A renewed emphasis on a healthy mind and healthy body as the starting point for beauty was the focus of Cosmetex 2014 at Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast.
With total annual expenditure on cosmetic surgical and medical and related procedures and treatments in Australia estimated to be $1 billion it may come as a surprise to hear new techniques and treatments to cheat time and improve looks beginning on the inside.
This was the view of psychiatrist and author Professor David Castle who addressed attendees on the Gold Coast for the start of Cosmetex 2014 — organised by the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (ACCS), and bringing together cosmetic and plastic surgeons, dermatologists, cosmetic physicians, nurses and other cosmetic health practitioners and industry suppliers.
“Cosmetic enhancement is culturally ubiquitous and has been so since ancient times. People of every culture have been known to adorn themselves; so we need to accept that as normal,” Professor Castle said in his opening plenary address.
“And most people who undergo cosmetic enhancement procedures are happy with the results and we should not adversely judge them. But for some people it can go horribly wrong,” Professor Castle said.
Professor Castle emphasised that it is vital that doctors ensure that their patient’s expectations are realistic and that there are no underlying psychological reasons that would rule out cosmetic surgery.
Cosmetex keynote speaker US Facial Plastic Surgeon and author Dr Steven Dayan then merged ideas from neuropsychiatry, evolutionary biology, and aesthetic medicine to form his “Subliminal Difference” theory, which stresses the importance that small changes made to a person’s face are natural looking for a positive result.
“If an outcome looks unnatural in even the slightest, it will inadvertently tip off the subconscious mind of the unknowing observer that one is not youthful or healthy — the exact opposite message that is intended to be sent”, Dr Dayan said.
ACCS College President Dr Soo-Keat Lim concurred; “As Shakespeare put it, ‘Love looks not with the eye but with the mind.’ And whatever we do as practitioners to change people’s outward appearance, we must always consider first what is within — what patients think and why, before prescribing a treatment,” Dr Lim said.
Dr Lim also noted the increasing emphasis practitioners are placing on nutrition, exercise, using sun protection and not smoking. “Good health is the keystone for beauty,” Dr Lim said who also asked attendees to not only enjoy themselves but “take away with you some gems to lift your game”.
Other keys speakers included Philip Wurth on nutrition and ageing, and Emma Hobson on front of house success.
For more information about the ACCS, visit www.accs.org.au