PRESS RELEASE - 2004 : Half-hour face fix from the adelaide review
INSATIABLE CONSUMER DEMAND has spawned a new era of affordable "drive-in, drive-out style" cosmetic medicine procedures. Non-surgical treatment for pesky skin cancers and varicose veins can be done in a single morning, while sagging and bagging can be tackled in as little as 30 minutes.
Dr Sharron Phillipson, the state president of the Cosmetic Physicians' Society (NSW), said that, while those in the 30-50 age group still tended to be the highest users of cosmetic procedures, two newer groups were emerging in the market. "Men now make up 20 per cent of my clientele, mostly for treatments involving hair removal. I'm also seeing a lot of women in their 60s who are still working and want to stay looking young."
Photodynamic therapy
IT'S NOT ALL about vanity. One new procedure to hit Australian shores in recent months is photodynamic therapy, a non-surgical treatment for skin cancers. This revolutionary treatment from the United States can literally melt away some forms of skin cancers in three hours.
A cream containing amino levulinate acid, or ALA, is applied to the skin cancer, which is usually a basal cell carcinoma or precancerous skin lesion. The skin cancer is then covered with a gauze dressing and the patient can leave the surgery and go about their business. After three hours has elapsed, the skin selected for treatment is illuminated by a red light for about seven minutes. The light converts the active ingredient in the cream into a photosensitiser inside the cancerous cell, destroying it.
"It's really exciting technology," Phillipson said. "It's very simple and very effective. In fact, it has a success rate similar to that of surgical removal."
THE WASHUP: The treatment - involving two visits - costs about $200. There's no surgery involved and Phillipson says cosmetically the results are better, but some patients may experience a little discomfort.
Aptos threads
ORIGINATING IN RUSSIA, Aptos threads are nifty little nylon threads with hooks attached that are inserted under the skin for a "mini facelift".
"It's good for people who can't have a facelift, or who just want some subtle improvement in the face. I don't think you can really compare the treatment to a proper facelift, however," Phillipson said.
THE WASHUP: The treatment costs between $2000 and $3000 and can be performed under local anaesthetic in about a half an hour. It's a quick and simple treatment that's cheaper than a facelift. But sometimes the threads can come to the surface of the skin or move about. And the results are not as dramatic as some might desire.
Ultrasound guided sclerotherapy
ULTRASOUND GUIDED SCLEROTHERAPY (UGS) is a revolutionary new way to treat large varicose veins that have previously required hospitalisation and surgery.
Veins are "mapped" using a high-tech ultrasound machine and they are then injected directly with an irritating solution called a sclerosant. The inside of the vein becomes irritated and the vein gradually collapses and closes off.
"The procedure is best suited to those have had a recurrence of their problems after surgery, don't want surgery, can't afford surgery or can't take time off work to recover from surgery," Dr Greg Wilson, director of Cosmetek Cosmetic & Vein Clinic, Payneham, said.
THE WASHUP: The cost differs from patient to patient due to the new Medicare plus system. The treatment takes about 45 minutes to an hour and is done on a walk-in, walk-out basis. There's no general anaesthetic, no time off work and no scarring. But the treatment can cause some discomfort. Graduation stockings still need to be worn after treatment and pigmentation can last up to 12 months.