Cosmetic Courses banne showing, Male trends

Independent Pharmacist Shailesh Patel chats about the increase in cosmetic procedures in men over the past year.

The male market has been steadily growing over the years as male consumers increasingly seek out treatments to support their lifestyle choices.

Although a small segment of the aesthetic market, recent data from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) has shown Cosmetic Courses; picture showing close up of man with facial markingsthat male clients made up 9% of the total number of those undergoing cosmetic surgery operations in the UK. These numbers have nearly doubled over the past decade (from 2,440 procedures in 2005 to 4,614 in 2015). However, treatments for men tend to be less invasive than for female clients.

This trend could be driven by the subgroup of the millennials known as young urban males  (Yummies). These individuals tend to focus more on personal grooming and health than other age groups. This age group tends to marry later, meaning that they can invest in themselves and their appearance for longer than other age groups.

It is also important to remember that men are unique both physiologically and behaviourally. Having an in-depth knowledge of the male anatomy and suitable training is important to meet the needs of male clients 3.

You should have a separate marketing strategy to target males. Options include; advertising to men through your female clients (husbands, boyfriends, sons, etc.), having specific areas for male clients in your clinic and sections on your website and social media activities focusing on male clients.

Cosmetic Courses have also seen an increase in enquiries for male models. By having a diverse range of sexes, this gives our delegates the best experience in understanding the differences between the sexes, and the techniques that would work best when treating male and female faces.

If you would like to become a model for Cosmetic Courses, please call the team on 01844 390110 or fill in our Contact form

About Pharmacyspace

Pharmacyspace, based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, provides cost effective medical products and consumables for your clinic. Feel free to talk to us about how we can support you with both your male and female clients.

Remote Prescribing, Information provided by Shailesh Patel, Pharmacist and Owner of Pharmacyspace

Picture Shailesh Patel, Pharmacist at PharmacyspaceAn article in The Times newspaper in December last year regarding the issue of remote prescribing has led to aesthetic practitioners dealing with queries from concerned patients. The following information is provided to support practitioners reflect on their current practice.

  1. Since July 2012, both the General Medical Council (GMC) and General Dental council (GDC) have issued guidance prohibiting practitioners from prescribing Botox and other injectable cosmetics by phone, email, video-link or fax. Before prescribing Botox or other injectable medicines, practitioners need to have a face-to-face consultation to fully assess the patient, understand their medical history and their reasons for wanting treatment.
  2. If you are a newly qualified doctor and are required by the GMC to practice in Approved Practice Settings (APS), then you are not authorised to prescribe Prescription Only Medicines (POM) in an environment outside the APS. This means that doctors who work in clinics outside of an APS cannot rely on other remote prescribing doctors, to prescribe Botox for them to use.
  3. For nurses who are not independent prescribers this can pose additional challenges. As a non-prescribing nurse working with a prescribing partner, the prescriber will need to assess the patient during a face-to-face consultation before prescribing, and additionally, will need to take responsibility that the nurse administering the prescribed medicine under their direction is trained and competent to do so.

Pharmacyspace is based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire and is dedicated to providing a trusted and cost-effective service for your clinic supplies. The handpicked team of dedicated staff will ensure that you get the products you need for your clinic, together with a professional service.

For more information on our aesthetic pharmacy partnership with Pharmacy Space, or the courses we offer at Cosmetic Courses, please call the team on 01844 318317 or email us at [email protected].

Which aesthetic trends will we see in 2016It’s that time of the year again. A time for reflecting on the year that’s passed, and looking forward to what the new year might bring. And for us at Cosmetic Courses, that means thinking about the aesthetic trends we’re likely to see.

New year, new aesthetic trends?

Non-surgical treatments ebb and flow in the popularity stakes all the time. Innovative new procedures create a buzz, others fall out of favour, and some completely fail to capture the public’s imagination from the outset.

And changing aesthetic trends mean not only brand new treatments, but also for us in the industry, new training courses.

There’s a constant appetite for new aesthetic training courses as practitioners seek to expand their repertoire and stay ahead of the game – and their competitors.

