Medical aesthetic practitioners have reported an increase in patients presenting themselves at clinics as a result of ‘Zoom face’
What a month we have had: returning to work, the ban on injectables for children bill, vaccination programmes, British Association of Cosmetic Nurses (BACN) webinars, updating competencies and a new code of conduct.
By now, readers will most likely be exhausted, as the final return to full working clinics, which occurred from 12 April 2021, is proving to be one of the busiest times of our aesthetic lives. Reports from many BACN members state that they are having the busiest time ever known. Very few, if any, regular patients have been lost, and many who left during lockdown have returned. However, the greatest surprise has been the number of new enquiries and bookings that many have had since reopening.
Personally, I have ordered at least twice as much product in the past 2 months than before lockdown to keep up with the increased demand. ‘Zoom face’ does seem to be tangible, with many new patients stating that it was looking at themselves in Zoom calls that prompted them to seek treatment.
In my own clinic, having to fit in the backlog of cancelled patients from December, January, February and March, as well as those already booked in for April onwards, was somewhat a nightmare. As a one-man band, trying to juggle the diaries was an intense challenge—time to look for an assistant, I think.
A step in the right direction
During lockdown, many got involved in the vaccination programme. We had the time of our lives; it was such an honour to be part of this historical event, and it really was such fun. Many patients have been full of praise and thank for us doing the vaccinations, but I had to tell them that it was a real pleasure. I would have loved to carry on vaccinating; however, the return to my main job called.
Elsewhere, in recent news, the passing of the third and final reading of the private members bill on Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Bill was a step in the direction of regulation for the aesthetics sector (UK Parliament, 2021). The Bill will come into force later this year. Many have been battling for years towards the recognition of the aesthetic speciality and regulation and, at times, it has seemed as if nothing would change. However, steps in a more positive direction have been taken during the past few years. Momentum must be maintained, and medical aesthetic practitioners must behave as if the sector is regulated—do not let standards slip, be professional and upstanding. With this in mind, the BACN board, particularly Anna Baker, has been working on the new code of conduct for its members. An update of the original Royal College of Nursing (RCN)- and BACN-accredited competencies for the aesthetic nurse is also being completed, with additional modalities that were not previously included. Both of these documents will be valuable reading for members.
An amazing achievement
The BACN is at 1000 members! This is an amazing achievement, especially when considering that its first conference had approximately 50 members, and we thought we were doing well when numbers rose to 500. Most other associations are nowhere near these numbers. Like many groups and businesses, the BACN was directly affected by COVID-19 in 2020, with many existing members delaying their membership renewal. The closure of businesses and lack of work reduced membership numbers to the lowest in 5 years. However, members find the BACN an invaluable resource, especially when many of work in isolation. Members want to know that they can access support and advice at the touch of a button, have a peer group of like-minded nurses nearby and be part of the Nursing and Midwifery Council's (NMC) recognised professional association. This has spurred many members to return and renew their membership.
Sharon Bennett, BACN Chair, has welcomed the news, saying:
‘Reaching our 2020/2021 goal of 1000 members is wonderful and means so much to us all, especially at a time of such hardship for nurses in aesthetic practice during this unusual time. This is a great achievement and a credit to our amazing management board and head office team who have all worked so hard ensuring this milestone event. A huge thank you goes out to every individual member who has shown their unwavering support and involvement’.
Paul Burgess, BACN Chief Executive Officer, also commented:
‘The BACN has reached a wonderful milestone of 1000 members. More important is the involvement of hundreds of our members at all levels within the BACN, acting daily as ambassadors for best practice and patient care. The BACN belongs to you, as we all strive to demonstrate what is best about aesthetic nursing’.
» What is it about nurses? We just cannot stop learning and developing «
Education and online learning
The BACN conference is always one of the best events in the aesthetic calendar and despite being unable to host our regional in person meetings, we have managed to continue to support members by moving to digital events and offering inspirational webinars. These have been very well attended, with some fantastic speakers and content. April was all about education, with speakers from the Masters in aesthetic medicine and the V300 nursing prescribing courses.
What is it about nurses? We just cannot stop learning and developing. After completing my V300 course, I remember stating that I never wanted to study again. However, here I am again, doing the Master of Sciences with the University of South Wales and loving it.
On 25 May 2021, the BACN held a webinar, titled the ‘Importance of Consultation’, sponsored by Allergan Aesthetics. Consultation is key and where the relationship with the patient starts, and if you get that right, you often have a patient for life.
Throughout June 2021, the BACN will be celebrating its 1000-member milestone with a social media campaign and a social event looking back at the BACN and where it all started. More information can be found on the BACN website.
Remember that all events are free of charge for members, and, after a webinar has been attended, a continuing professional development (CPD) certificate template will appear under CPD records in the members area of the website. On the last Thursday of every month, there is also a peer review event on Zoom. These sessions are for members only and are not recorded for member privacy. All event details can be found on the BACN website.
Standing above the competition
Looking through the closed Facebook group for the BACN, I am struck by the level of support and expertise that members are willing to share. Thinking back to the early days in my career, medical aesthetic practitioners were on their own and had no pool of people to call upon or share with. There were no Facebook forums, no BACN and journals were few and far between.
We had to learn on our feet, and training did not cover deep anatomy. I was never taught about Hyalase or aspiration. However, in many ways, I also believe that practitioners had less to be concerned with. Treatments and techniques were more basic than they are now; they were mainly just upper face toxin and basic lip filler and nasolabial folds, and most without lidocaine. As time has moved on, treatments have become more sophisticated and technical, and the demand for medical aesthetic treatments has exploded in the past decade.
High standards, education and professionalism must be maintained by medical aesthetic practitioners to stand above the competition.