Whenever I speak or inject onstage, inevitably I learn more than I impart. Probably, this is because I am asked to work with people who are so gifted and generous that it would be virtually impossible not to learn from them. This year’s Cosmetic Boot Camp meeting (held at the St. Regis Hotel in Aspen, CO) was no exception.
Cosmetic Boot Camp meetings, which were founded 2 years ago by myself and Dr. Mary Lupo, are a little different than most: to begin with, there are no extenders or non-specialists present. In addition, corporate sponsorship is limited to those sponsors committed to residency or fellowship-trained physicians — those corporations with unduly burdensome agendas are not invited to participate. The meeting is an aggregation of companies and physicians interested in learning. They all have a common fund of knowledge from which to operate. The meetings focus on improving physicians’ clinical skills and understanding how to improve a cosmetic practice — no matter what the starting points for each is. We hold live demonstrations of injections, lasers and more, in addition to the variety of elective courses on different procedures and marketing lectures.
Clinical Pearls
• Dr. Joel Cohen discussed techniques to inject botulinum toxins for intermediate and advanced injectors. It was discussed that the use of minute amounts (i.e., 1 to 2 units on each side of the lip) can produce what Dr. Cohen refers to as a pseudo augmentation and that patients are typically more satisfied with Botox combined with fillers for the treatment of perioral rhytids than with either modality alone.
• Sclerotherapy was discussed by Dr. Lupo and was complemented by Dr. Craig Teller’s lecture on endovenous treatments for vessel closure. Newer techniques for the treatment of leg veins were presented in a manner that explained the spectrum of new injection agents as well as newer lasers and energy sources. It was easy to understand what has changed in this field and to decide what new procedures would be appropriate to add to a practice. Some of the newer agents such as Sotradecol were discussed and compared with saline (which is what I have used). It was interesting to learn that in most instances, saline is as efficacious and perhaps has a lower complication profile than some of the newer agents.
The presentation on endovenous ablation, something I had not considered adding to my practice because of concerns about liability and potential complications, made it more inviting to the average dermatologic surgeon. I will be interested in learning more at next year’s meeting.
Filler Pearls
• As always, fillers occupied a large portion of the meeting. Newer hyaluronic acids and collagens were discussed by Dr. Nowell Solish. Dr. Solish is world renowned for his advanced injection techniques as well as his dinnertime entertainment.
He presented information on products that he has used in Canada for years that are not yet approved in the United States. This served as a preview of what will appear in U.S. markets and provided American doctors with an overview of products relevant for our practices. He reviewed new collagen products, such as Evolence, and newer hyalurons, such as Restylane SubQ, Perlane and several others, that are on the horizon, as well as the perpetually “around the corner” product – Artefill.
• Dr. Susan Weinkle discussed Sculptra and its new uses as a cosmetic “volumi-zer”. For instance, instead of simply using it as another filling product, it can be utilized to fill the hollows of the cheeks, raise the cheekbones and provide a tightening for the jowls — something that traditional fillers are not great at doing.
• I lectured on some of the more long-lasting fillers that are playing a larger role in dermatology practices, including Radiesse and silicone. I emphasized that Radiesse should not be injected into the body of the lip and silicone is not appropriate for horizontal lines such as the forehead.
Laser and Light Devices
• Lasers and light sources were reviewed by Dr. Vic Narurkar. He highlighted newer systems from Palomar and Reliant that enable physicians to tighten the skin in a way not available from previous devices.
In addition, some of the new “fractional” resurfacing lasers and light sources that are used to remove pixels of skin instead of the entire epidermis were discussed. These devices enable faster and more predictable recovery, and it is likely that they will supplant several of the devices presently on the market.
More Cosmetic Pearls
• Dr. Gary Monheit discussed newer botulinum toxins, including the results from some of the Reloxin trials. Although he could not divulge the exact results, it is sufficient to say that he was excited about the new product.
• Patricia Wexler, M.D., performed a video demonstration of fat transfer and spoke about her experience with this technique. Dr. Wexler combines a wealth of experience with great technical knowledge, and she discussed her experience with fat transfers over the past two decades and compared this technique with fillers that are available and likely to be approved. She recommends fat transfers for patients who need restoration of significant volume deficits.