So which treatments are likely to prosper in 2016?

For us, there’s a couple of contenders that we think will really grow over the next year. Two recent additions to our Skin Clinic, which we plan to add to our training programme at Cosmetic Courses, are Silhoutte Soft Thread Lift and Fat Freezing.

Silhouette Soft Thread Lift

Silhouette Soft is a non-surgical alternative to facelift, carried out with internal sutures. Under local anaesthetic, the dissolvable sutures are threaded underneath the patient’s skin in several key points. Once in place, the sutures are used to internally lift and re-anchor the skin.

It’s a great option for lifting sagging cheeks and jowls. And because the sutures can be placed wherever needed, treatment can be tailored to the patient.

It also has a regenerative action that continues to work long after treatment. The poly-L-lactic acid sutures are gradually reabsorbed by the skin, which helps to progressively restore lost collagen, extending the anti-ageing effects.

The big advantage for both practitioner and patient is the treatment’s flexibility. You can precisely target the areas of your patient’s face that will produce the best results.

Your patients will also be won over by the treatment’s non-invasiveness. It needs no incisions, only small entry and exit points for the sutures, so it leaves no permanent scars.

Fat Freezing Treatment

Any talk of new year wouldn’t be complete without mentioning fat loss. And we predict Cryolipolysis fat freezing treatment is one of the aesthetic trends to watch in 2016.

A non-surgical alternative to liposuction, the treatment works through super-cooling areas of stubborn fat. The low temperature (-9°C) kickstarts the process of apoptosis in the fat cells; over the following weeks and months the cells dissolve, before being safely removed from the body through the lymphatic system.

For the practitioner, treatment is easy to perform, and for the patient, it’s painless. The machine’s applicator head is simply placed onto the area being targeted, and the patient will feel gentle suction pulling the fatty tissue in between the cooling units.

It can be used on nearly all areas of the body – the abdomen, thighs, flanks, arms and back being the most popular areas. Treatment for each area takes around 60 minutes, with most patients needing 2 treatments for best results.

What do you think? Which aesthetic trends are you expecting next year, and what would you like to see? If you have any requests for treatments you’d like us to consider adding to our training programme, feel free to let us know. Contact us by emailing [email protected] or calling 01844 318317.

There’s plenty to think about when you’re getting your new aesthetic business off the ground. So at Cosmetic Courses, we like to do some of the heavy lifting for you!

You can’t run a successful aesthetic practice without a reliable, affordable supplier of the products you need.

So we’re delighted to say we have partnered up with Pharmacyspace, a fantastic independent pharmacy. All delegates who train with us at Cosmetic Courses can now use Pharmacyspace to supply all their aesthetic pharmacy needs.

The company is directed by Shailesh Patel, a knowledgeable and experienced pharmacist who supplies to both NHS and private practices.

Why use Pharmacyspace as your aesthetic pharmacy?

1. Competitive prices

Managing your costs is vital, especially in the early days when you’re still trying to build up your client base. So anywhere you can make savings will help your business grow. The competitive prices of Pharmacyspace keep the costs of your products down so your margins are healthier from the get-go.

2. Tailor-made service

Rather than having to order from multiple suppliers, Pharmacyspace can supply everything you need for your clinic so you only need one account. That means only one supplier to pay, so it’s easier to keep track of invoices, as well as being more convenient when it’s time to order in fresh supplies.

3. Easy ordering process

With so much to think about in your business, any aspect that can be streamlined and simplified means less stress for you. Pharmacyspace have made their ordering process as simple as possible so you can quickly and easily get the products you need.

4. Punctual delivery

It goes without saying that the last thing you need when you’ve got patients clamouring for treatment is to run out of product! Your patients may end up going to your competitors and – if they have a great experience – sticking with them. Which could be incredibly costly in the long run. At Pharmacyspace, they make every effort to deliver products promptly, so you’ll always have the products you need when you need them.

More about Pharmacyspace – from Shailesh

Pharmacyspace is a family-owned business based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. It was established in 2011 as an NHS registered pharmacy providing both NHS and private services.

