Sharp rise in demand for cosmetic skin fillers
ABU DHABI: Injectable illers are being increasingly used for facial rejuvenation or to give features a cosmetic boost as fillers are very safe with no permanent side effects. However, it is important for patients to understand the risks, alternatives and beneits prior to receiving illers, opined practitioners of international repute gathered in Abu Dhabi.
Participating in the fourth Abu Dhabi International Conference in Dermatology and Aesthetics (AIDA 2018), one of the world’s largest established skincare congresses which concluded on Saturday, they said that along with other cosmetic procedures, illers have become quite popular.
Dr Mariam Al Suwaidi, Consultant Dermatologist, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, said that this is the era of cosmetics thus there is an increase in demand for such procedures.
“Fillers are more in demand rather than going under the knife. It is going higher every day. Patients must go to trained physicians who are qualiied to perform the procedures as patient safety is very important. The real problem is that patients are unaware of the substance that is being injected. Educating patients about the procedure, complications and the side-effects are very important,” she added.
According to data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the use of illers in the US soared from 1.8 million procedures in 2010 to 2.6 million in 2016. The statistics also revealed that americans are turning to new and innovative ways to shape their bodies, as non-invasive fat reduction procedures rose by 7% compared to the statistics collected in 2016. Similarly, non-surgical skin tightening grew by 9% over the year.
While these statistics are limited to the US alone, they indicate a change in the global trend. Now, more and more people are going for illers as they are very safe with few adverse side effects. The most common complications are swelling and infection, which are relatively benign complications, with no permanent side effects, experts told the participants.
Dr Uliana Gout, celebrated cosmetic physician from the UK, said that due to living in a digital world and always being connected to social media, people are now frequently communicating the concepts of beauty, aging, rejuvenation and wellness all the time. So it is on top of everyone’s mind.
She suggested that people must have a holistic approach while thinking about beautiication and rejuvenation procedures. “People usually go for face rejuvenation ignoring hand rejuvenation, which is the second most visible body part. Similarly, body peeling is another aspect that patients don’t request frequently, while it has over 2000-year-old history, Cleopatra being the irst one to go for skin-enhancing sessions.” Cautioning patients about the procedures, Dr Uliana Gout said, “For patients, it is very important to understand whom to go and see. Find the practitioner who meets the safety parameters, really understand show treatment works and know the pros and cons, as well as how to balance the risk and beneit ratio. People need to have a strategy, short term and long term because this is about medical wellness.” Dr. Khaled Othman, Consultant Dermatologist and Chair of the Conference, said that the 4th edition of International Dermatology and Aesthetic Conference (AIDA 2018), held from Sept.27-29, 2018, was very successful. It attracted more than 66 top-notch speakers from 31 countries who discussed the recent pressing topics and share their knowledge, best practices and latest scientiic research in the ield of dermatology, aesthetic, plastic surgery and laser. The program consisted of 85 scientiic sessions and 18 cutting-edge workshops and 3 clinical courses.