From the great wrinkle race to stem cell facelifts, nothing was off limits at the hot topics session of The Aesthetic Meeting 2013, the annual meeting of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) in New York City. During this “don’t-miss” event, leading plastic surgeons from the U.S. and abroad discuss the latest and potentially greatest innovations in cosmetic surgery.
Benjamin Ascher, MD, a Parisian plastic surgeon, is hot for focused cold therapy, namely iovera by Myoscience. This is a toxin-free way to treat wrinkles by tapping into the body’s natural response to cold.
Will it give Botox, Dysport and Xeomin a run for their money or get a chilly reception from patients?
The jury is out on that, says Dallas, Texas-based plastic surgeon William Adams, MD, who chaired the hot topics panel. “It may be a good alternative for certain patients, but it needs more study and data,” he says.
As far as stem cell facelifts and stem cell breast augmentation go, there is still not enough evidence to say they make an aesthetic difference, says Dr. Adams. “We are still learning a lot about stem cells, and they may one day be a viable option for plastic surgeons, but we don’t know when that will be,” Adams says.