User:Graceswilson/Aesthetic medicine

Upper lip deformity repaired using a skin flap from the forehead.

History of Aesthetic Medicine

Throughout the history of society, physical beauty has been a consistently coveted notion. Efforts to improve and enhance beauty through aesthetic medical practices can be seen as early as 2000 years ago, in India, where the 'forehead flap' was used to reconstruct the noses and faces of soldiers injured in war and criminal punishments. This technique, though thoroughly developed and modified, is still used today as a common method to repair nasal defects. Although Greek and Roman medical practices have been considered the foundation for European and modern-day medicine for a long time, ancient Egyptian texts have revealed that Egyptian medicine produced many key medical discoveries and the basis for many modern practices. The Egyptians recorded their use of oils, waxes, Cyperus, and other plant materials to reduce the signs of aging, like wrinkles and spots, and to restore youthful skin. They studied bodily functions, like inflammatory processes, and were able to make discoveries that allowed them to treat cosmetic wounds and burns using therapies and medicines. This included the initial application of fresh meat to the wound, followed by the use of oil/lipids, honey, and fibers, generally woven linen, until the wound had healed. As physicians have discovered more about medicine throughout history, these practices have been developed to be more efficient and sanitary, and can be seen today in common skin reparation remedies.

In more recent history, within the past 30 years, the industry of aesthetic medicine has been developing rapidly with the addition of and growing demand for "injectables," a form of transcutaneous treatment used to rejuvenate and restore the skin of a patient. These medical injectables have become well established due to their associated low risk, especially compared to other aesthetic surgical practices, as well as the practically non-existent recovery time needed after the procedures are performed. Within the past ten years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has reviewed and approved over 20 injectable products used for medical aesthetics, in response to the growing demand. The most commonly used injectables in the industry today are botulinum neurotoxin, commonly referred to as botox, and hyaluronic acid fillers. According to statistics from an annual survey conducted by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, from 1997 to 2011 the number of nonsurgical procedures performed by aesthetic physicians increased by 356%.