Dr. Hung William Song - Omni Aesthetics in Oakland, New Jersey

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Oakland, New Jersey Cosmetic Physician Dr. Hung William

Name: Hung William Song, MD
Clinic: Omni Aesthetics
Location: Oakland, NJ
Website: omniaesthetics.com

Can you tell us a little bit of your background and how did you get to where you are now? 

I am board certified in internal medicine I practiced internal medicine for 15 years but switched to a 100% cosmetic practice in 2008. I had about a two year transition period when I did both, but eventually turned over all my medical patients to a colleague and started concentrating full time on my cosmetic practice.

Do you have any procedures that you like better than others? Have you dropped any treatments? If so, why?

My favorite treatments are dermal fillers and fat transfers. I stopped marketing acne treatment because acne is more of a medical problem rather than cosmetic, I now refer these clients to a dermatologist.

You offer treatments with fat transfer. Where have you seen the most success with this treatment? What have you learned about getting the most benefit from this? Do you have any special techniques or 'tricks' that you use? 

I offer a full face fat transfer. I like to fill the whole face starting from the hair line and temples to cheeks, nasal labial folds and pre-jowel sulcus. I use the Viafill system and mix platelet rich plasma with the fat for better viability.

Can you share your experience with fat transfer? How would you describe the efficacy and results? Where have been the most successful improvements in keeping the fat alive after transfer?

By using a disposable coated cannula to harvest and inject the fat and mixing the fat with PRP, I have been able to get good uniform fat retention. The fat is centrifuged using the Viafill system.

What are your thoughts about the technologies you’re using now such as Smart Lipo and Ulthera? 

Smartlipo is a good system because it is a very recognized name, but the machine is very expensive with high disposable costs. If I was to do it again, I would have bought the Vaser for half the price.

Ulthera was a moneymaker for me the first two years but now, I am having a difficult time with competition undercutting me on price. Everyone seems to have one these days including the gym across the street. The consumable cost on the Ulthera is also very very high.

I recently purchased the THermiRF system. This one was a home run because the price of the device is very reasonable and the consumable cost is very low. I use this device for stand alone skin tightening and in conjunction with doing liposuction on small areas like face, neck and arms. It is a very versatile machine but it does require some minor surgical skills which his good for me because I don’t think they will be offering this at the gym across the street.

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Dr. Richard Moore - The Lifestyle Center In St. Louis Missouri

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Name: Richard Moore, M.D.
Clinic: The Lifestyle Center
Location: St Louis, MO
Website: TheLifestyleCenter.com

Can you tell us your background and exactly how did you get to where you are now?

I have always had a strong interest in business with an entrepreneurial spirit. Prior to medical school, I obtained a masters of international management and worked in the petrochemical industry in Houston, TX. Following several years as a Hospitalist physician and director of a hospitalist program, I decided to switch my focus and concentrate on health and wellness. A natural evolution of this was my involvement in aesthetic medicine.

How is your clinic structured? What is your work day like? What commitments do you have?

My center takes a team approach starting with the front desk or reception area, moving to my nurse sales consultant and then my team of nurses and estheticians. All employees are incentivized to contribute to the success of the center. My personal involvement is a daily presence in which I step in on several consults a day, perform office based liposuction, and for clients who prefer a physician injector I am available.

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Dr. Douglas J. Key - Key Laser Institute for Aesthetic Medicine

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Dr. Key's passion for research began at an early age, when he earned the opportunity to work with a Nobel Prize winning professor as a freshman at the University of California, Berkeley. Throughout his undergraduate education, Dr. Key travelled the country to take part in research opportunities in various aspects of biological sciences. Through this research, he became interested in the field of medicine.
Dr. Douglas Jeffrey Key Laser Institute for Aesthetic Medicine in Portland

Name: Dr. Douglas J. Key
Clinic: Key Laser Institute
Location: Portland, OR
Website: keylaserinstitute.com

That's interesting:  Dr. Key's most well-known research took place when he was a Clinical Fellow at the National Cancer Institute in Maryland. During this time, his innovative research led to the development of the drug Retin-A, which is commonly used for acne treatment and wrinkle reduction. He also spent time researching skin cancer prevention techniques and cellular methods to repair damaged skin.

