Aesthetically Speaking: Industry News April 2013

Keogh Review says Beauty Therapists and Doctors Should Have Formal Qualification to Provide Dermal Fillers

The Department of Health and the review panel, headed up by NHS Medical Director Sir Bruce Keogh, into the provision of cosmetic interventions in England have announced that their long awaited report will be delayed by one month, until the end of April 2013.
In a statement, the review panel noted that non-surgical treatments, such as dermal fillers and laser treatments make up 90% of the UK cosmetic intervention sector, yet it remains largely unregulated when compared to the cosmetic surgery side.
This means that there are currently few controls on who can perform these treatments and where they can be carried out, something which concerns many within the industry who are well aware of the complications which can occur with use of such products, albeit often rare, depending on the temporary or permanent nature and composition of the products. They went on to say that the review is expected to call for new laws to ensure that anyone performing these treatments, doctors, nurses and beauty therapists is ‘competent and accountable’. Clinic Comment: “We totally agree with this expected outcome and eagerly await the full report!” Johnson & Johnson Plan a Smooth Move into Aesthetics
Johnson & Johnson may soon cause frown lines at Allergan, maker of Botox, as it expects to seek US approval next year for an anti-wrinkle drug that could break Botox’s near monopoly, an 85% market share.  The Johnson & Johnson product could be available in the US in 2015 and other countries a few years later, the company says. “Johnson & Johnson is probably the only company that can go head to head directly with Allergan,” says Morningstar analyst Michael Waterhouse. “They have a big marketing budget and sales force, and an attractive cosmetic portfolio” of other products to offer dermatologists.

Still, Johnson & Johnson’s quest won’t be easy. Analysts and dermatologists say its product likely would need to work faster, last longer or be significantly cheaper than Botox in order to wrest market share from the original injectable wrinkle fighter. “Johnson & Johnson is a company I’d take seriously; they have great research and try to be industry leaders in every category,” says Dr Kenneth Beer, a dermatologist in West Palm Beach, Florida who has been a consultant for both Allergan and Johnson & Johnson. But he says patients aren’t quick to switch from something with which they are familiar. “Allergan has built such a strong brand. People ask for Botox by name. This will be an uphill struggle” for Johnson & Johnson, Dr Beer says.  Johnson & Johnson has not yet unveiled the data from completed late-stage trials for the still unnamed drug.

Valeant to Acquire Obagi for $344M

Valeant Pharmaceuticals is acquiring Obagi Medical Products for nearly $344 million, just months after acquiring Medicis Pharmaceutical for $2.6 billion.  The definitive agreement would allow Valeant to acquire all outstanding common stock of Obagi for $19.75 per share in cash. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2013, according to a news release.  Obagi’s skincare line includes the brands Nu-Derm, ELASTIDerm and CLENZIDerm. It posted revenue of $120 million in 2012. Obagi’s board of directors has unanimously approved the transaction. £260 Million Blown on Home Fitness that Fails! An exercise bike at home may seem like a good idea, but will you really use it?  The intention is there, we
buy the fitness equipment in a bid to do it at home, it’s more convenient isn’t it? Well, not really. In a bid to lose weight or tone up, UK adults spent more than £1billion over the last five years on home health and fitness equipment they rarely, if ever, use, according to new research from Nuffield Health.
Three quarters of adults have bought at least one piece of equipment, ranging from treadmills to trampolines, so they can pursue health or fitness goals in the comfort of their own home. However, just 21 per cent of these people use the equipment regularly and double that admit to using it briefly when they first buy it, if at all, and then giving up.The research suggests that the average home exerciser spends £235 on equipment that doesn’t get results, with each person owning four items on average. Fewer than a third of the 2,000 UK adults surveyed achieved what they set out to and the most common reasons for ditching home health and fitness routines were ‘not seeing benefits’ and ‘preferring to use the equipment in the gym’. In fact one in 10 people hurt themselves using the equipment and had to stop.Clinic Comment: We recommend getting out in the fresh air on your bike and complimenting this with a course of TriActive + Treatments. Guaranteed results!

And Finally! Can Getting Slapped In The Face Erase Your Wrinkles?

We have recently read about a Thai beauty technique that promises tighter skin and smaller pores!  Some people will beat themselves up just to look a little younger, but at one Thai beauty parlor in San Francisco, you can pay other people to do the beating for you.
The Tata Massage salon in San Francisco offers a unique service to its clients: an old Thai beauty treatment that features repeated slaps to the face, which supposedly tighten up wrinkles and reduce the size of pores. Co-owner Mawan Sombuntham says his wife Tata is one of only a handful of people in the world who are masters of the technique. “This has been around for more than 100 years,” Sombuntham said. “The reason why there are so few people who can do this is because [Tata’s] teacher is very selective in choosing who to teach this technique to. She is only going to accept 10 students of face-slapping in her lifetime.”
Folks looking to the alternative treatment for rejuvenation find themselves on the business end of Tata’s hands. She delivers vigorous pats to their chins, cheeks and foreheads, then watches as shriveling disappears. The service costs about $350. Clinic Comment: “No, we will not be offering this treatment here at the rtwskin clinic.”