Appearance medicine conference

August 6 2013

Professionalism and safety focus of appearance medicine conference

Professionalism and safety standards were the focus for over 150 medical professionals working within the growing appearance medicine field at their annual conference in Queenstown this week.

Fifty members of The New Zealand College of Appearance Medicine (NZCAM) were joined by their Australian counterparts, clinic managers, nurses, and GPs interested in the field for the three-day conference at Hilton Queenstown.

NZCAM president Dr Hans Raetz said members of the college were “leaders in their field”, endorsed by the Medical Council and driven by training and learning.

“All our members are certified and registered, so anyone thinking of undertaking a procedure can check with the practitioner themselves and on our website and know that they’re in safe and competent hands.

“Our members have to be a Fellow of the College of GP’s before they can even start training, then they go through a vigorous two-year training programme, covering practical workshops and online training, culminating in an exam covering all areas of our field.”

Dr Raetz said increase in demand for cosmetic procedures nationwide had seen 20% year-on-year growth for practitioners, and the number of NZCAM members had doubled in the past four years.

“The college’s role is to keep consumers informed on how to keep themselves safe, by always using a registered practitioner who maintains standards, is up to speed on the very latest products and techniques and is undergoing clinical audits every three years.”

Dr Raetz said advances in technology meant that most procedures are well tolerated with minimal pain relief required and were ‘lunchtime’ treatments where patients could go back to work in the afternoon.

“Properly controlled, appearance medicine is a safe field for patients to engage and doctors to work in. Through the support of the college it is ensured that practitioners don’t work in isolation and are appraised of the latest developments, maintain the highest clinical standards and are engaged in ongoing training and research.

“People should never have to run the risk of going to an un-registered practitioner when a list of registered doctors is just a mouse click away. Registration and certification of appearance medicine practitioners is setting us apart from the UK and Australia, as it’s now the task of the college to make the public aware of how to keep themselves safe.”

This year’s Annual Scientific Meeting has heard from a wide range of national and international speakers and Dr Raetz said the subjects covered reflected the public’s move away from more aggressive surgical treatments towards an emphasis on rejuvenation.

“These days it’s more about people wanting to slow down the aging process rather than radically change their looks,” he said.

“The conference always delivers some spirited discussion and debate, indicative of the professionalism and commitment of those in this very special area of medicine.

” This year’s conference gave delegates the chance to gain further insight in exciting developments in stem cell therapy, new filler and wrinkle-toxin injections as well as exciting updates on fat reduction treatments and liposuction."
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