Features
Medicinal leech therapy in plastic surgery
The medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis) has played a role in treating illness for over 3500 years [1]. It has survived rapid paradigm shifts in medical sciences and knowledge. In Ancient Rome, the use of leeches for bloodletting was propagated by...
Laser tattoo removal: results and issues
The term tattoo indicates both the technique for pictorial decoration on a person’s body [1], and the decoration produced by such a technique. Studies show that in the United States around 5-6% of the general population, 13% of adolescents, 19-35%...
Could a technology from the past change skin disinfection for the future?
It wouldn’t be unreasonable to argue that the field of medicine has seen some of the most significant scientific advances of the past 100 years: the cracking of genetic coding, the advances in pharmacology, the development of biopharmaceuticals and the...
Teaching students head and neck anatomy through the art of drawing
The link, both historical and contemporary, between art and anatomy is apparent. A recent British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) documentary The Beauty of Anatomy showcased the impressive contributions of artists towards the deeper understanding of anatomy and, by default, surgical practice....
Focus on Plasma: Total rejuvenation of the face with plasma device
The use of plasma energy is a new concept in anti-ageing and aesthetic medicine. Since it has been introduced in the aesthetic field, many studies have been conducted to try and understand the effects on collagen synthesis which may explain...
Focus on Plasma: The application of plasma devices in aesthetic medicine
AESTHETIC FOCUS Plasma: An ionised gas consisting of positive ions and free electrons in proportions resulting in more or less no overall electric charge, typically at low pressures (as in the upper atmosphere and in fluorescent lamps) or at very...
A guide to hair transplantation
A leading hair transplant surgeon provides an overview of the most effective surgical treatments for hair restoration – and how the industry will develop over the next decade. Modern hair transplant techniques were first developed in Japan in the 1930s...
The medial gastrocnemius flap
This classic muscle flap is now being used with increasing frequency following revision knee joint surgery. Following the Nahai and Mathes classification, the gastrocnemius muscle is a Type I muscle with a single dominant vascular pedicle (Figure 1). The gastrocnemius...
Classical facelift: a modern British perspective
It is clearly impossible to outline the whole of this subject matter in a short editorial article; many theses have been written in this field. This article is designed to give an overview to those reasonably familiar with this area...
Laser and light based hair removal
Laser hair removal is a popular, and constantly evolving, treatment. Professor Paolo Bonan and colleagues provide us with a comprehensive overview and some ‘top tips’ for how to make the procedure as safe and effective as possible. Hair removal, also...
Opinion: Non-health groups and facial cosmetic injections: When prophecy fails
It was in the late 1950s that the Psychologist Leon Festinger first developed his theory to explain how members of a cult were persuaded by their leader, Dorothy Martin that the earth was going to be destroyed by a flood...
Could epidermal grafting be the solution to vitiligo?
Dr Foutsizoglou shares his thoughts on a recent innovation based on epidermal grafting that could be used on vitiligo patients. I attended the ‘Make Better Summit Meeting’, an international surgical congress organised by Acelity™ and chaired by Professor Dr med....