Aesthetic medicine is a medical field focusing on altering the cosmetic appearance of people with minimally invasive procedures. Aesthetic physicians are general practitioners with a particular interest in aesthetics and cosmetics. Today, these aesthetic doctors are in demand in societies worldwide. It is a growing profession with many job opportunities. Here is a detailed article about APs and their distinctions from other medical disciplines.
Let’s clarify who aesthetic doctors are
AM is a broad term for medical discipline that involves altering a patient’s physical appearance. After completing their basic medical degree to become general practitioners, GPs need additional medical training to become AP.
Board-certified aesthetic physicians with their LCPs given by the national registry to let physicians incorporate aesthetic procedures into their practices would have an aesthetic job in beauty centers, cosmetic clinics, or medical institutions. They offer non-surgical, minimally invasive, skin-related cosmetic procedures such as toxin or botox injections, dermal fillers, chemical peels, laser treatments, and micro-needling. Cosmetic injectables are commonly applied on the face and the neck.
What makes a good AP for patients?
Clarity and transparency are key issues in aesthetic medicine. Getting price clarification and detailed information about aesthetic procedures is essential to choosing an aesthetic doctor. In addition, the positive reviews of previous clients can further boost an APs credibility and reliability.
Before and after comparisons of previous patients are also helpful. You can decide whether the AP is the one you are looking for or not, in line with the previous surgeries of the physician.
What can we say about plastic surgery?
Plastic surgery is a medical, surgical specialty that provides restoration and alteration of the face or body parts and improves the human body. It includes reconstructive surgery, craniofacial, hand & micro procedures, and cosmetic treatments offering better facial features. Plastic surgeons provide healthcare for congenital injuries affecting your body’s appearance or inner functions. Occasionally, plastic surgeons also perform treatments to restore areas impacted by major critical illnesses such as cancer.
Well, is an aesthetic doctor the same as a plastic surgeon?
They are significantly different. While both AP and plastic surgeons make alterations to give patients a better physical appearance, there are key differences between aesthetic physicians vs plastic surgeons. Aesthetic doctors are board-certified general practitioners in aesthetics, improving the features of the outer body. At the same time, plastic surgeons are medical specialists who can perform plastic surgery and offer healthcare both for functionality and the appearance of all parts of the human body.
Medical students completing their compulsory training can start working as GPs, and if they choose to become board-certified aesthetic physicians, they would need to get their LCPs to begin working as APs. To become a plastic surgeon, however, there are two different schoolings: MSPRS and MAPACS. MSPRS is a shorter but qualified educational path, including four years of plastic surgery training after the compulsory training and two years of training as plastic surgeons. Unfortunately, MSPRS has a limited physician intake per year.
On the other hand, to complete MAPACS, practitioners need to enroll in 4 years of general surgery programs, two years of training as general surgeons, two years of plastic surgery postgraduate masters, and two years of training as plastic surgeons. Completing their training, plastic surgeons can do reconstructive surgeries for facial and physical defects that appeared due to birth, traumas, or accidents. Plastic surgeons with special medical training can also perform hand surgery, peripheral nerve surgery, craniofacial surgery, and microsurgery.
Besides altering cosmetic appearance, they also provide nose reshaping or breast augmentation. An AP, however, does not receive specialized medical expertise to provide surgical procedures but can make referrals to plastic surgeons for their patients if they require plastic surgery.
Is cosmetic surgery the same as aesthetic practice?
No, cosmetic surgery is a medical discipline aiming to enhance patients’ physical appearance according to beauty standards. Cosmetic surgery includes surgical and cosmetic procedures intended to enhance facial features by changing the proportions of the face or body proportions in line with symmetry. Common cosmetic surgeries are:
- breast implants,
- fat transfer,
- ear correction (surgical),
- rhinoplasty,
- and tummy tuck (abdominoplasty).
On the other hand, APs provide minimally invasive beauty procedures to correct skin disorders such as chemical peels, dermal fillers, and lasers. Both cosmetic surgeries and aesthetic procedures are elective for patients’ inquiries. Consequently, there is no insurance for patients.
