Aesthetic medicine

Aesthetic medicine is an inclusive term for specialties that focus on improving cosmetic appearance through the treatment of conditions including (but not limited to) scars, skin laxity, wrinkles, moles, liver spots, excess fat, cellulite, unwanted hair, skin discoloration, and spider veins. Traditionally, aesthetic medicine includes dermatology, reconstructive surgery and plastic surgery, however it is not strictly limited to these fields.^[1] Aesthetic medicine includes both surgical procedures (liposuction, facelifts, breast implants, Radio frequency ablation) and non-surgical procedures (radio frequency skin tightening, non surgical liposuction, chemical peel), and practitioners may utilize a combination of both.^[2] Although aesthetic medicine procedures are typically elective, they can significantly improve quality of life, psychological wellbeing and social function.^[3]

Statistics

• Worldwide, there were 23 million aesthetic procedures performed from 2013-2014.^[4]
• Countries that performed the most aesthetic procedures in 2013 were^[5]
  1. United States
  2. Brazil
  3. Mexico
  4. Germany
  5. Spain
• In the US, there were more than 11 million aesthetic procedures performed from 2012-2013, and 83.5% of the procedures were nonsurgical.^[6]
• In the UK, there were 50,000 cosmetic surgery procedures performed in 2013-2014.^[7]
• Surgical aesthetic procedures account for 10% of the cosmetic procedures in the UK, and non surgical techniques constitute the remaining 90%.^[8]
• In the US, the top 5 surgical aesthetic procedures were 1) Liposuction 2) Breast augmentation 3) Blepharoplasty 4) Abdominoplasty 5) Rhinoplasty^[9]
• In the US, the top 5 nonsurgical aesthetic procedures were 1) Botulinum Toxin 2) Hyaluronic acid 3) Laser hair removal 4) Microdermabrasion 5) Photorejuvenation^[10]

In the United States, medical aesthetics procedures include non-laser tattoo reversal, scar reduction and clinical skin care protocols that achieve competitive results without the risks incurred with lasers. aestheticians international association, medical aesthetics, first authored books for leading medical aesthetics as a speciality within dermatology and plastic surgery, Source; Medical Aesthetics Protocols, 2014.

Indications

Aesthetic medicine specializes in improving cosmetic appearance. It has diverse applications for dermatological and surgical conditions. It includes indications related to minimizing signs of aging such as skin laxity, wrinkles, and liver spots. Aesthetic medicine also plays a role in the treatment of excess fat, cellulite and obesity. Laser based therapies can be indicated for the treatment of scars, unwanted hair, skin discoloration, and spider veins.^[11]

It is important that overall health is assessed by a physician to ensure that the symptom being treated (for example, weight gain and excessive hair) is not a sign of an underlying medical condition (like hypothyroidism) that should be stabilized with medical therapies. It is also very important for the medical aesthetician to be inclusive in providing a team approach for minimally invasive facial aesthetic procedures.

Techniques and procedures

Careers in aesthetic medicine

A career in aesthetic medicine can be approached from a number of professions. A multidisciplinary or team based approach is often necessary to adequately address an aesthetic need. To perform certain procedures, one must be a surgeon or medical doctor for surgery. However, many of the procedures are routinely performed by trained Medical Aestheticians or facial aesthetic nurse-aestheticians. nurses. For example, Cosmetology#Medical Aesthetician can perform progressive chemical peels. Fitness and nutrition also frequently play a part in helping people achieve and maintain their aesthetic goals, so fitness coaches and nutritionists may become aesthetic medicine practitioners. Medical Aesthetics requires specialized training and certification beyond a nurse license / aesthetic license. Counselors, psychologists or psychiatrists can help people determine if their reasons for pursuing aesthetic procedures are healthy and help to identify body image disorders such as compulsive eating, anorexia, and body dysmorphic disorder. Reconstructive surgeons can help correct appearance after accidents, burns, surgery for cancer (such as breast reconstruction after mastectomy for cancer), or for congenital deformities like correction of cleft lip. Orthodontists work to improve alignment of teeth, often partially for aesthetic reasons, and oral and maxillofacial surgeons can correct deformities of the mouth and jaw. Both orthodontists and maxillofacial surgeons can be assisted by dental technicians.

References

Medical Aesthetics Protocols 2014. Anna D. Rinehart, CIDESCO Diplomat.

External links

• http://www.iapam.com/
• http://www.a4m.com/
• http://www.aestheticmedicine.com/
• http://www.aestheticmedicine.org/
• http://www.theaaams.com/
• http://www.aaamed.org
• https://www.drkoneru.com/