With too few medical cosmetologists countrywide even as the demand for beauty and wellness services has created a billion dollar industry, theres a rising premium on their servicesLooking good, maintaining physical fitness and positive image attitude at all ages, is becoming a growing trend among people with high-powered jobs and upscale lifestyles. Thats why medical cosmetology has become an attractive and rewarding career for qualified medical practitioners. Its one more specialisation option for MBBS graduates.
Medical cosmetology is an approved medical science and cosmetologists/ dermatologists can typically promote their own clinics or work in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and medispas as cosmetic surgeons, dermatologists and surgical aides. Physicians first, they treat diseases and prescribe cosmetic procedures after assessing the physical and mental health of patients. They do surgical procedures such as liposuction, lifting of body parts, correcting deformities and also undertake non-surgical procedures such as skin peeling, administering botox, thread lift etc for the physical and mental well-being of patients.
To qualify as a cosmetic dermatologist, a postgraduate degree in dermatology or a diploma in dermatology/medical cosmetology is required. Among the few institutes in India offering certification courses in medical cosmetology are Annamalai University which offers a postgrad diploma in health science (medical cosmetology) through distance education; Kosmoderma Academy of Aesthetic Medicine, Bangalore; ICLS (Institute of Cosmetology and Laser Science), Mumbai, which offers online study programmes in all branches of cosmetology; and latterly the Gorgeous Skin Care Training Academy, Mumbai, (GSTA, estb. 2008) which offers a four-month postgrad certification programme in medical cosmetology to qualified medical practitioners, and a two-month certificate course for school-leavers to be trained as skin therapists.
With too few medical cosmetologists countrywide even as the demand for beauty and wellness services has created a billion dollar industry, its hardly surprising that theres a huge-and-rising premium on trained cosmetologists. After qualifying, medical cosmetologists usually begin their careers as assistants in clinics or medispas at handsome salaries of Rs.25,000-50,000 per month. After some years of experience, they can start their own clinics to rake in big bucks. Cosmetologists who arent medically qualified can also enter the ranks of high income earners by working in beauty parlours, medical skin clinics, spas and cosmetics manufacturing companies.
A hitherto uncharted field of medicine, medical cosmetology is a lucrative and happening career option. Until recently cosmetology services were in demand mainly in the glamour and entertainment world. Today they are required by college students, working women, corporate executives, house-wives and even older citizens — all of whom quite legitimately want to look and feel good. Future demand for medical cosmetology services is certain to spiral given Indias growing youth popu-lation, says Dr. Purnima Mhatre, the promoter-director of Gorgeous Skin Care Clinics Pvt. Ltd (GSCC) and the Gorgeous Skin Care Academy (estb. 2008).
An MBBS graduate of the Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Karad (Maharashtra), Mhatre practised as a general physician in several hospitals and worked with a dermatologist, thus developing an interest in this special-isation. In 1995 she acquired a diploma in cosmetology from the Mona Lisa Institute of Cosmetology, UK. After her return to India she practised as a dermatologist at Dr. Purnimas Skin Care Clinic in Juhu, Mumbai. Almost a decade later in 2005, Mhatre signed up for a further training programme in Canada where she worked in the Fairmount Skin Clinic, Toronto among other institutions.
With GSCC and the academy having quickly established a reputation in Mumbai, Mhatre is upbeat about the future. We treat 40-50 patients per day and have been selected the official beauty and wellness experts for Pantaloons Femina Miss India Contest 2010, she says.
An expert in skin care, laser and advanced methods to treat facial lines and wrinkles, Mhatre believes cosme-tology is a continuously evolving science which encourages innovation and customisation according to the needs of patients. Its only recently that the medical profession has woken up to advances in cosmetology, and begun to accept it as a legitimate branch of allopathic medicine, she says.
With the fervour among young people to feel and look good, Mhatre plans to start training academies for cosmeto-logists in all metros and clinch tie-ups with medical colleges to launch diploma programmes in cosmetology. So hopefully there will be a huge community in India spreading beauty and well-being all around, she says.
And who could possibly complain about such a denouement?
Indra Gidwani (Mumbai)