Following the disappointment of the American Association of Dermatology meeting in San Francisco, it was very refreshing to attend IMCAS Asia in Thailand. With its wonderful, simple and efficient organization, as well as its well balanced program of education and new product demonstration, it certainly demonstrated that in this instance the French can certainly show the rest of the world how to run a conference. The lectures, which contained a perfect mixture of new innovation and evidence, lifted the gloom that I had felt after returning from San Francisco.
The new innovations include the use of Botox to rejuvenate the skin, which has proved very successful in the treatment of sun damage, lines & wrinkles, as well as with Keloid scars. This is totally different to its use at present, where we merely use it to weaken muscles, thus reducing the appearance of these lines. This newly discovered effect is thought to be due to an increased blood supply to the skin, which in turn stimulates skin regeneration.
We are also looking closely at a new machine for fat removal, which is as effective as liposuction in removing the fat, while also giving excellent skin tightening (2-4 times greater than that with laser). Another machine that caught our eye in Bangkok was a very reasonably priced laser for Tattoo removal, which would bring the cost for this hitherto expensive procedure, down to a far more affordable level.
The conference also confirmed that our present main treatments are still the gold standard in their fields. The Deka Smartxide Fractional CO2 Laser has left the competition even further behind with new ‘Stacking’ software, which allows us to perform far more effective treatments, while still maintaining the machine’s excellent safety record. Sculptra, since gaining a license for cosmetic-use only a month ago, is proceeding to take America by storm. With our greater understand the fat compartments of the face, and their effect on ageing, we have now developed new techniques using Sculptra. These are giving a significantly stronger jaw line, and even better lifting, particularly of the neck (which until now has proven very difficult).