• One surgical perspective was presented by Dr. Charles Finn who detailed the types of procedures offered by a facial plastic surgeon. He discussed where fillers, threads and toxins end and where the surgical skills of a good facial plastic surgeon complement the skills of a good dermatologic surgeon and the synergy between the two disciplines. The surgical portion of the meeting was well received and will be expanded with the addition of more surgical presentations next year.
Practice Management Pearls
• Sue Ellen Cox, M.D., discussed the various forms of marketing that have made her practice one of the leading practices in the United States. Her best marketing tip was to explore the interests of your employees and let them assume more responsibility for areas in which they are interested. For example, one of her employees manages the practice Web site while another has gone back to school for clinical trial management. She also emphasized that no amount of marketing can replace a staff that is truly excellent and that cares.
• Katie Rodan, M.D., discussed how to successfully interact with the media. Dr. Rodan emphasized several facets of media relationships including a tip to remember: Despite the friendliness of reporters and broadcasters, don’t forget that they’re never “off the record”. So it’s dangerous to assume that something said to them will remain confidential.
Media relationships are best cultivated over a long time, and one key to developing these relationships is to be available. Dr. Rodan emphasized the fact that reporters typically have tight deadlines and appreciate prompt responses.
She discussed the costs and benefits of public relations firms and gave examples of her own experiences serving as her own public relations firm. During those interactions, she met with beauty editors in New York several times and, over time, developed relationships that propelled her and her products into the limelight.
• Catherine Maley leveraged her experience as a practice consultant and distilled it into several useful tips for growing one’s cosmetic practice. Having a great Web site and practice brochures that highlight your training, skills and interests is one of the best ways to increase conversion of general dermatology patients to cosmetic patients.
• One of the most informative sessions was one given by Page Piland from BSM Consulting who discussed benchmarking data for cosmetic dermatologists. This session illustrated the average revenue, productivity and expenses associated with running a practice. The data provided afforded physicians in the field an opportunity to compare their practices with their colleagues’ practices and to gain insights into some of the practices of the best-run physician offices.
A Bright Future
Overall, the meeting was well received by physician attendees, faculty and sponsors alike. As a director of the meeting, I am looking forward to next year’s meeting, which will include a summer meeting with advanced and beginning electives for marketing and clinical techniques, as well as a Cosmetic Boot Camp for Office Staff. Each meeting will seek to include the newest cosmetic procedures and the best faculty.
Sponsorship is limited to those corporations that seek to comply with continuing medical education guidelines and to improve cosmetic medicine and surgery.
We aim to keep growing the status of the meeting as the pre-eminent aesthetic meeting for physicians, and our goal is to keep the meetings from becoming too large and impersonal. We hope you’ll join us in the future.
Whenever I speak or inject onstage, inevitably I learn more than I impart. Probably, this is because I am asked to work with people who are so gifted and generous that it would be virtually impossible not to learn from them. This year’s Cosmetic Boot Camp meeting (held at the St. Regis Hotel in Aspen, CO) was no exception.
Cosmetic Boot Camp meetings, which were founded 2 years ago by myself and Dr. Mary Lupo, are a little different than most: to begin with, there are no extenders or non-specialists present. In addition, corporate sponsorship is limited to those sponsors committed to residency or fellowship-trained physicians — those corporations with unduly burdensome agendas are not invited to participate. The meeting is an aggregation of companies and physicians interested in learning. They all have a common fund of knowledge from which to operate. The meetings focus on improving physicians’ clinical skills and understanding how to improve a cosmetic practice — no matter what the starting points for each is. We hold live demonstrations of injections, lasers and more, in addition to the variety of elective courses on different procedures and marketing lectures.
Clinical Pearls
• Dr. Joel Cohen discussed techniques to inject botulinum toxins for intermediate and advanced injectors. It was discussed that the use of minute amounts (i.e., 1 to 2 units on each side of the lip) can produce what Dr. Cohen refers to as a pseudo augmentation and that patients are typically more satisfied with Botox combined with fillers for the treatment of perioral rhytids than with either modality alone.