Cosmetic surgeons would receive more comprehensive training in aesthetics to perform surgeries specialized for the head, face, and neck. Cosmetic doctor training is through post-residency programs with hands-on training. To become a board-certified cosmetic surgeon in Malaysia, medical officers must gain extensive experience with cosmetic surgery. Board-certified cosmetic surgeons would get 1-2 years of fellowship in cosmetic surgery to practice. In contrast, aesthetic practitioners can start working professionally after having their LCP certificates.
Navigating the difference between plastic surgery vs cosmetic surgery
The difference between plastic and cosmetic surgeons lies in the minimum qualifications. Plastic training is a broad medical discipline with various procedures to improve the human body’s function and appearance. Cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery are the subspecialties of plastic surgery. Plastic surgeons working in Malaysia can receive training in cosmetic surgery to perform reconstructive and cosmetic plastic surgeries. Cosmetic surgeons, however, specifically focus on improving the features of the patients with cosmetic treatments such as rhinoplasties.
Aesthetic Physician vs Dermatologist
Aesthetic physicians and dermatologists are both board-certified skin care professionals. However, the key difference between an aesthetic physician vs a dermatologist is that dermatologists are medical specialists who diagnose and treat health conditions affecting the skin. In contrast, aesthetic doctors concentrate on cosmetic appearance. Aesthetic physicians use minimally invasive procedures such as facials and chemical peels to improve the exterior features. Also, aesthetic procedures can be used to treat acne, unwanted hair, and cellulitis. APs can work in beauty centers as aestheticians or consultants or assist a dermatologist in clinics and hospitals.
Dermatologists would have appointments with patients dealing with skin diseases. They diagnose patients using medical tests and offer treatments related to patients’ conditions. A dermatologist can treat alopecia, eczema, psoriasis, skin cancer, nail fungus, dandruff, rashes, warts, and equivalents. Also, dermatologists can perform surgeries if needed. Everyday responsibilities of a dermatologist are:
- examining patients with skin diseases,
- performing medical tests,
- detecting the ailment
- operating on patients,
- offering a treatment plan,
- and make referrals if needed.
Is an aesthetic doctor a dermatologist?
No, we can not consider an AP a dermatologist because of the different academic careers. Physicians can start working as general practitioners after their compulsory training. However, to become a board-certified dermatologist, you would have two years of master’s and three years of specialized training in dermatology. Therefore, the cost and length of medical school are higher to become a dermatologist.
Also, dermatologists can focus on procedural or pediatric dermatology after completing their residency. It offers surgical procedures to treat health conditions related to the skin, while pediatric dermatology provides healthcare for children with skin imperfections.
The other key difference between an AP and a dermatologist is their distinct working areas. Dermatology is out of medical and cosmetic clinics, while aesthetics is commonly found in medical spas and beauty centers. Dermatologists can also either work in fully equipped hospitals or become researchers in laboratories of medical schools.
How to decide between a dermatologist and an aesthetic doctor?
While an aesthetician is responsible for providing patients with a good facial, an AP doesn’t have the extensive training of a dermatologist to offer detailed skin care. Aesthetic physicians are GPs with interest in aesthetics. In line with their particular interests, general practitioners must complete a medical course on aesthetic procedures to become licensed physicians in aesthetics. On the other hand, dermatologists need five years of medical residency, including two years of master’s and three years of dermatology training, after becoming board-certified GPs.
As a result of their more extended and detailed educational path, dermatologists can care about complicated skin conditions such as scalps, hair disorders, nail fungus, or eczema. At the same time, an AP generally provides minimally invasive beauty procedures like breast augmentation, liposuction, and dermal fillers.
To sum up, all three disciplines have their responsibilities. APs care for our physical appearances, and plastic surgeons provide services for improvements in the outlooks and functions of our body features while dermatologists look after our skin problems. If you want to look at job vacancies in the professions above, take 15 minutes and look at Doctor Jobs Today.
About Doctor Jobs Today
Doctor Jobs Today is the first job-seeking platform in Southeast Asia dedicated to serving the job searching needs of healthcare professionals. We have created a space to connect employers and medical job seekers seamlessly. As part of the healthcare community, we understand that traditional job portals are not catered toward medical doctors. So we decided to create a portal advertising only the most relevant jobs from the top employers within the industry because we are just as picky as you are!
Doctor Jobs Today has the right vacancy whether you are looking for a higher salary, a better-equipped hospital for your specialization, or even a career shift from patient care.
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