Greetings, I had this discussion with People Magazine earlier this year – have you benefited from any of the treatments mentioned below?

Lets start off by making dividing my trends thinking into two distinct categories. The first category will be treatment trends i.e. the treatments that will dominate within the aesthetic industry through 2014. The second category is patient request trends – the treatment I’m expecting to be more regularly requested at my MediSculpt rooms.

Why the difference?

Treatments and techniques are developing at an exceptionally fast pace in the world of aesthetic medicine, and although some of the products remain the same the way, where and how we use them changes.
This often leads to a delay between what is achievable and what the patient knows we can achieve.
This delay makes for a safer industry with doctors becoming proficient in different techniques before they become globally popular.

What will the 2014 patient requests be?

Facial augmentation

The trend over the last two years has been to request surgery mimicking non-invasive procedures. Facial volumising with dermal fillers, combined with Botulinum toxin and skin rejuvenation techniques has opened a world augmentation normally reserved for the plastic surgery practice. This is commonly called a liquid facelift, but advancements in technique mean trained doctors can perform:

• Nose corrections
• Chin corrections
• Cheek volumising
• Jawline definition procedures

All of which are designed to temporarily eliminate facial age and provide the face with symmetry and contours of youth. In effect aesthetic medicine can offer, although temporary, similar results to plastic surgery.

Skin rejuvenation and prevention

Skin rejuvenation techniques have been available for some time but I believe as more patients educate themselves on the benefits of skin rejuvenation or preventative aesthetic medicine, more and more request will be made.

The skin is the medium for visible ageing, so it makes sense that healthy skin and skin cells will make for a younger, fresher and more natural aging face. Treatment options include:

• Dermal filler micro droplets
• Chemical peels
• Laser resurfacing
• Microneedling
• Mesotherapy

Product advancements mean that patients no longer have to deal with extensive social downtime to undergo these treatments. Treatment cycles will work to reverse visible ageing by correcting the skin on a cellular level but it can also prevent visible ageing should patients want to begin treatment in their 20’s.

Further to this I predict that 2014 trends will see patients paying more attention to the quality of their homecare range. Patients will begin to understand the value in paying for cosmeceuticals to enhance the aesthetic result.

The traditional top of the class

Of course dermal fillers and Botulinum toxin will still head the pile on patient requests. This is simply because they are globally popular and there is not much that a trained doctor cannot achieve with these two products, and where necessary those same trained doctors will refer you to a plastic surgeon should your desired result not be achievable.

What treatments will dominate the Industry?

Two immediate treatment trends come to mind. Acne scars and pigmentation. Acne scarring is very common request at my MediSculpt rooms and very specific treatment protocols need to be followed to achieve results.

Subcision

Subcision is a new treatment protocol that is delivering superb results for certain kinds of acne scaring.  Similar techniques are being studied for hair loss treatments and I expect in 2015 for these treatments to be on my requested by patients list.

The technique involves using a needle to break the fibrous bands beneath the skin causing the scar. In doing so, the skin will be released and the skin’s surface will appear smooth.
Often I combine subcision with dermal fillers to plump the area beneath the scar, to improve hydration and to kick-start the collagen induction.

Crystal Tomato
Crystal Tomato is a pigmentation treatment option in a tablet a day. Using colorlesscarotenoids studies suggest that patients can lighten their skin and treatpigmentation simply by ingesting these pills on a daily basis.

Pigmentation is notoriously difficult to treat and there are multiple causes for developing pigmentation issues, further complicating treatment options. This type of tablet treatment will see a rise in the coming years. The availably of such options do need to be strictly controlled within the doctor environment for safety reasons, but they could change the way we approach aesthetic medicine in the future.

Conclusion

I am not a plastic surgeon and have not discussed any surgical trends or interventions, that said both the aesthetic and surgical industries will continue to grow year on year. They are pushed and driven on by public demand to stay and appear young, so if you dream it chances are it will become a reality within a few years.

Bio of Dr Reddy

Dr Anushka Reddy is the owner of Medi-Sculpt and the President of the South African Association of Cosmetic Doctors (SAACD). She regularly contributes to various publications such as Woman and Home, Longevity, ELLE, The Star and has have appeared on TV programs like Carte Blanche Medical, Top Billing Eastern Mosaic, Maatband, CNBC Africa and Hello Doctor.

Dr Reddy travels both locally and internationally to discover new techniques and products to fulfill her patients’ aesthetic wishes.