I have just returned from co-directing the Annual Cosmetic Dermatology-Santa Monica Meeting. The meeting, directed by me and Dr. Christopher Zachary, Chairperson of Dermatology at the University of California –Irvine, was highlighted by discussions about 1) Dysport – the new competitor to Botox; 2) new techniques for body contouring; 3) novel approaches for the use of wrinkle fillers; 4) the benefits of cosmetic camouflage; 5) nuances of Latisse, the new eyelash enhancer; and 6) a look at the aging process of the face. Dysport, the newly FDA approved wrinkle relaxer, will be available to US physicians over the next month. Based on the European experience with this product, US physicians are expected to embrace the new Botox competitor. In Europe, Dysport has been very popular for both wrinkles and excess sweating. Of note, the amounts to be injected are different than Botox. Patients... continue

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An article this week on Modern Medicine's website had a rundown of Botox's upcoming competitors. It had two that have been mentioned repeatedly over the last few months: Dysport and PurTox not far behind, but it also threw in Xeomin, which is made by a company called Merz. Merz is a well-respected German company. They sell other dermatology products in the US and will be well-received when they come to the Botox market in this country... Xeomin is already available in Europe. Here's what ConsultingRoom.com had to say about it: "It is widely accepted that the bacterial protein present in other products play a role as promoters of an immune reaction, resulting in a loss of effect and reduction in duration of activity. Studies show that Xeomin(r), without the complexing proteins, has the lowest content of protein of all of the available botulinum toxins and furthermore show that repeated... continue

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Just attended the Florida Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery (FSDS) 2009 annual meeting in Boca Raton, Florida at the gorgeous Boca Raton Resort and Club. Luckily this is only a few miles from our office so none of the usual trauma of getting there! I gave 3 lectures - thefirst on fractional resurfacing, the second on non-invasive fat removal including Ultrashape, Liposonix and Zeltiq), and the third on body skin tightening and cellulite with the Alma's Accent RF device. Dr. James Spencer, president of the society, ran a wonderful meeting. There were some excellent presentations by local and visiting doctors. Dr. William Coleman, a dermatologist from from New Orleans and editor of the prestigious Journal of Dermatologic Surgery also presented on the Ultrashape device as well as on injection lipolysis and mesotherapy. Mark Nestor and Glynis Ablon gave excellent laser lectures... continue

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The E! network has had a new show lately that I haven't seen yet, and isn't even advertised on their website or channel, but it's called "Fake or Real." The premise? A panel of celebrities and Dr. Robert Rey of Dr. 90210 fame judge contestants, who are trying to trick them into either thinking their looks came naturally or with the aid of cosmetic procedures. Don't think less of Dr. Rey if he gets a few wrong; Dr. Pozner said even he can't tell if someone has had well-done plastic surgery. All the more reason to go to an expert.... continue

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Just returned from NYU, where I attended a conference on emerging technologies in plastic surgery. The focus was on non-surgical facial rejuvenation. It was hosted by noted NY plastic surgeons Dr. Larry Bass and Nolan Karp - there was an excellent faculty including myself, noted plastic surgeon Z. Paul Lorenc and Boston plastic surgeon Brooke Seckel. Also presenting were Long Island dermatologist Jeanette Graf and NY oculoplastic surgeon Joseph Eviatar. Many subjects were covered, from the new botox alternative Dysport to fillers, lasers and energy sources. In particular, we performed live demontrations of Botox, Radiesse, Restylane, Juvederm, Sculptra, Sciton Profractional, micro laser peel as well as Fraxel and Palomar's new "groove" laser. I presented new technology such as Ulthera and RFAL (Invasix) facial procedures. There was also an excellent lecture by Dr. Seckel and subsequent... continue

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