HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE: A doctor from the School of Anti-ageing, Aesthetics & Regenerative Medicine conducting a facial treatment demonstration on a patient.

Today's women devote much of their time and resources to one common goal: Beauty.

While some indulge in harmless beauty rituals, others take extreme measures to preserve their youth, unaware that their decision to consult non-certified aestheticians for treatments will result in horrific consequences.

Therefore, it is now more crucial than ever that aesthetic practitioners are armed with the essential knowledge and skills to conduct beauty treatments in a safe and ethical manner.

In response to these concerns, UCSI University has pioneered the first master's programme in Anti-ageing, Aesthetics and Regenerative Medicine.

The course is designed for licensed doctors and encompasses comprehensive hands-on training, demonstrations, research opportunities and guest lecture sessions by prominent industry experts to help students hone their skills and build intricate knowledge of the industry.

According to Dr. Irene Lee, a senior lecturer and consultant dermatologist at the School of Anti-ageing, Aesthetics and Regenerative Medicine, demonstrations and practical exercises for various treatments – namely, Botox, filler, laser, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and chemical peel, to name a few – are conducted during classes.

"I firmly believe that our students – all of whom are full fledged doctors registered with the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) – should be fundamentally equipped to perform aesthetic procedures independently," she said.

Although some of our students already practise medical aesthetics, she added, others are relatively new to the field and still require guidance in that aspect.

"This is the main reason we are implementing additional weekly training sessions and bringing in new equipment this year such as injectable training mannequins and IPL, pixel, Radio Frequency (RF), fractional Co2 and pigment laser machines, among others," she elaborated.

"The mannequins feel (and look like) human skin, can be injected with saline fluids and are able to withstand really high temperature," said Dr. Irene.

Head of School Dr. Deepali Sharma also commented: "Apart from hands-on exercises on the mannequins, students will be exposed to face-to-face demonstrations and will be trained in many aspects."

Managing patient consultations, she said, and identifying contraindications – valid reasons to withhold medical treatments from patients – are only some of the skills that they will master.

Assuredly, the training sessions will boost the students' knowledge – in terms of correct injection techniques and angles, to name a few – and keep them updated on the latest technologies in the field.

Through such trainings, doctors who possess an Annual Practising Certificate (APC) will be able to perform Botox and filler treatments on their patients while beginners will be able to continuously practise on the injectables until they have gained sufficient confidence to administer treatments to volunteers.

"It's a win-win situation; this way, the volunteers receive free treatments and students are able to treat individuals with actual skin concerns, under the guidance of our doctors who are also active industry practitioners themselves," said Dr. Irene.

School industry experts – like Dr. Irene – often conduct research projects independently and collaborate with top universities or students on a wide range of related topics such as acne, psoriasis, adverse drug effects and thumb dermatitis, among others.

Take for example Dr. Irene's ongoing research collaboration with one of Malaysia's premier research universities examines staphylococcus aureus bacteria colonisation in Malaysians with atopic dermatitis – a type of eczema.

While other studies on this skin disorder are typically geared towards the general population, this research focuses on this specific group to ensure accurate results.

"Due to steady consumption of various antibiotic medications, they are highly resistant to antibiotics. We won't be deterred and we will continue our search for a safe and effective approach," said Dr. Irene.

With the emergence of countless new age beauty regimes, this million-dollar industry is no longer confined to solely doctors, dermatologists and plastic surgeons but has now expanded to include general practitioners (GPs), Ear, Nose and Throat (ENP) surgeons and even beauticians.

Therefore, we (as educators) need to do our part to ensure that aesthetic practices are carried out ethically and within the legal parameters of professional practice, she said, and even more so because there aren't any regulations surrounding aesthetic practices in Malaysia yet.

To find out more about UCSI University's master's programme in Anti-ageing, Aesthetics & Regenerative Medicine, feel free to pay us a visit from Monday to Saturday (9am – 6pm) for course counselling, contact our counsellors at 03-9101 8880 or contact the Office of Postgraduate Studies from Monday to Friday (9am – 6pm) at 03-9102 4739 or direct enquiries about the School to www.ucsiuniversity.edu.my/onlineenquiry.

You may also visit the UCSI University website at www.ucsiuniversity.edu.my.