Latest News

SMARTLIPO

Dr Kitchen has now performed over 120 SMARTLIPO procedures and is achieving good results especially in the face and neck where results are exceeding our original expectations; "We are achieving excellent tighting of the jaw line and the naso-labial and mento-labial lines (from nose to mouth, and below the corners of the mouth), in what amounts to a "Mini internal laser face lift".

Some patients who had reasonable results after their treatment are now having second treatments in the same area to compound that already achieved.......patients are comfortable with this treatment as an alternative to surgery, as it is relatively painless, with no downtime and can return to work/gym and normal activites straight away.

THERMAGE

We have performed over 200 thermage treatments and results are very encouraging, especially in the 45-60 age bracket.....many get tightening straight off the couch and continue to enjoy increased skin textural changes and "lift" for six months....Whilst benefits can last over 3 years, several patients have come back to have second treatments on the same areas after 12-18 months to tighten the new collagen and enhance that achieved at the first session....The addition of the NEW 3cm tip has made treatments faster and more tolerable for the patient as larger areas can be treated and covered with more passes to achieve the desired results.

FILLERS

Dr Kitchen has performed over 70,000 filler procedures inthe last 20 years and whilst NEW fillers come to market nearly every week,there seems no reason to change the "menu" if things are so satisfactory for the patient; However a recent addition from Merz Pharma of BELOTERO for fine lines especially around the mouth, has been very well received by Dr Kitchen and patients alike...."I like the ability to mould the implant at injection to achieve beautiful natural lip contours and I believe there is less post-injection swelling too ".

COSMEDIX

Stratford Dermatherapy Clinic are glad to announce that we shall be adding a new product specialist and skincare analyst who will be performing skin peels and taking patients through thier "Journey" to a more youthful skin. She is being trained as we speak, and will be highly skilled at patient evaluation and chosing the right combination of care required for all skin conditions. (Sept 5th 2007)

100% COLLAGEN CAPSULES

New for October 2007..........In conjunction with ALICSUR Limited, we have developed a Food Supplement with the purest hydrolysed COLLAGEN which is WHOLLY absorbed from the bowel and layed down by the body for musculo-ligamentous and connective tissue repair and replenishment.

Called "B-Rejuvenated" it has seen amazing results for connective tissue/sports injury repair and arthritic conditions, but an incidental finding has been

A) Stronger shinier hair
B) Stronger nails
C) Increases in skin suppleness and radiance as well as reduction of fine lines !

So an all round Life-Style support in a capsule to be taken orally at night when most of our tissue repair takes place.

"B-Rejuvenated" is shortly to be rolled out on a World-Wide distribution, being immensely popular as a health supplement in Asia and Indo-Asian subcontinent.........watch this space for updates. 12-10-07

SMART-EXIDE CO2 Fractional DOT-Laser;

introduced January 2008; For traditional and fractional skin resurfacing; principal use for skin rejuvenation and fine line removal with skin tightening..... Extremely fast and virtually painless with no need for topical anaesthesia and NO DOWNTIME; Typical areas are the face including rhytids in the peri-occular area as well as minor laser blepharoplasty; Neck and decolletage and backs of hands:- very impressive skin tightening and pigment removal.

