As demands for cosmetic procedures increase, it is important to incorporate knowledge of cosmetic procedures (eg, fillers for soft tissue augmentation) in resident education and training. Although cosmetic dermatology has been featured prominently in dermatology residency, surveys have shown that residents desire more training in this area.7 Although lectures on soft tissue augmentation are popular topics in dermatology, hands-on experience performing these procedures varies widely depending on different training programs. My institution offers several lectures on cosmetic dermatology, and residents are able to perform procedures for soft tissue augmentation as the first assistant or first surgeon during our cosmetic clinic sessions twice weekly.
Final Thoughts
There are a variety of fillers on the horizon to improve aging and volume loss and the science behind cosmetic injections is evolving. Regardless of the filler material chosen, optimal results are yielded by the combination of patient expectations, physician judgment based on clinical experience, and injection technique.