• Sclerotherapy was discussed by Dr. Lupo and was complemented by Dr. Craig Teller’s lecture on endovenous treatments for vessel closure. Newer techniques for the treatment of leg veins were presented in a manner that explained the spectrum of new injection agents as well as newer lasers and energy sources. It was easy to understand what has changed in this field and to decide what new procedures would be appropriate to add to a practice. Some of the newer agents such as Sotradecol were discussed and compared with saline (which is what I have used). It was interesting to learn that in most instances, saline is as efficacious and perhaps has a lower complication profile than some of the newer agents.
The presentation on endovenous ablation, something I had not considered adding to my practice because of concerns about liability and potential complications, made it more inviting to the average dermatologic surgeon. I will be interested in learning more at next year’s meeting.
Filler Pearls
• As always, fillers occupied a large portion of the meeting. Newer hyaluronic acids and collagens were discussed by Dr. Nowell Solish. Dr. Solish is world renowned for his advanced injection techniques as well as his dinnertime entertainment.
He presented information on products that he has used in Canada for years that are not yet approved in the United States. This served as a preview of what will appear in U.S. markets and provided American doctors with an overview of products relevant for our practices. He reviewed new collagen products, such as Evolence, and newer hyalurons, such as Restylane SubQ, Perlane and several others, that are on the horizon, as well as the perpetually “around the corner” product – Artefill.
• Dr. Susan Weinkle discussed Sculptra and its new uses as a cosmetic “volumi-zer”. For instance, instead of simply using it as another filling product, it can be utilized to fill the hollows of the cheeks, raise the cheekbones and provide a tightening for the jowls — something that traditional fillers are not great at doing.
• I lectured on some of the more long-lasting fillers that are playing a larger role in dermatology practices, including Radiesse and silicone. I emphasized that Radiesse should not be injected into the body of the lip and silicone is not appropriate for horizontal lines such as the forehead.
Laser and Light Devices
• Lasers and light sources were reviewed by Dr. Vic Narurkar. He highlighted newer systems from Palomar and Reliant that enable physicians to tighten the skin in a way not available from previous devices.
In addition, some of the new “fractional” resurfacing lasers and light sources that are used to remove pixels of skin instead of the entire epidermis were discussed. These devices enable faster and more predictable recovery, and it is likely that they will supplant several of the devices presently on the market.
More Cosmetic Pearls
• Dr. Gary Monheit discussed newer botulinum toxins, including the results from some of the Reloxin trials. Although he could not divulge the exact results, it is sufficient to say that he was excited about the new product.
• Patricia Wexler, M.D., performed a video demonstration of fat transfer and spoke about her experience with this technique. Dr. Wexler combines a wealth of experience with great technical knowledge, and she discussed her experience with fat transfers over the past two decades and compared this technique with fillers that are available and likely to be approved. She recommends fat transfers for patients who need restoration of significant volume deficits.
• One surgical perspective was presented by Dr. Charles Finn who detailed the types of procedures offered by a facial plastic surgeon. He discussed where fillers, threads and toxins end and where the surgical skills of a good facial plastic surgeon complement the skills of a good dermatologic surgeon and the synergy between the two disciplines. The surgical portion of the meeting was well received and will be expanded with the addition of more surgical presentations next year.
Practice Management Pearls
• Sue Ellen Cox, M.D., discussed the various forms of marketing that have made her practice one of the leading practices in the United States. Her best marketing tip was to explore the interests of your employees and let them assume more responsibility for areas in which they are interested. For example, one of her employees manages the practice Web site while another has gone back to school for clinical trial management. She also emphasized that no amount of marketing can replace a staff that is truly excellent and that cares.
• Katie Rodan, M.D., discussed how to successfully interact with the media. Dr. Rodan emphasized several facets of media relationships including a tip to remember: Despite the friendliness of reporters and broadcasters, don’t forget that they’re never “off the record”. So it’s dangerous to assume that something said to them will remain confidential.
Media relationships are best cultivated over a long time, and one key to developing these relationships is to be available. Dr. Rodan emphasized the fact that reporters typically have tight deadlines and appreciate prompt responses.
