It’s been another busy month of training and trialing new products, and as I write this I’m sitting in the airport lounge on my way back from Aesthetics 24 conference in Sydney. As always, this conference was jam packed from beginning to end, and I’m still processing the fire hose of information we have received over the last 4 days! I was so focused on learning I totally forgot about taking photos, so am limited to just a few that people asked me to be in! 😹
High on the list at Aesthetics 24 this year were Rejuran – a regenerative injectable made from salmon DNA which is designed to strengthen the skin – and Exosomes, which claim to be a ‘supercharged’ version of PRP, albeit derived from the fat cells of young people rather than being your own. We are currently putting both these technologies through our trial process, and in my mind they would have to have significantly better results than PRP for me to consider introducing them to the clinic, as PRP has the safety element of being your own blood products. I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on Rejuran and Exosomes, and whether you have heard of and/or are interested in them! Feel free to reply and let me know…
There’s also 2 new neuromodulator products (similar but different to Botox®️) that have been launched into Australia that are yet to come to NZ, which is actually a good thing, as I can get feedback from my Australian friends and colleagues before we get to trial the products, most likely next year or the year after.
Another new product which is almost here in NZ is Profhilo Structura, which is designed to regenerate the fat just underneath the skin in selected parts of the face to help treat facial sinking and facial sagging. It is due to be launched at the end of this month at the NZSCM conference that several of our team are attending, so watch this space!
I’m also excited to look at Profhilo and RF needling with our new Exion machine as a combination, especially for acne scarring. While acne scarred skin will never be normal skin again, there are multiple ways we can soften and improve the scars, and both Profhilo and the Exion are now extra tools in the toolbox, alongside vampire facial, needling, fillers and medical grade skin care.
Most of all, for me the conference was a wonderful chance to catch up with industry friends and previous team members, and it facilitated great discussion amongst some of my peers who are key opinion leaders about how we expand and develop our practice even further. I echo Eve, who attended the recent ASAPS NSS conference in the Gold Coast with me, that ‘the importance of continuous learning and staying updated with the latest advancements cannot be overstated’. (You can read her blog here) This is why we invest so much in continuous learning and training for our team at The Face Place.
We had our team training day last month where we got to trial some of the ‘off-label’ Profhilo treatments that we had seen at ASAPS NSS conference. We also played with some other fun ‘off label’ uses of different products and medicines that have research showing they can significantly accelerate the recovery process. You might be aware that I’m a big fan of the ‘split face trial’ where we treat one side and not the other, or we treat different sides with different treatments to compare (I’ve done quite a few on myself over the years!). This team training day we took it next level and did a 4 way split face trial (dividing the face into quarters to trial different things). There were several different treatments that had been reported at recent conferences that the team wanted to try against each other and it will be interesting to see the results in a few months after a repeat treatment.. watch this space!
We also had a wonderful training day specifically for the medical team where we successfully trialled some new filler techniques, including using Volux off-label in the cheeks for people with thick, heavy tissues, to facilitate a better repositioning of the heavy tissues; and a technique developed by my wonderful friend Simone Dorian which uses ‘pillars’ of filler below the lower lip to roll out a narrow lower lip in someone with a weak chin. Our injectors thoroughly enjoyed the training and were impressed with the results we were able to achieve.
If you know anyone considering training in Cosmetic Medicine, we are very close to launching our Foundational Neuromodulators course, so tell them to keep an eye on our social media for when this course is released. Our clinical nurse trainer Marjorie ran another highly successful Hyalase Workshop teaching clinicians how to use the enzyme that dissolves HA filler, and how to manage both the common and serious side effects with HA dermal fillers. I’m super proud that yet again she got 10/10 rating from all attendees for the workshop!
We had a wonderful day filming upcoming social media educational content with the wonderful Kennedy at the new Quay St clinic at the end of last month. Keep an eye out on socials @thefaceplacenz to see what we were chatting about! Hint: Emsella and Exion were definitely in there!
If you suffer from leaky bladder or would like to boost your ‘sexy’ performance, we have now added the Emsella chair to our intimate wellness toolbox. This is a ‘clothes on’ treatment for both men and women, it only takes 28 minutes, and in that time your pelvic floor will contract over 11,000 times at 100% contraction of the muscles – more than you could ever achieve with just normal kegels! This was our most popular station at our clinic launch last month, some people didn’t want to leave the chair! We have special introductory offers for both Emsella and Exion, so chat with our team if you are interested, to find out if they might be right for you.
This month is my actual 50th birthday month, so I am back in the country for just a week before flying out to Denver to visit a friend, and then travel to the Galápagos Islands for the ‘bucket list’ part of my 50th birthday celebration. I have wanted to visit the Galapagos since I learned about it as a little girl, and so will be waking up in the Galapagos for my actual birthday on 29 August! 🎁 After the last few years, I’m just grateful to have made it this far!
Before I leave, I will be giving a keynote presentation at the upcoming Observ conference next Monday on ‘Facial Ageing in 3D’, talking through how ageing affects the different layers of the face, and then which treatments we can use to address these changes.
We’ve always had a strong focus on both learning and teaching at The FacePlace, not only for our team, but also with the investment we make in educating our patients. If you have any questions or suggestions at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can reach me via email catherine@thefaceplace.co.nz or IG @drcatstone
Thank you as always for your continued loyalty and support,
Love and hugs,
Dr Cat 😻
All medicines, medical devices and treatments carry risks and benefits. Individual results will vary. Speak to one of our qualified Cosmedicine Nurses or Doctors to see what might be right for you and to explain the possible side effects.
