PracticalDermatology

Prospective Cosmetic Surgery Patients Often Unaware of Financing Options

Seventy-six percent of prospective patients are unaware of financing options for cosmetic procedures, yet almost two-thirds of them would be more likely to book if they were aware that financing was a viable option, according to a survey by Zalea, LLC.

The top five treatment categories for which consumers are seeking financing are: Skin Rejuvenation (lasers, peels); Body Surgery (breast augmentation, liposuction); Non-surgical Body Contouring Treatments; Injectables (Botox, dermal fillers); and Facial Surgery (Facelift, Eyelids).

Rapid approval, along with credit card incentives, were shown to be a central component in the decision process to seek financing.

While all aspects of financing were of relative importance, survey respondents said that the length of the loan and total interest and annual percentage rate (APR) were most important when looking for credit options to finance a cosmetic procedure. However, millennials age 21-29, ranked monthly payment amount as most important when looking for credit options. This group also highly values time-saving perks, including online applications and quick approvals—with 64 percent of them more likely to apply online.

“This study confirms that consumers today are doing their research online to identify the best dermatologists and aesthetic surgeons, and are seeking options to make cosmetic procedures more accessible and affordable,” says Mathew M. Avram, MD, JD, Director of the Mass General Dermatology Laser & Cosmetic Center and Director of Dermatologic Surgery at Massachusets General Hospital in Boston, and a member of the Zalea Advisory Board.

Finally, consumers surveyed also reported the desire to finance lower than expected loan amounts—with nearly half (47 percent) interested in financing procedures totaling between $1,000 and $4,000. Moreover, 62 percent of millennials age 21-39 stated a willingness to finance these amounts. For those respondents considering financing cosmetic procedures with credit cards, 46 percent stated that incentives are important in the decision-making process.

Use of a New Holographic Hand Piece May Improve Picosecond Laser Treatment of Acne Scars

Incorporating a new holographic beam splitter in a picosecond laser may help improve the appearance of acne scars, according to a study published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine (LSM).

“This is the first publication demonstrating the effectiveness of a new picosecond-domain (super short pulse-duration), dual wavelength, 1,064 and 532 nm, laser for improving the appearance of acne scarring. This laser uses a novel holographic hand piece to deliver precise beams of very focused laser energy,” says study author Eric F. Bernstein, MD, MSE, the director of Main Line Center for Laser Surgery in Ardmore, PA and clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

The lens array fractionates the laser beam into many focused areas of higher-intensity laser energy, with lower energy zones in between. One theorized benefit of the fractioned beam is to decrease the risk of post-procedure post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Long-Term Fat Reduction Seen Following BTL Vanquish, Vanquish ME

Abdominal fat reduction achieved via BTL Vanquish and Vanquish ME lasts for at least four years, according to new long-term data released by the company. Both devices use radiofrequency (RF) energy to reduce fat.

A study evaluated 13 individuals who received the BTL Vanquish treatment four years (+60 days) prior, utilizing the same measurement markers as those at the one-month follow-up visit in the original Journal of Drugs and Dermatology study. Patients preserved an average 75.2 percent of the original body contouring effect four years post treatment series as demonstrated by abdominal circumferential reduction.

While the treatments cannot prevent any future weight gains, the data showed sustained treatment results and no long-term side effects.

FDA Approves Injection of Restylane Silk via Cannula for Lip Augmentation

The FDA has approved the use of a small blunt tip cannula with Galderma’s Restylane Silk for lip augmentation. Restylane Silk was the first FDA-approved hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal filler specifically designed for lip augmentation and the smoothing of wrinkles around the mouth in patients 21 years of age and older and is now the first HA dermal filler to be approved for lip injection via cannula. This approval for Restylane Silk expands the array of approved lip injection techniques for medical professionals.

A multicenter, open-label, prospective study was conducted to assess the safety and efficacy of Restylane Silk in conjunction with the use of a small blunt tip cannula for lip augmentation. The 12-week study took place in four centers across the US, with 60 male and female subjects 23 years of age or older. At 12 weeks, 98 percent of subjects were observed to have improvement in both the upper and lower lip by the treating investigator, as assessed by the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS), a global seven-point scale for aesthetic improvement in appearance.

Following treatment, no severe related adverse events were observed. Furthermore, a majority of subjects (81.7 percent) did not experience a treatment emergent adverse event (TEAE). The majority of reported subject diary symptoms were assessed as mild, with the exception of swelling, and the vast majority of all subject diary symptoms were resolved within seven days.

ASDS Elects New Officers,
Board Members

The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) introduced their new officers and board members at the 2017 ASDS Annual Meeting in Chicago.

Lisa M. Donofrio, MD, succeeds ASDS President Thomas E. Rohrer, MD, who becomes the Society’s Immediate Past President. Dr. Donofrio has been in private practice for 23 years. She owns Aria Dermatology in Madison, CT and co-owns the Etre Cosmetic Dermatology and Laser Center in New Orleans, LA with Kyle Coleman, MD. She is also Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Dermatology at both Yale University School of Medicine and Tulane University School of Medicine.

Murad Alam, MD, MBA, ascended to President-Elect. Dr. Alam is the Vice Chair of the Department of Dermatology at Northwestern University, where he also serves as a Professor of Dermatology, Otolaryngology and Surgery and Section Chief of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery.

Elected as the new Vice President is Adam M. Rotunda, MD, of Newport Beach, CA. He serves as Assistant Clinical Professor in the Division of Dermatology at the University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine and is an Assistant Volunteer Clinical Professor at the University of California Irvine School of Medicine Department of Dermatology.

Elected to three-year terms on the ASDS/ASDSA Boards of Directors are: Vince Bertucci, MD, FRCPC, of Woodbridge, ON, Canada; Sabrina Guillen Fabi, MD, of San Diego, CA; and Glenn D. Goldman, MD, of Burlington, VT.

Thermage’s New FLX System FDA Cleared

The FDA granted 510(K) clearance to Solta Medical’s new Thermage FLX System for smoothing skin on the face, eyes, and body. The Thermage FLX features an optimized energy delivery algorithm—AccuREP technology—which automatically measures and tunes the amount of energy delivered to the patient and treatment area. The system features a new vibrating hand-piece to help enhance patient comfort, and a new, larger treatment tip that reduces treatment time by 25 percent.

The new Thermage FLX system is expected to be commercially available during by the end of this year.