It’s been an unbelievably busy few months for the team at here Quinn Clinics.
In December we moved into our brand new, custom designed and refurbished clinic in Clifton, Bristol. We have a new staff member, Nikki Baker and a whole new treatment modality, namely laser.
I am really excited about our Lumenis One Intense Pulsed Light Platform. Having spent the best part of last year completing a diploma in clinical dermatology at University College London and completing my thesis on Acne Rosacea, I was keen to look at laser/light based therapies for my patients. Intense pulsed light (or IPL) has multiple applications, the most exciting of which is photorejuvenation.
Photorejuvenation is the use of light to soften visible signs of sun damage. Sun damage presents as brown spots and thread veins on the face. It is a common problem, particularly amongst celtic populations.
The Lumenis One is also brilliant for permanent hair reduction. It has a Lightsheer 810nm diode head which is a gold standard for the procedure. Nikki looks forward to removing hair from the fine people of Bristol in our lovely airconditioned laser room. She is also proving very popular with patients partial to the benefits of medical microdermabrasion and superficial skin peels.
As well as opening the new clinic, I’ve had a busy few months conference wise. January was the International Masterclass in Anti-ageing Science in Paris. In March I attended both the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors Spring conference at the Royal Society of Medicine in London and the World Anti-ageing Conference in Monte Carlo. It’s a hard life!
The recent trends in Botox continue towards a more subtle look. Total paralysis is out! At Monte Carlo a very interesting presentation on the use of microdoses of Botox in the forehead caught my eye. I certainly plan on trying the technique out in Bristol very soon!
As regards fillers, revolumising was the buzz word at each of these three meetings. This means using fillers deep under the skin to provide a lifting effect, rather than just treating individual lines. Pretty much all of the dermal filler manufacturers spent considerable time demonstrating how their products may be used to lift the mid face. Indeed it appears many experts feel that facelift type results may be achieved throughout the use of fillers such as Juvederm Voluma. There remains considerable debate about the safest and most effective ways of doing this, however. The use of cannula devices which are blunt-ended as opposed to traditional sharp needles is much discussed as a safer way of introducing fillers. It certainly seems to produce less bruising in my experience.
Outside work, Sue has become a grandmother for the first time. Baby Beau Blake arrived in February and apart from a few sleepless nights, Sue is a delighted granny. Apart from the use of the term “granny” obviously..
The next few weeks promise to be just as busy as the last few months. We continue to see large numbers of new patients. With increasingly long and brighter days this will only continue. We look forward to seeing you at the clinic soon. Roll on Summer!
Dr John Quinn