This article first appeared in the Fall 2019 issue of NewBeauty. Click here to subscribe.
The world’s most beautiful minds gathered at The Aesthetic Society’s annual meeting to give us a glimpse into the future. What awaits? Knife-free necklifts, a shot for cellulite and more.
Facelift Lite?
Two minimally invasive technologies are
aiming to deliver tighter skin without surgery.
Through a series of micro-core excisions,
the Cytrellis device removes 5 to 10 percent of skin on the face in a 20-minute
procedure, and could earn FDA-approval by
year’s end. A similar modality from Recros
Medica, rotational fractional resection (RFR)
drills out segments of loose submental skin
with spinning “scalpets” and sucks away fat
with a rotating cannula to contour the jawline.
Rockville, MD dermatologist Hema Sundaram, MD, clinical investigator in the U.S. FDA
study, said 99 percent of subjects were unhappy with their necks and jawlines before treatment; by 90 days post-treatment, 82 percent
were satisfied with their appearance.
Muscle Bound
Last year marked the arrival of Emsculpt—
and the addition of “supramaximal contractions” to our beauty lexicon. Using high-intensity focused electromagnetic energy, the
BTL Aesthetics device activates muscles in
a way ordinary sit-ups and squats cannot.
While originally approved for strengthening
the abs and glutes, new applicators for the
arms, thighs and calves are rolling out. In a
study of the upper arms, four treatments over
two weeks delivered a measurable volume
increase, notes Montclair, NJ plastic surgeon
Barry DiBernardo, MD. And “by increasing
biceps and triceps, lax skin filled out as well
in some patients.” (The company is now
debuting Emtone, which attacks cellulite with
monopolar radio frequency and targeted
pressure energy.) Muscling its way in, Allergan’s
CoolTone received FDA-clearance in June.
According to Shreveport, LA plastic surgeon
Simeon Wall, Jr., MD, the magnetic stimulation
it induces “may recruit more muscle cells than
Emsculpt, possibly making it a stronger tool.”
Dimple Disruptor
Could the elusive cure for cellulite lie in a syringe?
Presently under investigation is collagenase clostridium histolyticum (CCH), an enzyme that breaks down
collagen. “By injecting it into the cellulite dimples, we
can dissolve or loosen the collagen-rich fibers tethering
the skin to underlying muscles, allowing dimples to
float up, and creating a smoother, more level skin surface,” explains New York plastic surgeon Lawrence Bass,
MD. Based on study protocol, one can expect to need
three appointments, involving up to 12 shots per treatment area, spaced roughly 21 days apart. Look for CCH
in dermatologist and plastic surgeons’ offices toward
the end of 2020.
Red Ridder
Tranexamic acid continues to stir excitement. “We have
not really seen these types of improvements from anything other than devices,” says Dr. DiBernardo, referring
to results achieved by U.SK Under Skin from pharma
company the NC Group. In a six-week trial, the physician-dispensed formula diminished pigmentation and
redness. “Our instruments showed a marked reduction in red blood vessels; it’s very unusual to see
this from a topical,” he says, adding that tranexamic
acid has been proven in separate studies to decrease
certain markers related to the growth of vessels.
Big Shot
Lipo has long been a prerequisite for fat injections, but Renuva may be changing
the game. New York plastic surgeon Haideh
Hirmand, MD describes the injectable as a
“sterile and preserved matrix derived from
donated fat that possesses the qualities
needed to make new fat and blood vessels.”
(It’s approved and regulated as a transplant
tissue, not a medical device.) With no actual
living fat cells in the formula, it cannot
be rejected, she notes. Developed by the
nonprofit tissue bank MTF Biologics, the
matrix was originally studied for correcting
small irregularities, like cellulite divots, but is
now being explored as a potential volumizer
for the face. “It shows promise as an
alternative to autologous fat and hyaluronic
acid fillers. I can’t say we’ve struck gold yet,
but I’m very excited about Renuva,” says Dr.
Hirmand. “We need bigger long-term studies
to sort out its nuances for aesthetic use.”
Middle-Whittler
Irony of ironies: The fat-reduction category continues
to expand. EonFR is an FDA-cleared, non-contact laser
device “that preferentially heats up and kills fat
cells, allowing them to be excreted over time,” explains Salt Lake City plastic surgeon Renato Saltz, MD.
During the 15-minute procedure, the machine scans the
topography of the patient before delivering a personalized treatment. As of press time, results of the 36-subject
clinical trial were not available, but outcomes “are already equivalent to another well-known device on the
market,” says Dr. Saltz, “and [may] improve with further
development of the treatment protocol.”
—Medically reviewed by La Jolla, CA plastic surgeon Robert Singer, MD and Eugene, OR plastic surgeon Mark Jewell, MD
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