AFTERNOON DC - THE BUSINESS OF BEAUTY

Dec 26, 2011

It’s a business that’s growing by leaps and bounds and is expected to record an annual growth rate of 50% over the next two years. For the established ones it’s certainly going to be boom time. One amongst these is Allergan, Inc. a multi-specialty health care companywhich is on the fore front and specialises in developing and commercialising innovative pharmaceuticals, biologics, medical devices and over-the-counter consumer products. Mayura Shanbaug caught up with R. Raghu Kumar, Managing Director of the company and leading Cosmetologist Dr. Jamuna Pai, and tried to decipher the factors that makes this business tick?

Beauty lies in the eyes of beholder… but with modernscience it lies in a syringe full of Botox, if you have the money. And with the growing sense of well-being and buying power, a large number of the population is opting for it. Earlier it came with the sense of vanity and pride. But with that emergence of science and the fast changing urban lifestyle, the earlier myths have been dispelled. The Wellness market in India was at USD 10 billion in 2010 with the target to reach USD 20 billion by 2013.

So what is Botox about? It is a prescription-only medical product that contains tiny amounts of highly purified ‘botulinum toxin protein’ refined from the bacterium, Clostridium botulinum says Raghu Kumar.

“Botox has a unique, protected molecular structure that stabilizes the core toxin in ‘BOTOX’ from degradation. When injected at FDA-approved and labeled doses into a specific muscle or gland, ‘BOTOX’ neurotoxin is expected to diffuse locally and produce a safe and effective result by producing a localized and temporary reduction in the overacting muscle or gland, usually lasting up to approximately three months depending on the individual patient…It is perfectly safe without any long term negative or side effects,” he assures.

. ‘Botox’ was first approved by the FDA 21 years ago for the treatment of strabismus and blepharospasm, two eye muscle disorders, making it the first botulinum toxin type A product approved in the world. Since its first approval, it has been recognised by regulatory authorities worldwide as an effective treatment for 21 different indications in approximately 80 countries, benefiting millions of patients worldwide.

“The cosmetic use of ‘Botox’ came much later, when in addition to its therapeutic uses, the same formulation of ‘Botox’ with dosing specific to moderate to severe glabellar lines were approved by the FDA in 2002 under the trade name ‘Botox’ Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA). ‘Botox’ Cosmetic is indicated for the temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe glabellar lines (frown lines between the eyebrows) associated with muscle activity in adult patients up to 65 years of age,” he mentions.

There was no looking back since then. With Allergen capturing 90% market share worldwide in the ‘Botox’ Cosmetic segment and approximately 29 million treatment sessions been performed over 11,000 patients in the past 20 years and the number growing.

“Everybody wants to look good and want to have the results quickly, but the irony of the situation is, inspite of its growing popularity, ‘Botox’ is still a taboo. People want to look good with the help of ‘Botox’, but do not want to reveal the secret behind it,” quips in Dr. Jamuna Pai, who is practicing cosmetologist since 1994 and has seen the number of patients grow by 40-50% year on year.

“The key is to get the procedure done correctly by qualified doctor, as wrong procedure can cause harm. However, there is no danger of systemic poisoning as it is just a protein and can be flushed out of your systems in due course,” she adds.

“There may be some pain and bruising for some time which goes away with time and in extreme case scenario there may be flu-like symptoms,” she explains.
Dr. Pai assures that the entire procedure does not take more than 10-15 minutes, which can be done in anybody’s lunch break without leaving tell-tell signs on ones face. The procedure can be performed from the age of 18 onwards till the age 75 -80, she adds.

“In fact, it is equally popular with male members of the society. 15-20% of my clients are males,” she tells with a wink.

As far as the price you have to pay for your everlasting beauty is (for four units of ‘Botox’) minimum Rs. 12, 000 every six months. A person requires at least 36-40 units for upper part of his face.

Raghu Kumar who is very optimistic about the advances made by research and development division of the company is confident of achieving the target in Indian market as well. “In the next 2-3 years ‘Botox’ treatment will be an everyday thing,” he says.

