It’s been a hectic week after a trip to the British Association of Cosmetic Nursing, but this trip was a little different! I was a presenter- this is a tremendous honour, and I’m so proud that all our work to improve patient safety is recognised and supported. One of the most significant innovative advancements was the introduction of Ultrasound Scanning (USS) to aesthetic medicine; this can improve patient safety and reduce adverse events such as bruising and risk of occlusion. It can also aid the efficacy of results and add to the diagnosis of underlying conditions such as natural asymmetry.

During my career, I was fortunate enough to develop the skills and knowledge to perform and interpret US and integrating this into my practice has been relatively simple. The BAUN recognised that I am leading the use of US within the nursing sector and asked if it would present a case where US was fundamental in improving patient outcomes.

I gave a point where a young lady had a congenital facial asymmetry. Part of her treatment plan was to ensure we treated a particular muscle contraction in an area of the face where numerous muscles converge; treating the wrong power could either exacerbate the problem or cause missing strength to mean there was no improvement. Using ultrasound-guided injections, we improved this patient’s asymmetry significantly.

This innovative approach resulted in a symmetrical simile, and our patient was delighted. This trip was rewarding in so many ways. I met some incredibly talented nurses who strive to improve patient safety and industry standards. I’ve had several otters present, develop educational programmes and teach advanced techniques.

The next few months will be hectic! On top of that, I wasn’t busy enough. I’ve decided to work with a cosmetic product manufacturer to introduce a more affordable skincare range to the clinic with high-quality, effective ingredients. We will be looking for five patients to test this range once we are out of the research and development phase, so if this interests you, please get in touch.