Coming

THE ZOOM BOOM

After months spent Zooming with friends and family to celebrate milestone occasions virtually and/or to chat with colleagues in lieu of in-person meetings, everyone has gotten a closer look at their countenance—in freeze mode (as often happens due to technical glitches) and in action. Many are less than thrilled with what they see, including crow’s feet, smile lines and other wrinkles, tired eyes, double chins, skin texture irregularities, and the angle or size of their nose.

In fact, 55 percent of survey respondents expressed an increase in anxiety and self-consciousness about their looks after spending time on video conference services, such as Zoom, during self-isolation, according to research by Steven Dayan, MD published in The Journal of Facial Plastic Surgery and Aesthetic Medicine. Fully 40.6 percent of these individuals who have never had facial cosmetic treatments are now looking to have a little work done.

Expect a Zoom Boom as a result.

Some of these patients may request virtual consults before committing to a procedure, so have your policies and protocols (including fee structure) for such consultations carefully delineated on your website for prospective patients.

Many patients may feel nervous about coming into your practice due to COVID-19. Help them feel more comfortable by having a staff member call them in advance to go over safety protocols. This personal touch goes a long way toward allaying fears. In addition, have all of this information easily accessible on your website and marketing materials. Monitor COVID-19 activity in your area as well and schedule procedures appropriately. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Going

CELLULITE. FINALLY!

Dimply, cottage cheese thighs and butts are the bane of many women’s existence, especially during bathing suit and short-short season. Until recently, there were only a few options to offer these women that produced lasting results for cellulite in the glutes or thighs.

This explains the enthusiasm and excitement about Endo Aesthetics’ Qwo (collagenase clostridium histolyticum-aaes), the first injectable treatment for moderate to severe cellulite of the buttocks in women. Further studies for use on outer thighs are underway.

Qwo disrupts the fibrous septae responsible for creating cellulite, resulting in a smoother appearance. Qwo is expected to be available throughout the US starting in Spring 2021. Three 30-minute treatments, 21 days apart, are recommended, and results from early studies are encouraging. Side effects include injection site bruising, pain, areas of hardness, and itching in the treated area, but these have been temporary.

Qwo isn’t the only game in town. Soliton just scored 510(k) clearance from the FDA for their Rapid Acoustic Pulse (RAP) device that uses proprietary acoustic shockwaves for a temporary improvement in the appearance of cellulite. Cellfina and Cellulaze are also options for some patients with cellulite. Cellulaze uses laser energy to release fibrous bands, diminish bulging, and thicken and tighten the skin. Cellfina employs a blade to break up the fibrous bands that cause dimpling in cellulite. I hope 2020 is the year that we can finally offer all patients a meaningful and long-lasting reduction in cellulite.