She discussed the costs and benefits of public relations firms and gave examples of her own experiences serving as her own public relations firm. During those interactions, she met with beauty editors in New York several times and, over time, developed relationships that propelled her and her products into the limelight.
• Catherine Maley leveraged her experience as a practice consultant and distilled it into several useful tips for growing one’s cosmetic practice. Having a great Web site and practice brochures that highlight your training, skills and interests is one of the best ways to increase conversion of general dermatology patients to cosmetic patients.
• One of the most informative sessions was one given by Page Piland from BSM Consulting who discussed benchmarking data for cosmetic dermatologists. This session illustrated the average revenue, productivity and expenses associated with running a practice. The data provided afforded physicians in the field an opportunity to compare their practices with their colleagues’ practices and to gain insights into some of the practices of the best-run physician offices.
A Bright Future
Overall, the meeting was well received by physician attendees, faculty and sponsors alike. As a director of the meeting, I am looking forward to next year’s meeting, which will include a summer meeting with advanced and beginning electives for marketing and clinical techniques, as well as a Cosmetic Boot Camp for Office Staff. Each meeting will seek to include the newest cosmetic procedures and the best faculty.
Sponsorship is limited to those corporations that seek to comply with continuing medical education guidelines and to improve cosmetic medicine and surgery.
We aim to keep growing the status of the meeting as the pre-eminent aesthetic meeting for physicians, and our goal is to keep the meetings from becoming too large and impersonal. We hope you’ll join us in the future.
Whenever I speak or inject onstage, inevitably I learn more than I impart. Probably, this is because I am asked to work with people who are so gifted and generous that it would be virtually impossible not to learn from them. This year’s Cosmetic Boot Camp meeting (held at the St. Regis Hotel in Aspen, CO) was no exception.
Cosmetic Boot Camp meetings, which were founded 2 years ago by myself and Dr. Mary Lupo, are a little different than most: to begin with, there are no extenders or non-specialists present. In addition, corporate sponsorship is limited to those sponsors committed to residency or fellowship-trained physicians — those corporations with unduly burdensome agendas are not invited to participate. The meeting is an aggregation of companies and physicians interested in learning. They all have a common fund of knowledge from which to operate. The meetings focus on improving physicians’ clinical skills and understanding how to improve a cosmetic practice — no matter what the starting points for each is. We hold live demonstrations of injections, lasers and more, in addition to the variety of elective courses on different procedures and marketing lectures.
Clinical Pearls
• Dr. Joel Cohen discussed techniques to inject botulinum toxins for intermediate and advanced injectors. It was discussed that the use of minute amounts (i.e., 1 to 2 units on each side of the lip) can produce what Dr. Cohen refers to as a pseudo augmentation and that patients are typically more satisfied with Botox combined with fillers for the treatment of perioral rhytids than with either modality alone.
• Sclerotherapy was discussed by Dr. Lupo and was complemented by Dr. Craig Teller’s lecture on endovenous treatments for vessel closure. Newer techniques for the treatment of leg veins were presented in a manner that explained the spectrum of new injection agents as well as newer lasers and energy sources. It was easy to understand what has changed in this field and to decide what new procedures would be appropriate to add to a practice. Some of the newer agents such as Sotradecol were discussed and compared with saline (which is what I have used). It was interesting to learn that in most instances, saline is as efficacious and perhaps has a lower complication profile than some of the newer agents.
The presentation on endovenous ablation, something I had not considered adding to my practice because of concerns about liability and potential complications, made it more inviting to the average dermatologic surgeon. I will be interested in learning more at next year’s meeting.
Filler Pearls
• As always, fillers occupied a large portion of the meeting. Newer hyaluronic acids and collagens were discussed by Dr. Nowell Solish. Dr. Solish is world renowned for his advanced injection techniques as well as his dinnertime entertainment.
He presented information on products that he has used in Canada for years that are not yet approved in the United States. This served as a preview of what will appear in U.S. markets and provided American doctors with an overview of products relevant for our practices. He reviewed new collagen products, such as Evolence, and newer hyalurons, such as Restylane SubQ, Perlane and several others, that are on the horizon, as well as the perpetually “around the corner” product – Artefill.