Where do you see skin care moving and is there any topical treatments that have the possibility of displacing current medical technologies?

Where things are going in cosmetic medicine is a great question. Let’s begin by saying cosmetic medicine as a defined area of specialty knowledge and practice is barely a little over 10 years old. And by that I mean cosmetic medicine as a specialty medical based practice, a knowledge base deep enough to be exclusively devoted to aesthetics and separate from surgery and general dermatology. Ten years ago Thermage™ was just getting its FDA clearance, allowing us to do the unimaginable at that time - tighten skin without surgery. Fillers were just coming on board, but just used to fill lips. There were no concepts yet as to treating the aging face. There were no fractionated or pixilated resurfacing, it just hadn’t been invented yet. And the idea of using stem cells or platelet rich plasma, it was well off in the future. 

So in the first 10 years of cosmetic medicine we learned how to treat aging. In these next 10 years, we will no longer be just treating aging, we will truly be preventing aging. What a difference that will make. 

The future, which is already here, is not just what treatments we use in the office, but what is the best for your skin care program for every day use at home.

You offer lipo contouring treatments using Liposonix, LipoSelection and CoolLipo. What do you think of these devices’s efficacy? Where could it be improved? Does it have any shortcomings?

The improvement in our patients with CoolSculpting, which is totally noninvasive, are really amazing. We have had CoolSculpting now almost three years, and the results have really improved, partly because we now use overlapping chambers. We just have a better feel for how to place the cooling chambers. We also do a better job of clearly letting our patients know if it’s the best treatment for them, and how many sessions they should do - one, two or three sessions. 

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Dr. Yoel Moyal: The Clinique Revolution du Plateau In Montreal

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Dr. Yoel Moyal: The Clinique Revolution du Plateau In Montreal

Dr. Moyal is at the cutting edge of new injection techniques to offer a variety of treatment choices for his patients.

Name: Yoel Moyal MD CCFP EM
Clinic: Clinique Revolution du Plateau
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Website: clinicrevolution.com

Can you tell us more about your career transition from specializing in Family Medicine to Emergency Medicine to Aesthetics?

I have worked in Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine since graduating and recently became interested in esthetics as a means of doing more procedures and fine techniques. I also use my esthetic practice to balance out the often hectic environment of the Emergency Department with the quiet, serene environment of my office.

How do you market yourselves to patients and what do you do that your competitors aren't doing? 

Marketing medical esthetic services to clients is tricky as our ethical code in Quebec does not allow for the solicitation of a client/patient by a physician. We can inform people of the services we offer but can not incite patients to have a procedure done.

This applies to injections of Botox, dermal fillers and other medical-surgical procedures. Treatments such as laser hair removal, IPL and other esthetic services not performed by a doctor can be marketed. Doctors may not sell, endorse or associate any product or brand  to their name in Quebec.

Canadian Cosmetic Medicine Dr. Yoel Moyal

Are there any treatments or technologies that you're especially excited about that haven't hit the market yet? What do you think about new therapies like stem cells or others? 

I am excited about autologous fat transfers for restoration or augmentation and hair cloning for hair transplantation.

As a physician it is wiser to offer services that are exclusive to our profession such as injections or surgical procedures. It is difficult to compete in a market where anyone can offer the same services. For example in Quebec anyone can offer IPL , laser hair removal or tattoo removal but only doctors can inject. A doctor offering laser hair removal in his clinic can not compete with an esthetician doing so in her basement.

That being said, at our clinic we offer Laser hair removal as some people want to go to a clinic where there is medical supervision but the majority do not place much value on that. The majority of our practice revolves around  minimally invasive procedures such as injections of Botox and dermal fillers.

