Improved Quality of Life With Cosmetic Procedures

In her session, “Cosmetic Surgery and Its Impact on Quality of Life,” at Dermatology Week 2022, Heidi Prather, MD, discussed cosmetic procedures, their impact on quality of life (QoL), and why dermatologists should offer them.

Dr Prather started with the psychosocial burden of patients with acne in adolescents and adults. She referred to previous studies and noted, “the direct correlation of subjective acne severity and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.”

In lieu of the psychological burden, Dr Prather offered some minimally invasive treatment considerations for acne:

• Consider adjunct treatment with superficial salicylic acid 30% and pulsed dye laser.
• Phenol 88% chemical reconstruction of skin scars (CROSS) is safer and as effective as trichloroacetic acid.

Dr Prather moved forward with the QoL measurement tools in cosmetics. Dr Prather highlighted 2 new cosmetic specific QoL tools:

• BeautyQoL: specific to cosmetic products and physical appearance
• FACE-Q: specific to aesthetic facial procedures and products

Dr Prather also emphasized the impact of cosmetic procedures on QoL as a driving factor for patients, more so than just the appearance alone.

After mentioning a few recent studies, Dr Prather jumped to the market trends of minimally invasive cosmetic procedures. “From a historical perspective, people wanted dilated pupils, fair skin, dark lashes, and bright cheeks.” As for today’s minimally invasive cosmetic surgery, she added, “People are seeking [cosmetic] treatments because they’re safe. They wanted safer options.” Less invasive procedures are highly desirable and the number of men seeking cosmetic procedures is growing rapidly. Also, minimally invasive cosmetic procedures are expected to rise in the future.

Lastly, she encouraged dermatologists to elevate access to minimally invasive cosmetic procedures that have a significant psychosocial impact on patients and outcomes, such as:

• Using salicylic 30% chemical peel and applying phenol CROSS for acne scars.
• Using pulsed dye laser to treat acne.
• Ensuring management of melasma with a good skin care routine such as sunscreen.
• Offering glabellar neurotoxins.

Reference
Prather H. Cosmetic surgery and its impact on quality of life. Presented at: Dermatology Week 2022; May 11-14, 2022; Virtual.