In the wake of the TGA regulations around cosmetic medicine, there continues to be a lot of fear around what this will mean. Most injectors to date have relied heavily on being able to show before/ after photos, often of a single treatment area, “before” and “after” treatment with an S4 (prescription) medication. For example? […]

As of March 7th 2024, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia implemented widespread changes that will limit most discussion about medical aesthetics on social media and most settings outside of a consultation with your doctor or healthcare professional (HCP). The ability to simply order treatment with prescription medications on demand over the last few […]

In January this year, the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia, aka the TGA, surprised the non surgical cosmetic industry with the news that we are no longer allowed to use common terms to describe some of the services we provide, using the drugs used in those services. Medical aesthetics can no longer use certain terms […]

On 60Minutes recently, there was a feature showcasing the decisions of women in their 50s such as Justine Bateman of Family Ties fame and 80s supermodel Paulina Porizkova, and their decision to not have injectables and to age the way nature intends. I’ve yet to watch the whole feature, but it continues to bring up […]

With the introduction of a new class of injectable diabetes drug that hit Australia in 2022, used off label for weight loss, the term “ozempic face” has really taken off in recent months. The drug, which is injected weekly, is approved for the treatment of certain types of diabetes and is a game changer in […]

It's interesting to us here at Skin Essentials that we frequently see patients, who have either been to several other clinics before finding us, or who used to see us and then went elsewhere, only to eventually return, that we hear the following feedback from them: I went there because it was cheap and what […]

Common complaints I hear of when meeting patients for the first time, whether new to medical aesthetics or new to me, is issues with their anti wrinkle dose and "wearing off too quickly". So it bears repeating - anti wrinkle treatments work by paralysing the nerves that send signals to the muscles in your face […]

The most seasoned business owners know firsthand that in order to succeed, you have to be willing to fail, sometimes many times over. Each time this happens, you pick yourself up and keep moving, learning from what worked, and what did not. Why do this to ourselves? While it seems like an exercise in self […]

On 10th January 2023, aesthetic journalist Alice Hart Davis, who is turning 60 this year, was featured in a Daily Mail UK article on the treatments she’s had over the past 20 years entitled “I’ve got 20 years of filler stuck in my face - it’s meant to dissolve over two years” While the title […]

Not one week goes by when I don’t see a new patient who wants “a bit of a lift” to sagging tissue and believes threadlifts (not mono threads) with either barbs or cones that temporarily reposition sagging tissues, are the solution. The vast majority of the time over the last few years on assessment they’ve […]

In December each year, historically, my children and I plan some time off during the summer school holidays during which we reconnect. For me, as someone who is (mostly) super organised, it is an annual tradition to plan my upcoming goals and aims for the year ahead in 4 domains: - personal - familial- professional […]

Earlier this week there was a post by a journalist Jolene Edgar who writes on all things medical aesthetics, about the effects of non surgical procedures on future face/neck lifts and a forum which has plastic surgeons weighing in on their experience of this.  Here's what she said  "Interesting discussion over the weekend on the […]

It has been some time but every now and again I get asked if I offer 0.5ml lip filler. Equally, I get asked occasionally why I don’t offer 0.5ml lip filler as an option for touchups.  It’s a great question, so I thought I’d take the time to explain, rather than 1:1 as the occasion […]

The term retinoids is often the cause of a lot of confusion on social media and in skin clinics. After sunscreen and rigorous sun avoidance, everyone’s skincare should ideally, include a retinoid.  Retinoids are clinically proven to treat and improve acne, fine lines and wrinkles, even out pigmentation (eg pigmentation/ sunspots)  and a host of […]

It’s here! After 7 years for TGA registration since it launched globally, the new biostimulatory, bioremodelling filler aka Skin Honey is here and at Skin Essentials. Why all the fuss? See for yourself!   It boasts the ability to hydrate skin, like many Skinboosters, upto 20x more in addition to stimulating your own collagen and […]

As we rapidly hurtle towards summer and hot weather and plenty of time lounging outdoors, by pools and the beach, it is even more important than ever to be sun smart. Applying sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher daily dramatically reduces the risk of skin cancer, including the deadliest form, melanoma. Sunscreen is one of […]

We are well and truly into spring weather, and summer is just around the corner!  So what are some tips and tricks to help you get your skin summer ready while also helping you keep it safe from sunburn and other issues common to warmer weather?  My patients and followers know I’m a fan of […]

The aging process. It is inevitable if you are a living being. None of us can avoid it, and for most of us, it can be a sign of immense privilege to be able to age well.  Nonetheless there are many things that we can do to help influence our overall ageing so it is […]

A cosmetologist in her late 50s in the USA posted recently about her skin transformation over 7 years and the true cost of it and it got me thinking. Much of the beauty and aesthetic industry is on an race to the bottom: they hire junior doctors and nurses to perform injectables purchased wholesale at […]

I recently did a  live on Instagram with Clinical Psychologist Dr Toni Pikoos, in which we discussed the intersection of medical aesthetics and psychology as I have been reflecting on the type of patients who are less likely to have success with aesthetic treatments. As a doctor, I cannot overestimate the importance of the initial […]

Patient safety is a pet peeve of ours here at Skin Essentials. In as much as is possible, we pride ourselves on doing everything we can, from the time you book a consultation to the day of your planned treatment to aftercare and followup, to work in a way that is ethical and safe while […]

Perhaps the biggest way to understand that medical aesthetics isn’t the same as hair, nails and beauty, is the fact that in order for us to carry out any procedures on you, it is a legal requirement to consent you for the procedure prior. While many, if not most people rush to sign the form […]

Much of medical aesthetics done well, is subtle, so very subtle. People often believe they would not consider aesthetics because of the many, many examples of bad aesthetics we see walking all around us. They don’t want “duck lips” or “trout pouts” or “avatar cheeks”, “chipmunk cheeks” and more.   Many people never notice the […]

At heart, I’ve always been a generalist. I love people, and I love the whole person, more than I love any single body system. My years of training across two training specialities, both dealing in whole person preventive care at various life stages, taught me firsthand the importance of whole person, preventive care that is […]

This seems to be among the coldest winters we have seen here in Australia for some years and we are not coping! Winter is a season characterised by lower humidity, scratchy fabrics and often, heating that leads to dry, irritated skin. So what are some winter basics to keep skin happy? Here are some basic […]