The Aesthetic Authority Has Arrived

Let’s start with the basics: who, what, when, why. And I will start with myself. I am a private practitioner like many of you. For the past 30+ years I have directed an aesthetic-oriented multi-specialty practice in Lexington, Kentucky, that has now grown to include four practitioners: two facial plastic surgeons and two plastic surgeons. To round things out, I have one daughter who is a senior dermatology resident and another who just finished a family medicine residency. We have a large, accredited surgicenter, a marketing director, five nurses, fifteen fulltime employees, and the very same challenges faced by every aesthetic practice.

Additionally, over the past 25+ years I have had the fortune and honor to direct over 30 "true" multi-specialty aesthetic conferences. Many of you are familiar with the annual Vegas Cosmetic Surgery meeting and the Global Aesthetics Conference. Through those journeys we have made a lot of friends, witnessed a lot of innovations and product rollouts, identified the importance of practice management and marketing, given speaking opportunities to the next generation and established a comradery and environment that allows competitive specialties to teach and learn from one another — all to the benefit of our practices and our patients.

The Aesthetic Authority is designed to provide advice and potential solutions to some of those questions shared by aesthetic practices across specialties. And why now? To answer this question I am going to borrow some of the dialogue shared with me in a recent phone discussion with a former industry executive turned practice consultant, Brian Hayes: "In the 20+ years I’ve worked with aesthetic physicians and surgeons, I’ve never seen more clinical optimism and business pessimism. Objectively, industry reports revenues from aesthetic medical procedures are at record levels and continue to grow, but this trend is not reflected within local practices. Despite following the traditional formula for business success and incorporating the latest technologies, practitioner efforts are not producing the desired results. Individual practice numbers point to troubling trends, i.e., increasing costs combined with decreasing profit margins; however, financial metrics aren’t the only issue. What about the things the numbers don’t measure? The challenges that come with being both doctor and small business owner/entrepreneur have gotten more complex. You’re working harder for less... Less money. Less satisfaction. Less freedom.”

So it is with the above in mind that we initiate the Aesthetic Authority both online and in publication. We expect it to mirror the content of many of the conferences I have coordinated, including practice management, practice marketing and legal matters that affect the practice; tips and pearls; ‘How I Do It’ features; industry executive interviews; featured skincare products; and technology advances. It will also spotlight industry innovations, letters to the editor, content relevant to office staff, legal and regulatory updates and outstanding aesthetic physicians. All of this comes from the publishers of well-known and respected medical brands Dermatology Times, Ophthalmology Times and Medical Economics who have many years of experience in bringing practical value to physicians and their staff members. This is an exciting new publication and will have a very informative and quick-moving online platform with frequent updates, tips, interviews and news.

I hope you will join with me and our incredible multi-specialty advisory board on what I believe will be a fun and informative journey into a decade of exciting innovation and advances! Rest assured that the things we include in the publication will be meaningful, avoid commercialism as much as possible and reflect what I as a practitioner and my staff want to hear.

⏤Dr. Waldman

Randolph Waldman, M.D., is a distinguished facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon who is well known around the globe as one of the leading educators in the field of aesthetic medicine and surgery. Over the past 25+ years, he has expertly directed more than 30 multi-specialty aesthetic conferences and is the Founder and current Director of the annual multi-specialty Global Aesthetics Conference in Miami Beach. Now, Dr. Waldman brings his industry expertise to the Aesthetic Authority as the Editorial Director.