Our sister company Lynam Pharma Limited is our wholesale business which is registered with the MHRA. Both businesses allow us to support aesthetic professionals in their day-to-day practice with both their pharmaceutical and medical consumable needs.

Our vision is to provide a trusted and cost-effective service for clinic supplies in a manner which is simple and straightforward for you. Our dedicated staff are on hand to discuss your clinic needs and our partnership with Cosmetic Courses allows us to ensure you get the support you need in a timely manner.

Shailesh is the superintendent pharmacist of Pharmacyspace. He has had a varied career; initially working in hospital pharmacy at University College London where he completed his Masters of Science in Clinical Pharmacy, then in Australia as a clinical pharmacist before returning to the UK to work for both GSK and Apotex UK Ltd, and finally working in community pharmacy before establishing Pharmacyspace.

The Pharmacyspace team also includes a registered nurse and pharmacy technician.

For more information on our aesthetic pharmacy partnership with Pharmacy Space, or the courses we offer at Cosmetic Courses, please call the team on 01844 318317 or email us at [email protected].

 

 

The news is finally out. Botox maker Allergan and US drug giant Pfizer have announced they are to merge in a deal worth a staggering $160 billion.

Allergan LogoThe merger between the two former rivals creates a new pharmaceutical ‘supercompany’ which is set to be officially the world’s largest pharmaceutical company by sales.

There had long been talk about an Allergan buyout. Indeed, on our blog last year, we covered the unsuccessful takeover bid made by Valeant.

Now this new deal secures the long-term future of the company, and ushers in exciting new possibilities to research, discover and deliver more medicines and therapies.

The future for Allergan

The new company has a combined pipeline of more than 100 mid-to-late stage programmes currently in development.

And with dramatically increased resources to invest in R&D and manufacturing in future, we’re likely to see some incredible innovations in the cosmetic industry in the not-too-distant future.

As Brent Saunders, Chief Executive Officer of Allergan, says:

“The combination of Allergan and Pfizer is a highly strategic, value-enhancing transaction that brings together two biopharma powerhouses to change lives for the better. This bold action is the next chapter in the successful transformation of Allergan allowing us to operate with greater resources at a much bigger scale. Joining forces with Pfizer matches our leading products in seven high growth therapeutic areas and our robust R&D pipeline with Pfizer’s leading innovative and established businesses, vast global footprint and strength in discovery and development research to create a new biopharma leader.”

What does it mean for you?

This soon after the event, it’s difficult to say what – if any – impact the merger will have on you and your business in the coming months. 

But at Cosmetic Courses, we have a great relationship with Allergan and are in frequent close contact. As soon as we know about any changes that are likely to affect you, we’ll of course be sure to let you know as soon as we can. So do keep an eye out on our blog, newsletters and social media channels.

For the time being, it’s business as usual – albeit with some exciting new possibilities on the horizon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re absolutely delighted to be able to share our good news. On Saturday night, Cosmetic Courses was awarded ‘Best Training Programme’ at this year’s MyFaceMyBody Awards!

We’ve a very excited (if a little tired) team this morning, after a fantastic weekend spent celebrating. There’s a definite buzz in the air at CC HQ!

Cosmetic Courses win Best Training Programme at MyFaceMyBody Awards

The awards night is always great fun, but the highlight this year – even more than seeing hairdressing legend Nicky Clarke in the flesh – was the moment we found out we’d won.

You might have heard the whoops and cheers from where you were.

We were eventually chosen from a shortlist of 9 great finalists, all of whom had great entries. So our team is completely honoured to have won.

A huge thank you to the MyFaceMyBody team, all our delegates, models, colleagues and friends. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Best Training Programme Award certificate
About The ‘Best Training Programme’ Award

Our award was judged by a panel of industry professionals and peers, who made their final decision based on the following criteria:

  • Does the training programme effectively demonstrate advancements in the knowledge base of aesthetic medical professionals?
  • Does it engage with delegates and is it well received?
  • Does it demonstrate a breadth of knowledge in the subject being taught?
  • How much time is allocated to practical hands-on assessment?
  • What support is offered after training – for example e-learning, videos or mentoring?
  • Is there a wide range of training workshops within Aesthetics?
About MyFaceMyBody

The prestigious MyFaceMyBody Awards is the only consumer awards dedicated to the cosmetic, aesthetic and dental industry to recognise and reward brands for their product innovation and popularity. 