I do not encourage physicians to invest heavily in machinery as the technologies are often overpriced and often underdeliver in terms of results. Many estheticians can obtain similar results (in most cases) with mechanical (low cost) treatments with less risky side effects compared to  new technologies.

Technology has its place but not as much as savvy salespeople would have you believe.

The way to add new technologies is to introduce them into your practice based on the foreseeable demand from your own established clientele and the clienetele that you wish to attract. For example, your current clientele is between 45 to 65 years old doing BOTOX and dermal fillers regularly , the majority of your clients have sun damaged skin or pigmented lesions , they often ask if there is anything to be done. You should consider adding resurfacing technology or IPL at this point.

If you are considering adding a new service then careful market research in the territory you serve is vital- do not take the salesman’s word for it that  there will be people will be breaking down your door to try your newest machine and spend significant amounts of money.

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Dr. An Po Chung, Plastic Surgeon Performing Fat Transfer In Taiwan

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Dr. An Po Chung Taiwan Plastic Surgeon

Name: An Po Chung M.D., MSC
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Website: 4flower.com.tw

Dr. An Po Chung is a professional member of Taiwan Surgical Society of Specialist, Taiwan Plastic Surgery Medical Association, Physicians Cosmetic Surgery in Taiwan Medical Association specialist Deputy Secretary-General of facial plastic surgery Medical Association and International Cosmetic Surgery Medical Association.

Can you tell us what is it like practicing cosmetic surgery in Taiwan in comparison with what you see in other countries?

From my experience of attending several international conferences, I noticed that cosmetic surgery in Taiwan is not so different from the other countries. However, the patients in Taiwan prefer minimal invasive cosmetic surgery. Some of them have unrealistic high expectations of non-invasive treatment such as filler and Botox.

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Dr. Herbert Hooi, Cosmetic Physician In Sydney, Australia

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Australian Cosmetic Physician Herbert Hooi MBBS (Syd) LLB (Hons) (UWA) FACEM Dr. Hooi takes center stage as he discusses the prevailing structure of cosmetic medicine in Sydney, Australia.

Name: Herbert Hooi MBBS (Syd) LLB (Hons) (UWA) FACEM
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Website: drhooi.com.au

That's interesting: Dr. Hooi completed an Honours Law degree at the University of Western Australia and obtained further real-world legal experience with a top tier Australian law firm. Dr. Hooi has been admitted to practice as a Solicitor and Barrister of the Supreme Court of Victoria. Although he is no longer practising law, Dr. Hooi maintains a keen interest in legal medicine.

Dr. Hooi is a member of the Australasian Society of Cosmetic Medicine and is an Associate Member of the American Society of Laser Surgery and Medicine. Dr. Hooi’s training and experience led to his award as a Foundation Fellow of the Australasian College of Aesthetic Medicine in 2009.

In 2010, Dr. Hooi was selected to become the national trainer in Australia for the Fibropen System, platelet rich plasma (PRP) and Radiesse.  

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Dr. Kevin D. Light: Cosmetic Surgery & Anti-Aging Medicine In Dallas, TX

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Kevin D. Light, DO, MBABio-identical hormone therapies, cosmetic surgery, aerospace medicine and battling insurance policies with Dr. Kevin Light.

After meeting Dr. Light at the Medical Fusion Conference last year, we decided that we wanted to know more about this former vet turned cosmetic doc.

Name: Kevin D. Light, DO, MBA
Location: Dallas, TX
Website: tifm.com

That's interesting:  As a board certified General Surgeon, he practiced internationally with the US Air Force for 8 years. He was also lucky enough to be selected to attend the USAF Aerospace Medicine program early in his Air Force career, so he also served as a flight surgeon, that put him in the back seat of T-38, F-15 and F-16 fighter jets for 8 years. He was one of the first medical teams placed in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm and has received two Air Force Commendation Medals. He was Chief of Surgery during extended assignments in Germany, the Kingdom of Jordan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

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