Spa+Clinic Team Consumers are becoming increasingly aware that beauty is way more than skin deep and, that in order to resolve external issues, internal wellness must be considered. The A5M* Medical Education team explains.
Wellness and beauty have collided to create a new, holistic health industry where personalised treatment programs, plans and regimes are paramount. Beauty and wellness can no longer be dealt with in isolation.
For future success, professionals will need to consider integrated treatments for both inside and out to achieve optimum results.
As the largest organ in the human body, the skin provides a detailed reflection of internal health, acting as a continuous gateway for environmental and lifestyle toxins to leave the body.
By embracing a personalised approach to beauty and wellbeing, professionals are looking to target the root cause of symptoms, working together to develop comprehensive treatment plans focused on the long-term health of a patient.
At the forefront of this progressive merge between the beauty and wellness industries is the AustralAsian Academy of Anti-Ageing Medicine (A5M.NET), Australia’s leading association representing, educating and connecting medical, allied health and aesthetic medicine professionals who are passionate about preventative, personalised and aesthetic health.
Promoting the benefits of a healthy lifestyle with a focus on preventative and functional techniques across the beauty, wellness and medical fields, A5M endorses and provides professional training across the five core pillars of healthy ageing: exercise, diet and nutrition, lifestyle and relaxation, supplementation and hormonal balance.
Helen Anton, Director of A5M, recognises that connecting experts from different fields is key to transforming personal health, beauty and wellbeing.
“Skin health and overall wellness are so closely intertwined; one’s overall physical and mental health is a reflection of an individual’s lifestyle and genetic factors,” she says.
“As people today become ever more informed and educated on health and the impacts of modern lifestyle, they are looking for long-term solutions that not only tackle the symptoms but also treat the underlying cause.
“To effectively treat skin conditions we need to fully understand the cause of the symptoms. Whether it is acne, rosacea or decreased skin elasticity, beauticians and aesthetic practitioners need to look beyond external treatments to discover the cause of the irritation, whether it be diet, stress or anxiety.
“A5M is passionate that prevention is better than a cure, we educate and connect like-minded professionals from a wide range of industries and fields – all who are ardent about personalised treatment for better patient outcomes.”
Rose Bonasera, dermal therapist and director of Elixir Skin Fitness, a holistic skin care clinic in Adelaide, joined A5M after recognising the Academy shared her philosophy toward personalised health and in designing long-term treatment programs.
“Achieving longterm skin health at any age requires a two-pronged approach – internal reformation and external protection and rejuvenation,” she says.
“As a dermal therapist, I treat acne, rosacea and psoriasis on a daily basis – for each individual it is important I understand the impact their diet and lifestyle is having on their skin.”
Recognising the value in the beauty and wellness industries working in unison, Ms Bonasera believes both will continue to place patient-focused outcomes ahead of personal profit.
By providing referrals to experts in complementary fields, practitioners are able to recommend treatments which will address the root cause of the health issue.
“For example, acne in adults can be a result of hormonal or lifestyle imbalances,” Rose continues.
“Once I understand the cause I can recommend a nutritionist or mediation expert to work alongside return the individual back to health, and as a result the skin.”
Similarly, the beauty industry, through their expertise in understanding skin types and skin reactions, can work alongside wellness practitioners to provide advice on the lifestyle and/or hormonal factors at the cause of the irritation.
The benefits of joining A5M as a member include access to the latest research from local and international experts in preventative and aesthetic medicine and connecting with experts from complementary fields to build reliable referral networks.
With a primary focus on education, the association’s annual conference celebrated its 10th year in August 2016 with world-renowned keynote speakers Dr David Katz, Founding Director of Yale University’s Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Centre, Dr Thomas Guilliams Ph.D, Founder of Point Institute in Wisconsin, America and Dr Rhona Creegan Ph.D, nutritional biochemist and registered nutritionist from Perth, Australia.
The key them of this year’s conference, being held August 5-6 at the Sofitel on Collins, Melbourne, is Gut Health: The Cornerstone of Wellbeing.
In addition, A5M’s AustralAsian Certification in Anti-Ageing Medicine (ACAAM) offers one of Australasia’s leading post-graduate accreditation programs for preventative and personalised medicine.
Across three modules and three electives, practitioners learn from evidence-based practices to develop the skills, resources and knowledge to incorporate preventative, integrative and anti-ageing medicine strategies and protocols.
ACAAM accreditation covers internal health, healthy ageing and wellbeing, external conditions and lifestyle influences to support practitioners in advising clients on how to live a healthier and longer life.
Core modules include:
- What is anti-ageing medicine and how it can increase longevity?
- The impact of nutrition and detoxification on the ageing process
- Metabolic disorders and the ageing process
Lifestyle, diet and the environment will continue to have a detrimental impact on personal health with increased chronic disease, anxiety and mental health issues; therefore it is imperative the beauty and wellness industries continue to have mutual understanding.
A5M plays a vital role in shifting modern health practices from treatment to prevention, from a “sickness” to a “wellness” model by connecting professionals from all medical, aesthetic and allied health backgrounds.
As well as the annual conference, A5M holds a number of workshops during the year.
The next is The Impact of Nutrition and Detoxification on the Ageing Process (Module 2 ACAAM), June 3-4, in Sydney.
The premise is that we cannot avoid getting older but why do some people age better than others?
A major cause of ageing is the oxidative damage caused by free radicals from chemicals, pollution (including the heavy metals we breath in), ultraviolet light and the body’s normal metabolic processes.
Reducing oxidation reduces the signs of ageing both internally and externally and keeps the body cleansed and our skin looking healthy.
Illness and ageing can be caused by the accumulation of toxic substances (toxins) in the body. Eliminating existing toxins and avoiding new toxins are essential parts of the healing process and healthy ageing.
The 2-day face-to-face interactive workshop will focus on the role of nutrition and detoxification to maintain optimal health outcomes and decelerate the ageing process.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Understanding the effects of nutritional deficiencies and detoxification on the ageing process
- Learning about the detoxification pathways and the consequence of the body’s inability to detoxify
- Reviewing treatment protocols for detoxification and improving nutritional deficiency states to decelerate the ageing process
- Identifying the effects of drug induced nutrient depletion and how to overcome them
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Students will demonstrate an in-depth understanding and knowledge of the affects of nutritional deficiencies and detoxification on the ageing process
- They will be able to identify the biochemical process of detoxification pathways and the consequences of the body’s inability to detoxify
- Treatment protocols for detoxification and improving nutritional deficiency states to decelerate the ageing process will be clearly outlined and reviewed
- Students should be able to identify the effects of drug induced nutrient depletion and how to overcome this depletion using therapeutic nutritional doses
