Four of the UK’s top cosmetic dermatologists explain what’s hip and happening in London and why the Channel Islands are now at the cutting edge of cosmetic medicine.

With a host of celebrities flocking to state of the art clinics for cutting edge cosmetic treatments, London would seem to be the place to be for people who are serious about wanting to change the way they look.

There is no doubt that London is at the centre of the cosmetic medicine cosmos, but anything the capital can do Guernsey can provide just as well, thanks to experts like Dr John Curran.

For the last eight years John has been leading the way at the Aesthetic Skin Clinic in St Peter Port and earlier this year he received the ultimate accolade from his peers, becoming only the third person to be made a Fellow of the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors.

“It’s a huge honour,” John explains. “You can achieve full membership of the Association by completing your exams and by demonstrating expertise in your own speciality field, but being made a Fellow is something your colleagues elect you to. It’s them recognising the contributions you’ve made to your field of work.”

As a fellow of the Association and its past president, John is in a perfect position to guide us towards the latest cosmetic dermatology techniques that avoid the need for invasive surgery. With the help of some of his top London based colleagues, he explains what is hip and happening in the world of cosmetic medicine.

Celebrated as London’s ‘Lip Queen’, Dr Rita Rakus has seen trends come and go. Her celebrity clients don’t do surgery because it’s just too obvious and for them the hottest thing right now is ‘Thermage’, a non-invasive treatment that tightens skin on the face and body. “The results can be stunning and there really is no down time,” Rita says. “I just love the results my patients get with Thermage but beware of poor imitations, such as so called Tripolar treatments, which can give very disappointing results.”

As one of the experts seen by millions on Channel 4’s 10 Years Younger, Dr Patrick Bowler says Anti-Wrinkle Injections still leads the way but the way it is applied is getting ever more sophisticated. “There’s a big difference between the results you will get from a dentist who may see just one patient a week, and a full time cosmetic expert doctor who sees upwards of fifty patients a week and has in depth knowledge of the cutting edge techniques. I love Botox along the jaw line for the Nefertiti look.”

Dr Mike Cummins, the new president of the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors, says non-surgical treatments are becoming more and more specialised. “The most exciting advances have been breast enhancement and body contouring with a gel called Macrolane and high definition body sculpturing with Vaser, a form of fat dissolving and liposculpture under local anaesthetic.

“We were proud to announce the election of Dr John Curran to the Fellowship of the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors at our March International Conference in London. This is only the third fellowship awarded over the last ten years in the UK and recognises excellence in practice and academic contribution to Cosmetic Medicine. Guernsey and Jersey are fortunate to have one of the most respected and recognised colleagues in Cosmetic Medicine right on their doorstep.”

With successful Aesthetic skin Clinics in Guernsey, Jersey, Belfast and London, Lead Physician Dr John Curran has seen Cosmetic Medicine develop into the exciting sub-speciality it is today. “There is nothing I have seen in New York, Paris or London that we do not have in the Channel Islands and that’s no surprise as I believe we have one of the most discerning clientele in the UK,” he says.

“I have just recently been working with some of my colleagues from Cornell University, NY. on deep sculpturing and facial volumising techniques with Sculptra, a suspension which dissolves very quickly but leaves a stimulus in the tissues which causes new tissue and collagen to form. This is a highly advanced use of this treatment and needs to be delivered with great medical skill and underlying knowledge of the facial structures but in the right hands the results are quite awesome.”

John adds that with more doctors choosing Cosmetic Medicine as their career pathway a fully regulated profession must be the way forward. “In an unregulated market there will always be some nurses, dentists and beauty therapists having a go, but the trend elsewhere in the world such as the USA and Europe is to have well regulated cosmetic clinics with specialist doctors leading a professional service in a safe medical environment.”