Clinics were also rewarded for exceptional experiences and outstanding service to their consumers. The awards were attended by 400 leading industry professionals, brands, journalists and celebrities.

Other big winners included our product partner NeoStrata, who won Best Cosmeceutical Range with their Skin Active line, as well as Best Anti-Ageing Product with their Triple Firming Neck Cream. Congratulations to them and all the other worthy winners on the night.

A massive thank you for all your support this year. We do what we do because we love it, but being recognised by our valued colleagues and friends makes it even better. Roll on next year!

 

We told you last year that our Medical Director Adrian Richards had released the 2nd edition of his best-selling ‘Key Notes on Plastic Surgery‘. And we’re delighted to share an update…

Adrian and co-author Hywel Dafydd have just received a ‘Highly Commended’ in the prestigious BMA Medical Book Awards.

Very well done!

About “Key Notes”

If you’ve trained as a Plastic Surgeon, you may be familiar with the book.

Adrian wrote the first edition of “Key Notes on Plastic Surgery” in 1999, while sitting his final plastic surgery exams (yes – he wasn’t quite busy enough).

Unable to find a suitably concise general plastics textbook for those revising for the FRCS (Plast), he decided he’d write one himself.

The book is, to quote Ian T Jackson MD, Director of Craniofacial & Reconstructive Surgery, Institute for Craniofacial & Reconstructive Surgery, “only the meat without all the unnecessary trimming”.

It’s formatted as a collection of short revision notes covering all aspects of plastic surgery – trauma, elective surgery, burns, reconstructive surgery and Adrian’s own specialism, aesthetic procedures.

Bullet points and diagrams make it easy for student surgeons to dip in and find the information they need. Ideal for those late coffee-fuelled nights cramming for finals!

Mr Dafydd, a talented young surgeon who’s recently travelled the world learning the latest surgical techniques, wrote most of the updated second edition.

He’s used his broad, up-to-date knowledge of the latest surgical techniques to add more useful content to this edition. In particular, a collection of new diagrams to address the feedback received from junior surgeons.

The book was Highly Commended in the Surgery category, with the winner being the epic ”Atlas of Operative Maxillofacial Trauma Surgery: Primary Repair of Facial Injuries”. A very worthy winner.

About the BMA Medical Book Awards

The BMA Medical Book Awards take place every year, with the aim of recognising outstanding contributions to medical literature.

This year’s were held on Thursday 3 September, with Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green Kt, President of the British Medical Association, attending the evening as guest of honour.

Winners were chosen by an expert panel, who considered each book’s originality, applicability to audience, and production quality.

Prizes were awarded in 21 categories covering all disciplines of medicine. An overall BMA Medical Book of the Year prize was also awarded from among the category winners. This year, the winning book was “Practical Management of Complex Cancer Pain” by Manohar L. Sharma, Sanjeeva Gupta, Michael I. Bennett, and Karen H. Simpson.

Adrian and Hywel are delighted with the commendation for their book. And as Adrian has said he’d like to bring out a new edition every 10 years, perhaps more awards are in store!

“Key Notes on Plastic Surgery (Second Edition)” by Adrian Richards and Hywel Dafydd is is available from all good book shops.

Cosmetic Courses: Aesthetic Awards Finalists
We’re not ones to boast – but we can’t keep this to ourselves. We’ve been shortlisted for ‘Training Initiative of the Year’ in the Aesthetics Awards!

My, there’s a buzz in the air at Cosmetic Courses HQ. Even more so than normal. Finding out we’ve made the finals in our category has put a real spring in everyone’s step.

