Beauty Versus Medicine: The Nonphysician Practice of Dermatologic Surgery

Abstract

The results underscore the need for improved awareness, legislation, and enforcement regarding the nonphysician practice of medicine, along with further study of this issue.

Common Causes of Injury and Legal Action in Laser Surgery

“…First, hair removal is by far the most commonly performed laser procedure, 10 with more than 900 000 procedures performed in 2011 by plastic surgeons, dermatologists, and otolaryngologists. 9 Second, several states do not require any licensing to perform laser hair removal, including New York and Texas, among the most represented states 6 ; these lax laws allow for an increased number of nonphysician operators. Nonetheless, without more information, no definite conclusions can be drawn from the data.…”

Cosmetic Procedures Performed in the United States: A 16-Year Analysis

“…For example, the statutes for the operation of laser equipment, both ablative and nonablative, vary by state. While some state boards of medical examiners and health departments have adopted rules regarding the use and delegation of laser procedures, these rules are often vague and vary widely by the extent of physician supervision, if any, required by law …”

“…Forty‐five percent of survey respondents reported seeing an increase in the number of patient complications due to cosmetic procedures performed by nonphysicians. These were procedures performed in salons, spas, and nonmedical skin clinics and the laser and light‐based hair removal accounted for the majority of reported complications, followed by chemical peels, tattoo removal, and microdermabrasion treatment . In an online survey that the ASDS conducted in 2007, the most common cosmetic procedures reported for which complications occurred were laser hair removal, chemical peels, and dermal filler injections.…”

The Men or Women Behind Nevi: Alfred Guido Miescher

“…They are dome-shaped papules in which melanocytes are distributed mostly endophytically, often in a wedge, and they reach the deep reticular dermis. 2,3 Miescher was a pioneer in the treatment of skin diseases with phototherapy and of cutaneous tumors with ionizing radiation. Indeed, he helped to improve dermatological radiotherapy, through determining the safest doses and innovative fractionation schemes to reduce the toxic effects.…”