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Your eyes are a central part of your facial appearance. They’re also one of the ways that people experience the world around them. As a result, our eyes serve dual purposes: they add to our aesthetic appearance and they help us function throughout our lives. It’s only natural that there’s also crossover in the world of aesthetics and ophthalmology, too.
Case in point, the former ophthalmologist and researcher Alan B. Scott is credited with developing the drug Botox for medical use. Originally developed to treat people with strabismus (cross-eyes) and blepharospasm (uncontrollable closure of eyes), Oculinum was the previous drug name. When Scott sold the drug to the company Allergan in 1991, it was renamed “Botox,” became widely used to smooth wrinkles and the rest is history.
Ophthalmology and aesthetics have had quite a bit of overlap over the years. That’s one of the reasons why an ophthalmologist’s office is a natural choice for aesthetic services, including microneedling, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and laser hair removal.
Here are some of the other reasons why you should choose an ophthalmologist’s office for your aesthetic treatment:
Credibility
Ophthalmologists are board certified to treat patients. First, they have to earn their medical degree. Then, they have to complete four years of postgraduate specialty training. This typically includes a one-year internship and a three-year residency in an approved surgical program. Finally, they complete fellowship training, where a physician follows a specialist closely to train in a subspecialty. When an ophthalmologist expands their practice to offer aesthetic services, they must then continue their training in aesthetics.
In aesthetic services such as microneedling, nerves, blood vessels and other components of living tissue can be reached. Therefore, most states consider it the practice of medicine, reports the American Med Spa Association.
When you’re looking for the right provider for aesthetic services, make sure you choose a practice with an active, onsite physician who meets with the patients and oversees the treatment process.
Advanced Skillset & Technical Knowledge
Many aesthetic services require knowledge of the skin and strong fine motor skills.
There’s no greater example of fine motor skills than the ability to perform surgery on an organ as small as the eyes. During cataract surgery, for example, ophthalmologists make a 2 to 2.4 mm incision to replace the patient’s clouded natural eye lens with a clear artificial lens.
Ophthalmologists are also accustomed to working with the delicate skin area surrounding the eyes, including eyelids. Blepharoplasty is a procedure they perform to repair droopy eyelids that impact the patients’ field of vision.
This dexterity and knowledge makes ophthalmologists the perfect experts to oversee aesthetic services, such as microneedling, Intense Pulsed Light, and laser hair removal.
Convenience
When it comes to your health, your doctor is your partner. They are someone who ideally knows you and your medical history well — and over a long period of time. This makes it especially easy to go from being an eye patient to an eye patient and an aesthetic client. You receive the aesthetic services at the same practice you already know, overseen by a doctor you already feel comfortable with and trust.
Choosing your current doctor for aesthetic treatment is also convenient. You only have to call one phone number to make all of your eye and aesthetic appointments. Whether you’re there for an eye appointment or an aesthetic service, every procedure is overseen by the same licensed provider.
There’s even overlap with some of the procedures used to resolve eye or skin care concerns. For example, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) can be used to improve skin complexion and skin irregularities and it can also be used to treat dry eye.
Benaim Eye & Aesthetics Services
Dr. Monroe Benaim, our ophthalmologist, has been serving Palm Beach County’s eye care needs for more than 25 years. During that time, he’s performed more than 20,000 cataract surgeries and more than 4,000 blepharoplasty procedures (upper lid surgeries).
His philosophy has always been to “Put on the Ritz,” which means to make every patient feel cared for and important.
The aesthetic side of the practice has allowed Dr. Benaim to expand the best-in-class experience for patients.
The aesthetic procedures we offer include:
- Microneedling (Morpheus8): Microneedling is a skin-tightening procedure that can be performed from head to toe using Morpheus8, a gold micro-needling radio frequency system.
- Intense Pulsed Light (Lumecca): A procedure for patients who want to improve their skin complexion and reduce skin irregularities, IPL treatment can be used for age spots, sun damage, vascular lesions, rosacea, and freckles.
- Laser Hair Removal (Diolaze): Laser hair removal is a procedure for patients who want to reduce hair growth and — eventually — achieve smooth, hair-free skin.
