On June 9-11, SEASON 2023 was held at the Science Gallery at King’s College London, marking the fifth congress of the Global Aesthetics Alliance (GAA).
Over the three days, 50 delegates secured 19 CPD points through educational talks and a cadaver/dissection anatomy day on June 9. Here are four key topics discussed across the conference’s agenda:
- Regenerative medicine was put in the spotlight as an area of exciting development. Exosomes are a big buzzword in the industry, with the speakers exploring how different types have varying efficacy in terms of regeneration, and debating how effective they are when used topically.
- Injectable methods were explored, with practitioners such as dental and plastic surgeon Miss Natasha Berridge recommending performing or referring for fat grafting procedures if a very high volume of dermal filler would need to be used to treat a patient.
- Microexpressions were discussed by aesthetic practitioner Dr Simon Ravichandran. He highlighted how microexpressions (facial expressions displayed for <0.5 seconds) are essential for our understanding of our emotions, social interactions, making connections and empathy, and that excessive use of botulinum toxin can limit these. Dr Ravichandran said he is hesitant to offer parents of young children large amounts of toxin because children in the developmental stages need to see a range of microexpressions to build empathy.
- Trans and gender diverse (TGD) patients were paid particular attention, with Miss Berridge and board-certified dermatologist Dr Hema Sundaram discussing the cruciality of cultural competence and compassion regarding TGD individuals. They recommended staff in clinics receive training on this to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment.
Plastic surgeon and conference co-director Mr Dalvi Humzah reflected, “The London SEASON meeting was a wonderful coming together of colleagues and scientific minds at the cutting edge of aesthetics. Looking at current developments in ultrasound, anatomy, exosomes, fillers and skin assessments. All the faculty and delegates had a convivial time during the breaks, exchanging ideas and actively developing collaborative ideas. We are looking forward to the next meetings in Dubai and the US, and will be back in London next year!”