MACROLANE BREAST RE-SHAPING:-

Dr Kitchen trained in Sweden at Q-Med HQ January 2008 and now certified to perform Breast and body concavity re-shaping ; Treatments performed under local anaesthetic; NO DOWNTIME; Follow up on regular basis; Small top-ups available at 12-18 months; A Beautiful treatment with huge impact, to gracefully shape youMacrolane™ – Much More Than a ‘Boob Job in a Jab’ Historically, men and women around the globe have submitted to the introduction of all sorts of substances, some more desirable than others, into their bodies in order to achieve an augmentation of areas such as the breasts and buttocks, or to even out discrepancies in the skin’s surface caused by trauma or disease. From early attempts with paraffin and non-medical grade silicone to harvested autologous fat and permanent dermal filler products, the science of adding volume to the body has thankfully come along way. Now, in 2008, a new product on the UK market, Macrolane™ VRF, has become the first body shaping and volume restoration product which uses hyaluronic acid, a natural component of our own bodies. In this month’s feature article, we investigate its uses and speak to the UK surgeon leading the clinical research. Macrolane™ VRF Macrolane™ VRF, which stands for ‘Volume Restoration Factor’, is a new product offering from Q-Med, the makers of the highly successful Restylane® dermal filler range. Macrolane uses the same patented NASHA™ (Non-Animal Stabilised Hyaluronic Acid) technology as Restylane to produce a thicker, more viscous hyaluronic acid gel designed to be injected into the body with long lasting results and no migration. The product range includes two different formulations - Macrolane VRF 20 and Macrolane VRF 30, with VRF 30 providing increased volume over VRF 20. These formulations can be used separately or combined to achieve an optimum result. It is currently indicated and CE approved for ‘volume restoration and shaping of body surfaces’, for example, shaping of the breasts, calves and buttocks and also for evening out discrepancies in skin surface such as those sometimes caused by liposuction. Due to its formulation it cannot and should not however be used on areas of the face. The use of Macrolane in the breast is currently available under the ‘body shaping’ indication, and can achieve approximately a one to one and a half cup size increase in most women ongoing research is being conducted to further evaluate the efficacy of its use in this area and to establish the best techniques and protocols for the procedure. Ideally treatment for this indication should be carried out by a qualified cosmetic doctor or plastic surgeon who has experience of the anatomy involved, as well as having had bespoke training with Macrolane. Currently about two dozen UK practitioners, both surgeons and cosmetic doctors, have been trained and certified in the use of Macrolane for body contouring, with approximately half of those also trained and certified for breast reshaping. Treatment, lasting 30 – 45 minutes, involves a small 2-mm incision in the area, (e.g., normally the crease under each breast or buttock), and the injection of the substance using a thin cannula or large gauge spinal needle deep into the subcutaneous skin layer above the muscle, under local anaesthetic. Often a course of antibiotics may be prescribed both pre and post treatment to reduce any possible risk of infection. Mild bruising, swelling and slight discomfort in the area are expected during the first few days post treatment but should all resolve within a week. Depending on the area treated, physical activity may need to be restricted for a couple of weeks and a support garment worn, such as a sports bra or lycra cycling shorts. In the case of breast reshaping the product is placed underneath the breast tissue, much like an implant, so does not threaten the functioning of the breast in the event of future breast feeding. As with breast implants, the use of Macrolane in this area has also raised concerns over its effect on the visibility of mammograms and the early detection of breast cancers, however following a recent study presented in January 2008 by a group of highly respected European surgeons who have been using Macrolane for this indication it was concluded that; “The presence of Macrolane in the breast does not compromise the detection, diagnosis or management of breast disease." (1) Initial patient feedback following the addition of Macrolane to the breast is very positive, with many noting that they are unable to feel anything significantly different in their treated breasts from how their own natural breasts felt; this is particularly noted in those patients where only one breast is treated for asymmetry, giving an immediate split-body comparison. Additionally the free movement of the breast to create a natural cleavage and to fit correctly in underwear is said to be unaffected, areas which are often dramatically altered with the addition of traditional silicone implants. According to Q-Med, Macrolane is intended to last for 12-18 months in the body, depending on the area treated and the amount of volume used, although it recommends that each individual treatment programme includes a year to 18 month top-up, as required, to maintain the optimal results, and that potentially over time this top-up may reduce in quantity. It will be some time however before long term data on the average duration for particular indications is properly known. Treatment cost will be very much dependant on the area treated and the amount of the product used. Q-Med quotes that typically an initial breast shaping treatment using 200ml (100ml for each breast) will cost in the region of £3000, with top-up treatment in a year's time in the region of £1,400. Although they note that the cost of the top-up treatments is likely to decrease because less of the product will be needed over time to maintain the optimum results. There is a mixture in the type of person who makes an ideal candidate for breast reshaping with Macrolane. From the self-conscious woman in her early 20s whose breast tissue never properly developed at puberty, but who doesn’t want obvious implants, to a similarly aged woman whose breasts did develop but with significant asymmetry, where only one breast requires correction to match the other. Or the older lady in her 30s or 40s who is adamant that she doesn’t want surgical implants, but whose breasts have lost volume due to childbirth, and is seeking an alternative to padded bras and ‘chicken fillets’ while she’s still young enough to wear fashionable low cut tops. In addition, ladies in their 40s or 50s who may be post cancer treatment patients and are looking to restore volume and a natural shape to their breast following a lumpectomy will find satisfaction with this treatment. In fact it would seem very likely that the use of Macrolane as a reconstructive tool, as opposed to a means for purely cosmetic augmentation or ‘boob job in a jab’, is likely to become the primary focus of procedures in the future. Summary Macrolane truly represents a new and innovative product to the hit the aesthetic marketplace; unlike anything currently available for body reshaping and volume restoration. It requires no general anaesthetic, major surgery or overnight hospital stay and produces significantly less scarring and a more natural outcome, both in terms of visual and palpable body shape and long term metabolisation by the body, which is not achievable with permanent dermal filler products or silicone based implants. The arena of breast augmentation and reshaping itself is likely to become heavily contested in the near future with advances in many technologies, including Macrolane, seriously challenging the domination of traditional surgical implants. For example, a new study is currently underway in Japan examining the effects of augmenting a patient’s breast with their own liposuction derived fat, which has also been combined with a concentration of their own fat derived stem and regenerative cells that have been shown in previous trials to improve the tissue retention of the transferred fat. Of course, unlike Macrolane or traditional implants, this type of procedure relies on the patient having enough available excess fat to utilise, which isn’t always going to be the case. Dr Hugo Kitchen is trained and certified by Q-Med to perform this procedure and can be contacted on:- Tel 01789 414289 E-Mail info@skincareclinic.co.uk Web site www.skincareclinic.co.uk Please look at the MACROLANE Tab on this site to see the BEFORE and AFTERS of this beautiful treatment. MACROLANE will help create subtle but noticeable changes to suit each patient's needs, and can create a fuller and firmer breast.