Cosmetic Courses: Aesthetics Awards Finalist 2015

The perfect antidote to the onset of autumn and those back to school blues!

We’re genuinely thrilled to be shortlisted. And doubly delighted because it’s the second award we’ve been shortlisted for this year (we’ve also made the shortlist in the My Face My Body Awards.)

Everybody in our team works hard to provide the most comprehensive service they can to our delegates, both during their training and afterwards. So getting a tip of the hat in these awards is fantastic.

All finalists were officially announced in the September issue of Aesthetics Journal.

Judging and voting is now underway. The winner in our category will be decided by the judging panel, with no voting process – so you won’t be able to help us with this one. But you can wish us luck!

We’ve been told there were more entries this year than last, and the standard was the highest it’s ever been. So whatever happens from here, we’re really proud to even make it this far.

What happens next?

Voting and judging closes on 30th October. All the winners, as well as the Highly Commended and Commended finalists, will then be announced at the Aesthetics Awards 2015 ceremony on 5th December in London.

About the Aesthetics Awards

The aim of the Aesthetics Awards is to bring together the best in medical aesthetics and leaders in the profession to celebrate the achievements of the past year.

There are 24 categories in total, chosen to recognise a broad cross-section of the aesthetic industry for the contributions they have made. Awards are presented for clinical excellence, product innovation and practice achievement to those who have excelled in the field of aesthetic medicine. That includes clinics and individual practitioners, as well as manufacturers and suppliers.

The awards ceremony takes place on Saturday 5th December at the Park Plaza Hotel, Westminster Bridge. It’s expected there will be around 500 guests who – reading the itinerary – can look forward to a fantastic evening.

A drinks reception will be followed by a performance from a top comedian and sit-down dinner. After the main event – the announcement of the winners – we’ll let our hair down with music and dancing until late. Hopefully whilst celebrating, rather than commiserating, with our colleagues and friends!

Watch this space – we’ll be sure to let you know how we get on.

Cosmetic Courses: Banner showing that we are finalists for the My Face My Body Awards 2015

Our sister company, Aurora Clinics, won ‘Best Aesthetic Clinic’ at the 2013 My Face My Body Awards, and we made the shortlist for our training courses last year.

Now we’re delighted to say that, thanks to the hard work of our team, we’ve both made it through to the finals again.

This year, Aurora has been shortlisted in the category of ‘Best Customer Experience’, while Cosmetic Courses has once again been shortlisted for ‘Best Training Program’.

Both awards are hotly contested, and in our own category nine finalists are in the running to win – so there’s plenty of healthy competition!

Naturally, we’d love to be recognised for the quality of our training as well as our treatments. And we can only be in with a chance of winning with the support of our amazing delegates, friends and colleagues.

It only takes a few seconds to vote in the My Face My Body Awards. So if you’ve trained with us at Cosmetic Courses and would like to lend us your support, we’d really appreciate it!

How you can vote for us

You can cast your vote on the main My Face My Body Awards page. Scroll down to Best Training Program, click in the check box next to Aurora Clinics, then on the green ‘Submit Your Vote’ bar.

Alternatively, you can go to our entry page and leave your comments – this also counts as a vote for us, so either way is fine with us!

The judging team will decide the winner based on comments and votes, as well as the following criteria:

  • Demonstrating advancements in the knowledge base of aesthetic medical professionals.
  • Engaging with delegates, with training being well received.
  • Breadth of knowledge in the subject being taught.
  • Time allocated to practical hands-on assessment.
  • Level of support given after training such as e-learning, videos or mentoring.
  • Offering a full range of training workshops within aesthetics.

We’ve worked hard on our entry, so fingers crossed we’ve managed to show that we fulfil the above credentials – but we’ll have to wait and see…

About the My Face My Body Awards

Cosmetic Courses: Image showing the My Face My Body Awards Finalist LogoThe My Face My Body Awards were launched to better educate a wider audience about the aesthetic industry. They’ve quickly become one of the most high-profile awards in the industry, attended by experts and thought leaders from the fields of dentistry, cosmetic surgery, aesthetics and beauty as well as journalists and celebrities.

