A round-up of news stories in the aesthetic and anti-ageing medicine industry GEN Z ARE SEEKING OUT MINIMALLY INVASIVE ‘TWEAKMENTS’ ACCORDING TO AAFPRS

REPORT FINDS A SPIKE DRIVEN BY THE USE OF FILTERS AND SOCIAL MEDIA APPS

What started with a virtual obsession with filters has evolved into a real-life fixation with minimally invasive ‘tweakments’—and the zoomers (those succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha) are all over it. According to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) 75% of facial plastic surgeons reported a spike in demand from clients under 30, and 79% agree that looking better in selfies continues to trend upward. Botox, fillers, microneedling, and chemical peels top the list of requested in-office procedures. As for low-downtime surgeries, lip lips and blepharoplasties reign supreme.

To that end, lip lifts, a new category for the 2021 survey, were up three percent in 2022; at least 73% of AAFPRS members performed lip lifts in 2022 versus 70% in 2021. As facemasks continue to become less and less prevalent, this intel doesn’t really come as a surprise. The trendy procedure aims to remove some skin under the nose in order to shorten the skin of the upper lip, overall increasing the amount of visible pink lip. By removing this excess upper lip skin, it shortens the upper lip skin and everts the upper lip which results in a more youthful appearance. ‘We have seen more and more patients requesting lip lifts, to be performed as an isolated procedure, or in conjunction with other cosmetic surgery,’ says Theda C. Kontis, MD, facial plastic surgeon and President of the AAFPRS.

Another selfie-boosting procedure, the blepharoplasty, a.k.a. eye lid surgery has seen an upward climb in popularity. ‘Upper blepharoplasty removes the excess skin above the eyelid, reducing that hooded appearance that can occur naturally with age, while lower blepharoplasty targets the fat pads below the eye, restoring a smoother, more youthful look,’ says Dr. Kontis. ‘Both are relatively minor procedures that lend themselves to tremendous patient satisfaction.’ Men and women often request this procedure to look less tired. Recovery is about one week, but it can be as little as 1–2 days for those working from home.

And while pre-juvenation and low-to-no downtime reign supreme for Gen Z-ers, 78% of AAFPRS members believe there will be a greater emphasis on earlier maintenance and age prevention starting in the 20s–30s to forestall bigger procedures and surgeries for later down the road. In fact, this year’s survey indicates that surgical procedure activity sees significant increase.

With any ‘tweakments’, Dr. Kontis reminds all patients to select a physician based on their qualifications. Credentials, knowledge and experience have always been important when it comes to choosing a board-certified facial plastic surgeon. Board-certified facial plastic surgeons specialize in surgery of the face, head and neck.

PICOWAY® LASER GAINS ADDITIONAL USES IN USA AND CANADA

Candela Corporation announced that the PicoWay® laser system has received FDA clearance and Health Canada licensing for expanded indications, including the challenging condition of melasma. In addition to its earlier indications for wrinkles, benign pigmented lesions, tattoo removal, and acne scars, the new clearance and license expand the platform’s capabilities to treat melasma, lentigines, café au lait macules, and Nevus of Ota.

The award-winning PicoWay laser has four true picosecond wavelengths and offers treatment versatility with multiple available applicators and beam delivery technologies.

Melasma is a skin condition that causes patches of spots, usually on the face, which are darker than one’s natural skin tone. The condition is common in darker skin types and especially prevalent in pregnant women due to hormonal changes - between 15% to 50% of pregnant women (The PicoWay laser is contraindicated for use during pregnancy) will get melasma, leading the condition often to be referred to as the ‘mask of pregnancy’. A complicated skin disorder, often attempted to be managed with topicals and frequently relapsing and remitting for long periods, melasma can be notoriously challenging to treat.

‘Addressing melasma with the

PicoWay laser gives patients an important treatment modality to manage this difficult and often psychologically upsetting condition. Patients now have a treatment that specifically targets their pigmentary changes and can be used alongside other treatments like topicals to better manage this complex skin disorder,’ states double boardcertified Dermatologist Douglas Wu, MD, PhD of Cosmetic Laser Dermatology in San Diego.