By A5M Medical Education
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.
Consumers are becoming increasingly more aware that beauty is more than skin deep and in order to resolve external issues, internal wellness must be considered. 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), 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 & Nutrition, Lifestyle & 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.
“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,” stated Ms Anton.
Rose Bonasera, Dermal Therapist and Director, 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 long-term skin health at any age requires a two-pronged approach – internal reformation and external protection and rejuvenation. 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,” said Ms Bonasera.
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. 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,” said Ms Bonasera.
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.
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 & detoxification on the ageing process
– Metabolic disorders and the ageing process
Ms Bonasera found the ACAAM course aligned with the preventative and personalised healthy ageing philosophy of Elixir Skin Health.
“The ACAAM accreditation fell into alignment with what I was looking for to further my own career. Skin health is far more than just facilitating a procedure on a client and it is vital that dermal therapists and beauticians have a good understanding of the fundamentals of internal health and how it can impact the skin,” said Ms Bonasera.
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.
The Australasian Academy of Anti-Ageing Medicine (A5M) is the leading association and education provider for medical, allied health and aesthetic medical practitioners focused on healthy ageing.
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