"I think fat is the future. It's the largest source of adult stem cells in the body, and it's the lowest hanging fruit." Out of all the topics we've covered as we approach our 100th episode of The Technology of Beauty, regenerative aesthetics might be the most exciting of them all. Just imagine telling a patient, "We can remove excess fat from your thighs and use it to make you look younger and healthier." Once the stuff of dreams, regenerative aesthetics may soon become a scientific fact. And a...
Mar 12, 2024•31 min•Season 5Ep. 150
Marketing to the patients already in an aesthetic practice represents a massive opportunity for brands and clinics alike — one that remains sorely underleveraged in a large majority of cases. The problem: How to cleanly and clearly promote the right offerings to the right patients at the right moment. There's no sense in advertising RF microneedling to a patient with an appointment for said service — but why not provide them with a physician-grade skincare option alongside a QR code for aftercar...
Mar 04, 2024•29 min•Season 5Ep. 149
One of the pitfalls of physician-grade skincare in the age of e-commerce is the Amazonification of elite product lines. But what if a company developed a patented technology to eliminate diversion and counterfeiting so that products are always professionally dispensed? Dan Hopkins is here to tell us how his team found the answers. While remaining exceptionally physician-focused, AlumierMD was conceived to service an unmet need: medical-grade skincare, produced in a socially responsible way, that...
Feb 28, 2024•50 min•Season 5Ep. 148
In a wide-ranging interview with Dr. Grant Stevens, David Dean describes an uncommon journey in which he goes from being an All-American athlete with two national championships, to founding an aesthetic-based internet startup that ultimately went public via an NYSE IPO, to launching a lifestyle brand with a mission to help prevent teen suicide. The latest stop on his entrepreneurial path is TONA Activewear. As the result of a 3-year/$2 million product development campaign, TONA has created "The ...
Feb 20, 2024•53 min•Season 5Ep. 147
Carboxytherapy is generally known as a non-surgical treatment employing injections or transdermal application to infuse gaseous carbon dioxide into the subcutaneous tissue. And its therapeutic effects are said to increase vasodilation and collagenesis, and even regenerate tissue. But a topical carboxy delivery system? That is something altogether innovative. On the latest episode of The Technology of Beauty, Lumisque Skincare CEO Lana Kerr takes listeners on a journey through the development of ...
Feb 06, 2024•45 min•Season 5Ep. 146
It's common knowledge that one of the best ways to convert new prospects into patients is to give them a better understanding of the procedure they are interested in. But patient education can be a problem for aesthetic practitioners. As Engage Technologies Group CEO C. Lloyd Mahaffey puts it, "Humans have the attention span of goldfish." Drawing on experience Lloyd gained from working with K-12 and higher education markets at Apple under Steve Jobs, he recognized a gap between what the medical ...
Jan 23, 2024•28 min•Season 5Ep. 145
"We want top-tier, board-certified plastic surgeons that want to grow, care about their staff, and care deeply about their patients." When others preach the benefits of practice consolidation, they often talk a big game about how they'll "take the stress of your back office off your plate so you can focus on surgical." They promise to provide a fail-safe marketing strategy or a dominant sales force or airtight accounts receivable — and maybe it rings just a little hollow. Maybe a just a little t...
Dec 13, 2023•45 min•Season 4Ep. 143
The last time we welcomed Galderma's Chief Scientific Officer to the show, Dr. Alan Widgerow spoke at length on "Unlocking the Secrets of Cellular-Level Skin Health" — and episode 59 is certainly well worth a watch on that subject (link below). But in this episode, he not only expands upon that theme, he brings news of the latest Alastin skincare products made possible by his groundbreaking research, including the company's new C-RADICAL Defense Antioxidant Serum. In short, here is a vitamin C-b...
Nov 21, 2023•45 min•Season 4Ep. 142
How often does a genuinely novel aesthetic device make it past product-launch hurdles to make it into practices across the country? Enter Jason Richey, President & CEO of Cytrellis Biosystems, to tell us about the nascent success of the Ellacor Micro-Coring system — the first of its kind to receive FDA clearance. The brainchild of Cytrellis Founders Dr. Rox Anderson and Dr. Jay Austen, the Ellacor device uses hollow needles to remove "micro-cores" of skin less than .5 millimeters in diameter...
Nov 14, 2023•34 min•Season 4Ep. 141
"Alastin is certainly not the only brand in our offices, but it is my number one brand. And it's based on the science." — Dr. Grant Stevens For far too long, skincare was more about style than substance. Flashy marketing and misleading claims wrapped around largely generic ingredients became the rinse and repeat formula for cosmetic brands. While we've seen no shortage of technical progress in the world of aesthetic medicine, the skincare category has suffered from a dearth of true scientific in...