• Dr. Susan Weinkle discussed Sculptra and its new uses as a cosmetic “volumi-zer”. For instance, instead of simply using it as another filling product, it can be utilized to fill the hollows of the cheeks, raise the cheekbones and provide a tightening for the jowls — something that traditional fillers are not great at doing.
• I lectured on some of the more long-lasting fillers that are playing a larger role in dermatology practices, including Radiesse and silicone. I emphasized that Radiesse should not be injected into the body of the lip and silicone is not appropriate for horizontal lines such as the forehead.
Laser and Light Devices
• Lasers and light sources were reviewed by Dr. Vic Narurkar. He highlighted newer systems from Palomar and Reliant that enable physicians to tighten the skin in a way not available from previous devices.
In addition, some of the new “fractional” resurfacing lasers and light sources that are used to remove pixels of skin instead of the entire epidermis were discussed. These devices enable faster and more predictable recovery, and it is likely that they will supplant several of the devices presently on the market.
More Cosmetic Pearls
• Dr. Gary Monheit discussed newer botulinum toxins, including the results from some of the Reloxin trials. Although he could not divulge the exact results, it is sufficient to say that he was excited about the new product.
• Patricia Wexler, M.D., performed a video demonstration of fat transfer and spoke about her experience with this technique. Dr. Wexler combines a wealth of experience with great technical knowledge, and she discussed her experience with fat transfers over the past two decades and compared this technique with fillers that are available and likely to be approved. She recommends fat transfers for patients who need restoration of significant volume deficits.
• One surgical perspective was presented by Dr. Charles Finn who detailed the types of procedures offered by a facial plastic surgeon. He discussed where fillers, threads and toxins end and where the surgical skills of a good facial plastic surgeon complement the skills of a good dermatologic surgeon and the synergy between the two disciplines. The surgical portion of the meeting was well received and will be expanded with the addition of more surgical presentations next year.
Practice Management Pearls
• Sue Ellen Cox, M.D., discussed the various forms of marketing that have made her practice one of the leading practices in the United States. Her best marketing tip was to explore the interests of your employees and let them assume more responsibility for areas in which they are interested. For example, one of her employees manages the practice Web site while another has gone back to school for clinical trial management. She also emphasized that no amount of marketing can replace a staff that is truly excellent and that cares.
• Katie Rodan, M.D., discussed how to successfully interact with the media. Dr. Rodan emphasized several facets of media relationships including a tip to remember: Despite the friendliness of reporters and broadcasters, don’t forget that they’re never “off the record”. So it’s dangerous to assume that something said to them will remain confidential.
Media relationships are best cultivated over a long time, and one key to developing these relationships is to be available. Dr. Rodan emphasized the fact that reporters typically have tight deadlines and appreciate prompt responses.
She discussed the costs and benefits of public relations firms and gave examples of her own experiences serving as her own public relations firm. During those interactions, she met with beauty editors in New York several times and, over time, developed relationships that propelled her and her products into the limelight.
• Catherine Maley leveraged her experience as a practice consultant and distilled it into several useful tips for growing one’s cosmetic practice. Having a great Web site and practice brochures that highlight your training, skills and interests is one of the best ways to increase conversion of general dermatology patients to cosmetic patients.
• One of the most informative sessions was one given by Page Piland from BSM Consulting who discussed benchmarking data for cosmetic dermatologists. This session illustrated the average revenue, productivity and expenses associated with running a practice. The data provided afforded physicians in the field an opportunity to compare their practices with their colleagues’ practices and to gain insights into some of the practices of the best-run physician offices.
A Bright Future
Overall, the meeting was well received by physician attendees, faculty and sponsors alike. As a director of the meeting, I am looking forward to next year’s meeting, which will include a summer meeting with advanced and beginning electives for marketing and clinical techniques, as well as a Cosmetic Boot Camp for Office Staff. Each meeting will seek to include the newest cosmetic procedures and the best faculty.
Sponsorship is limited to those corporations that seek to comply with continuing medical education guidelines and to improve cosmetic medicine and surgery.
We aim to keep growing the status of the meeting as the pre-eminent aesthetic meeting for physicians, and our goal is to keep the meetings from becoming too large and impersonal. We hope you’ll join us in the future.
