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Safety and risks of local anaesthesia and regional blocks in plastic surgery

The current COVID-19 pandemic has introduced unprecedented risks associated with intubation and general anaesthesia with the potential transmission of a novel and potentially fatal airborne disease. Local anaesthesia, when used appropriately, can provide safe and effective analgesia without the risks...

A short overview of the evolution of botulinum toxin type A formulations

Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) is a potent neurotoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum [1]. BoNT-A has been used for various therapeutic and aesthetic purposes, including the treatment of muscle disorders, chronic pain and facial wrinkles [2-4]. Over the...

Do You Know Your Advertising Standards?

Over the last couple of years we have seen many organisations, including the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) seek to ban or at least rein in some of the advertising practices which go on in this industry [1]....

Practising surgery in a war zone: an interview with Dr Volodymyr Melnyk

It is now nine months since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine commenced in late February 2022, with Putin announcing a “special military operation” to “denazify and demilitarise” Ukraine. The rest of the world, however, saw it for what it...

A review of plasma medicine

The author investigates the efficacy and tolerability of plasma treatments and asks what the future might hold in this field. Plasma medicine, a new and revolutionary technology to aesthetics, utilises the physical process of sublimation for therapeutic purposes. Non-surgical clinical...

Overview of non-invasive treatments for submental fat reduction

Submental fat (SMF) is a growing aesthetic problem that is colloquially known as a ‘double chin’. It is a concern for both younger and older male and female patients. The 2017 American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Consumer Survey on Cosmetic...

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...

Can I quit the gym? Low level laser and body contouring

Is low level laser the answer for patients seeking a non-invasive method for body contouring? Balancing energy intake and energy expenditure is the healthiest and most sustainable means of weight loss and toning, but despite this, areas of local fat...

Cryolipolysis: a review of published clinical data

Definition: Cryolipolysis is derived from the greek language, describing ‘cold’ and ‘fat breakdown’. History The actual phenomenon of cold induced adipocyte necrosis was originally described by Epstein et al. in 1970 who had reported the presence of a “red indurated...

Can 3D facial imaging improve patient management in disfiguring eye disease?

Fight for Sight is the leading UK charity funder of eye research. Since the 2013 Sight Loss and Vision Priority Setting Partnership we have encouraged our researchers to work on priorities jointly identified by people affected by sight loss and...

Lasers and the skin

Laser is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Lasers have revolutionised the treatment of many skin conditions and are being used both in terms of a medical and an aesthetic context. Laser technology has been advancing...

Acid Survivors Trust International

The shocking acid attack on two British nationals in Zanzibar in August 2013 drew attention to a little known and under-reported form of interpersonal violence. Acid attack is a particularly vicious form of a premeditated assault, where acid is thrown,...