This year’s My Face My Body Awards ceremony takes place on Saturday 7th November at the Intercontinental Park Lane, and promises a lavish three course dinner, drinks reception and fantastic entertainment, with dancing until the small hours.

As in previous years, we’ll be well represented on the night by as many of our hardworking team as we can fit on our table. And whether we win, lose or share our award (as awards can be shared between more than one entrant), we’ll be sure to have a fantastic night.

Keep an eye on our website and Facebook page in the coming days. We’ll be putting up some badges soon that will link through to our award entry page. After the awards, we’ll put up some photos from the night too.

In the meantime thanks for your support, and if you can spare a couple of seconds to vote for us, we’d be hugely grateful!

Cosmetic Courses at the CCR-EXPO

 

One of the highlights of the aesthetic industry calendar, the CCR Expo, is fast approaching. It takes place this year on 8th-9th October at London Olympia – and we’re delighted to say we’re exhibiting. 

Whatever stage you’re at in your aesthetic career, the CCR Expo (Clinical Cosmetic and Reconstructive Expo) is sure to have something of interest for you.

If you’ve been before, you’ll know it’s one of the most respected events of its kind in the industry, comprising two days of surgical and non-surgical conferences, workshops, Continuing Professional Development content and live demonstrations – with the vast majority being free to attend as well as CPD accredited.

If you’ve never been to the CCR Expo, or are new to the industry, we’d really recommend a visit. You’ll access valuable information and resources that will enhance your knowledge, sharpen your skills and help develop your career.

What can you expect at the CCR Expo?

This year, for the first time, the CCR Expo programme includes a useful new educational stream specifically for those who are planning on making the move into aesthetics.

“Getting Started in Aesthetics” runs on both the Thursday and Friday, and aims to guide you through the whole process of making the transition to facial aesthetics.

The masterclass will cover both how and why to make the move into aesthetics, as well as filling you in on the specific regulations and legal complications you need to be aware of.

But there’s plenty that will be of interest if you’re already established in the industry too.

A varied programme of free lectures, seminars, meetings and demos includes a Surgical & Non-Surgical Workshop, Non-Surgical Conference and an Allergan Injectables Masterclass.

Additional paid-for events include the BAAPS Annual Scientific Meeting and the Journal of Aesthetic Nursing Conference, as well as the application-only British Cosmetic Dermatology Group Expert Session.

Meet Cosmetic Courses at the CCR Expo

If you do decide to come along, be sure to swing by our stand and say hello. You’ll find us in the BAAPS area on Stand G50.

Cosmetic Courses: Photo showing aesthetic trainer Dr Olha Vorodukhina

Our Medical Director Mr Adrian Richards and our trainer, qualified dentist Dr Olha Vorodukhina (pictured), will both be there, and will be happy to help if you’d like any advice on training courses, treatment techniques or the practicalities of getting started in aesthetics and setting up your business.

Adrian will also be talking about his ‘Aurora Lift’ on both days. You can catch him on Thursday 8th at 12.40pm and again on Friday 9th at 2.30pm.

The Aurora Lift is the Botulinum toxin and filler technique we use in our advanced facial rejuvenation training at Cosmetic Courses, as well as with patients at our sister company Aurora Skin Clinics.

It’s based on the concept of an A-frame, and involves treating the ageing face by injecting Botox and facial fillers at strategic points on an imaginary ‘A’.

Treating several areas along this ‘A’ – the Glabella, Cheeks, Nasolabial Folds, Marionette Lines and Pre Jowl Salcus – allows us to more effectively counter the downward migration of facial volume to restore the youthful ‘inverted triangle’. (Find out more about the Aurora Lift.)

If you know the basic Botox and filler techniques but are interested in learning more advanced applications, Adrian’s talk will be well worth a visit. So we hope to see lots of you there!

If you’d like to come along to the CCR Expo, registration is still open and you can book. For more information on the Aurora Lift or Cosmetic Courses’ programme of aesthetic training courses, please feel free to contact the team on 01844 318745 or email [email protected].