Nov 07, 2023•29 min•Season 4Ep. 140
Imagine distilling the entire essence of an aesthetic practice into an iPad. To state it simply, that's just what the TouchMD platform makes possible — but there's a whole lot more to unpack. You could call it a patient engagement platform, a Before and After photo solution, or a patient consultation tool, and you would be right on all counts. But the true power lies in bringing all these components together and making them available at every touch point so that the patient gets served just the ...
Oct 24, 2023•35 min•Season 4Ep. 139
According to an oft-cited survey, over 65 million Americans are considering receiving an aesthetic treatment for the first time. Nick Magruder wants to make aesthetics more accessible for these consumers — and he may have found a way to do it. Drawing on his experience as Co-Founder and CEO of FriendMedia (now vrtly.ai), where he built an innovative platform focused on delivering a seamless in-practice marketing platform to medical aesthetic providers, Nick is the new Co-Founder and CEO of True ...
Oct 10, 2023•38 min•Season 4Ep. 138
Autologous cell treatments are already making an impact in our lives today but the truth is we are only just scratching the surface of what might be possible. In our lifetime, aesthetic regenerative medicine will make a dramatic leap forward. The problem is that as our cells age they become less potent. That means many of us will never be able to experience the full impact of emerging regenerative innovation. On episode no. 85 of the Technology of Beauty we hear from the CEO of a startup that ha...
Sep 19, 2023•43 min•Season 4Ep. 137
Apple isn't the only company that markets and sells smartphones, laptops and other personal computing products, yet it's always the first name that comes to mind when it's time for a new device. Why? Because they sell a superior experience, a first-in-class luxury product that leaves nothing to be desired. Within the world of aesthetic lasers, there's one company that truly emulates this winning model — a company called Sciton. Dubbed the "Bentley of Lasers" by Dr. Grant Stevens himself, Sciton'...
Sep 07, 2023•33 min•Season 4Ep. 136
Could the secret to a more youthful appearance and even improved posture lie in something as unassuming as the alignment of one's bite? Believe it or not, the intricate geometry of the smile can affect one's overall health — and even athletic performance. In this episode of The Technology of Beauty, join us as we dive into the world of cosmetic dentistry with Dr. David Frey DDS, an expert renowned for perfecting smiles in Beverly Hills. Serving as Dr. Grant's very own dentist, Dr. Frey has over ...
Aug 15, 2023•36 min•Season 4Ep. 135
Could the failure of conventional hair loss treatments possibly be attributed to something as simple as … not following through with the treatments? According to multiple peer-reviewed studies, there is strong evidence supporting the efficacy of hair loss remediation — the problem often lies in a lack of commitment from patients to dedicate themselves to what may well be a lifelong endeavor. That's where a model for physician-dispensed nonsurgical hair restoration offers an answer for better pat...
Aug 08, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 4Ep. 134
Sometimes success comes down to taking a unique approach. Described by Dr. Grant Stevens as a "unicorn," Bodify is nothing if not unique. In a time when aesthetic treatment options are proliferating at a dizzying rate, Bodify stands out for its hyper-focused approach on one single service — Coolsculpting. In this episode, we hear from sisters and Bodify Co-founders Jessica Stellwagen and Melissa Mickelson. Tune in to hear the back story behind Bodify and how the power of focus led them to becomi...
Jul 17, 2023•32 min•Season 4Ep. 133
Ep. 80 - Megan Brown of Athenix on Building a Digitally-Native Aesthetic Brand What does it take to build a successful aesthetic brand in today's ever-evolving beauty industry? Join Dr. Grant Stevens as he sits down with Megan Brown, the new CMO of Athenix, to delve into a rebranding journey to explore, implement and automate proven marketing technologies and strategies. Leveraging her legacy of success at numerous enterprises, learn how Megan plans to bring strategies from consumer packaged goo...
Jul 05, 2023•38 min•Season 4Ep. 132
Acne might just be unmatched as an aesthetic concern for how visible and traumatizing it can be for patients. Yet truly significant improvements in acne treatments have been hard to come by. As Cutera SVP Steve Kreider notes in this interview with Dr. Grant Stevens, "I've been selling acne products for 17 years, and the standard of care hasn't fundamentally changed." Except that Cutera itself has now changed the game with AviClear, a laser treatment that offers a safe, prescription-free solution...
Jun 27, 2023•29 min•Season 4Ep. 131
As Dr. Grant Stevens so famously reminds us, The Technology of Beauty features the movers and shakers of the beauty business. And today is certainly no exception. For while you could be forgiven for being unfamiliar with today's guest, you'll surely be hearing more from Dina ElSherif and her brand-new company, Trufacial. Because this entire episode is devoted to discussion of a single device that could very well turn an entire category of service-based aesthetics into an at-home option for self-...
