BCAM Conference 2023: A New Ted-X Style Format

On 30th September 2023, the British College of Aesthetic Medicine (BCAM) held its annual conference at Church House in Westminster, covering a range of topics, including new aesthetic innovations, alongside advancements in business practice, complications management, and longevity medicine.

The day started with a warm welcome from BCAM’s President, Dr Catherine Fairris and Conference Directors, Dr Sophie Shotter & Dr Manav Bawa. The first session of the day was titled ‘Face & Body’ and included lectures from an array of esteemed speakers such as Dr Priya Verma & Sarah Gaughan who discussed a new laser technology for acne treatment, and Dr Nick Lowe who discussed Dermatology dangers for aesthetic practitioners. A panel discussion chaired by Dr Fairris gave the audience a chance to pose questions to the experts on stage and prompted an interesting discussion.

The second session focussed on Clinic Management with talks covering Digital Marketing with Rick O’Neill, Reputation Management with Dr Sophie Shotter, Turnover while you Sleep with Lorna Bowes and Dr Victoria Manning sharing her experience of launching a skincare line.

The afternoon session moved on to Complications Management with a hugely experienced line-up sharing their knowledge on the management of blindness, vascular occlusion, threads complications, and the use of both ultrasound and MRI technologies in complications management and prevention. Dr Caroline Wilde shared her research on post hyalase syndrome and Ahmed El Housseiny shared an interesting case study of abscess formation after filler treatment. A panel with Dr Patrick Treacy, Dr Steve Harris, Mrs Sabrina Shah Desai, Prof Benoit Hendricx and Dr Victoria Manning, alongside the aforementioned, led to a lively discussion.

The final session of the day focussed on Wellness, a growing area of aesthetic medicine. Dr Nichola Conlon and Dr Steven Land discussed different aspects of cellular ageing and the concept of ageing as a disease, while Dr Yusra al-Mukhtar shared research about the psychological impact of menopause on women. The session was chaired by Dr Bhavjit Kaur, who also shared crucial knowledge about practitioner wellbeing.

The day closed with a networking drinks reception for delegates.

Dr Shotter says, “The initial feedback has been hugely positive, with great engagement with the new format and excellent feedback on the strength of the evidence-based content. We are very much looking forward to building on this in 2024.”

Dr Bawa adds, “BCAM continues to strive to raise standards in aesthetic medicine, working closely alongside other industry bodies such as the BACN and JCCP. Our biggest priority at the moment is to engage with the public consultation into licensing of aesthetic procedures, with the hope that this leads to formal regulation of the aesthetic sector.”