treatment.

Calls and campaigns to improve standards in the industry seem to be gathering momentum. This poll comes only days after Health Education England (HEE) released the first part of their review into training for non-surgical procedures.

And the organisation Save Face is currently creating a voluntary register of non-surgical cosmetic practitioners who have been thoroughly vetted by doctors before accreditation.

We will keep a close eye on any outcomes arising from this new scrutiny on what has hitherto been a largely unregulated industry. From our point of view as medical professionals, anything that improves patient safety and raises the standard for those entering the cosmetic arena can only be healthy for the industry – and improve its reputation beyond measure.

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