Jun 20, 2023•32 min•Season 4Ep. 130
Welcome to Miami Beach, this year's home of the prestigious Aesthetics Innovation Summit. In this extended episode, recorded live at AIS, Dr. Stevens takes us on a tour of the most cutting-edge developments in plastic surgery and the aesthetics industry. With an unprecedented gathering of pioneers who are pushing the boundaries of beauty and reshaping the future of cosmetic enhancements, this episode features enlightening conversations and expert insights into breakthroughs that promise to revol...
Jun 07, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Season 4Ep. 117
In this special episode of The Technology of Beauty, recorded live at AIS 2023, Dr. Grant Stevens interviews Nutrafol Co-Founder and CEO Giorgos Tsetis. Drawing on a background in engineering that he credits for allowing him "to think in strategic ways to solve complex problems," Giorgos was inspired by personal experience with thinning hair to find a solution for others. Nutrafol offers an integrative approach rooted in nutraceutical science, utilizing drug-free, highly- concentrated natural pr...
May 23, 2023•21 min•Season 4Ep. 116
How do you double a company's growth while the world is in the throes of an economy-breaking pandemic? Well, you could answer this with yet another question: Have you ever had a HydraFacial? BeautyHealth President and CEO Andrew Stanleick has. And while it would be presumptive to say that receiving a HydraFacial for the first time was enough to convince him to take the helm of a multi-national company, well for starters, the product IS that good. But when discussing a company that is rapidly bec...
May 09, 2023•30 min•Season 4Ep. 115
Imagine a membership platform for non-invasive aesthetic treatments that allows patients to make affordable monthly payments while practices get paid upfront in full. Well as it turns out, we don't have to imagine it… because PRIVI is the first subscription plan of its kind, and PatientFi CEO & Co-Founder Todd Watts is here to tell us about it. In this exclusive interview with Dr. Grant Stevens, Todd breaks down the mechanics of a financing model that promises "frictionless beauty" for patie...
May 02, 2023•38 min•Season 4Ep. 114
A sea change is coming to aesthetics, and the first waves are already coming in with a resounding crash on the shores of the plastic surgery and medspa landscape — acquisition and consolidation of aesthetic medical practices on a scale never before seen. What does it all mean for the aesthetic medicine eco-system? According to Drew Fine, Chief Commercial Officer at Advanced Medaesthetic Partners or AMP, it's a way of empowering practices to truly become partners in something greater. The fastest...
Apr 25, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 113
In this exclusive interview with Dr. Grant Stevens, we are honored to present an intimate conversation with the Father of Medical Aesthetics, Dr. David Pyott. Acknowledged as one of the top 100 performing CEO’s in the world, Dr. Pyott was the Chief Executive Officer of Allergan from 1998 until the sale of the company to Actavis in 2015. By driving innovation through investments in R&D and impeccable performance, Dr. Pyott transformed Allergan from a small eye care company into a multi-billio...
Apr 18, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 4Ep. 112
From novel treatments for hair loss and microinflammation to fat grafting and breast reconstruction, something transformative is unfolding at Bimini Health Tech, and CEO Brad Conlan is here to tell us about it. Standing squarely at the vanguard of autologous innovation — using an individual's own cells in the name of regenerative aesthetics — Bimini seeks to marry convenience and performance with technologies that stand to reshape the way we think about aesthetic treatments. With decades of expe...
Apr 12, 2023•32 min•Season 4Ep. 111
What do patients want more than anything from their aesthetic providers? There's no point in guessing because Allergan has the answers — and they reveal them in this episode. Dr. Grant Stevens welcomes Carrie Strom, President, Global Allergan Aesthetics, and Jasson Gilmore, Senior Vice President Allergan Aesthetics, as they explain how they reinvented the Allergan loyalty program to focus on upgrading the patient experience. Learn the three best practices for patient retention, the top five aest...
Mar 28, 2023•1 hr•Season 4Ep. 109
Imagine a resume that runs from Solta, Medicis, and Cutera to Zeltiq, Allergan, and Soliton — success building on success in a masterclass on how to take an aesthetic enterprise from a promising player to a dominant force in the industry. As a leader with no less than seven M&A events to his name, Brad Hauser reflects on his titanic track record in this illuminating interview with Dr. Grant Stevens. As Brad details the swath he has cut across the land of medical aesthetics, it only serves to...
Mar 21, 2023•37 min•Season 4Ep. 108
The American-Brazilian Aesthetic Meeting®, also known as ABAM, provides an excellent opportunity for an international clinical exchange of knowledge in aesthetic surgery discussion of the current socioeconomic conditions and how they affect plastic surgery communities in the United States, Brazil and the rest of the world. ABAM transcends the 'aesthetic conference' by giving the most innovative voices in plastic surgery & other core aesthetic specialties a platform to shift what we think of ...
Mar 14, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 4Ep. 92