Dr. Pai at the EMAA Congress in Paris

Dr. Jamuna Pai presenting at the EMAA in Paris, 2011

At the recently held European Masters in Anti-Ageing Congress 2011 in Paris, Dr. Pai was invited to speak to a congregation of world renowned dermatologists, aethetic physicians and surgeons. Speaking on the peculiarities of Asia and specifically Indian skin and how they respond to different anti-ageing treatments,

Dr. Pai showcasing her skills at the EMAA in Paris

Dr. Pai was able to share her wealth of experiences that she has accumulated over 18 years in the business. A pioneer in cosmetology and injectibles in India, Dr. Pai's presentation was followed by a hands on demo displaying her gift of taking off years of a person's face with a simple treatment plan.

Looking Young With Dermal Fillers

Featured in - Times of India - Online

Online Link -

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-13/beauty/30148609_1_fillers-ageing-skin-juvederm-xc

Wrinkles and crow's feet? Cosmetologists say dermal fillers may be a good idea and there is now even a painless option - a treatment that many Indian men and women are opting for.

Jamuna Pai, a Mumbai-based cosmetologist, says people nowadays are more conscious of their looks and the best quick fix for an ageing skin is the dermal filler, but the treatment is so painful that many avoid it.

"Whenever I had patients coming to me for the process, the first question they asked was 'How much painful is the process?' And this is where around 50 per cent people used to step back. But there were still those 50 per cent who used to bear pain to look good," Pai told us.

Dermal fillers are made of hyaluronic acid (HA), a naturally occurring biodegradable complex sugar found in the human body and mammals. It hydrates the skin and adds volume, contributing to its overall appearance. The ability of cells to produce HA diminishes with age, which results in wrinkles and folds.

The hyaluronic acid-based fillers that thronged the market were Revanesse, Radiesse and Juvederm, popular fillers that are injected into the skin for accentuating looks.

The treatment was introduced in India in 2000 and became the most recommended procedure for a quick fix. But these treatments were painful.

However, the recently launched Juvederm XC dermal filler is almost painless and experts are hoping more people will come forward and take the treatment.

Pai said: "With this filler, where XC stands for extra comfort, there will be pain only when the needle is injected into the skin. It contains local anaesthetic lidocaine, which makes the area numb and hence the rest of the process is pain-free."

"What used to happen earlier was that a person used to feel pain when the needle was injected, then while the material was transferred, deposited and injected out. In some cases, we used to rely on anaesthetic creams or injections," she added.

Even men are lapping it up, buying treatments costing Rs.25,000-Rs.70,000 depending on the amount to be injected. After the treatment one may experience some discomfort like mild swelling, bruising, redness or temporary numbness, but the effect easily lasts a year.

The most painful area to inject a dermal filler is the lips and Anup Dhir, senior cosmetic surgeon at Apollo Hospital, feels pain-free dermal fillers are a boon.

"The most painful area to get these fillers injected is the lips. But with this new filler, the process has again become simple and what comes first for any doctor is to ensure the best outcomes for my patients, as well as their comfort level during the injection," he said.

These fillers change almost everything on the face. It fills up temporal hollows and those under the eyes, they enhance the nose, give definition to the cheeks and pout up lips.

"With age sagging starts and there is loss of volume. Dermal fillers are the best for anti-ageing and in making corrections. They give you immediate results that last for at least a year; you can go back to work immediately after the procedure," said Rajesh Khurana, president of Timpac Healthcare, known for offering clinical obesity management, cosmetology and anti-aging treatments.

Blush Clinics awarded Best Skincare Clinic in Maharashtra

Dr. Pai receiving the Best Skincare Clinic Award in Maharashtra (Blush Clinics)

from Mr. Chetan Bhagat

Blush Clinics was awarded the Best Skincare Clinic in Maharashtra 2011 by Big Brands Service Excellence Awards at a gala event held at the Holiday Inn in Mumbai on the 27th of August.

Dr. Pai who had earlier this year received the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award and the Bharat Gaurav Award for contributions in her field applauded Big Brand's efforts in recognising brands, organisations and people striving for service excellence.

BIG Brands Research, one of India’s leading market research companies, organized a gala Service Excellence Awards Ceremony to felicitate Maharashtra's leading companies and professionals who have displayed unmatched excellence in services industries. India’s most revered author, Mr. Chetan Bhagat was the chief guest at the event and gave away the award certificates to the winners.

On the occasion, Mr. Chetan Bhagat, said, “This initiative from Big Brands Research to promote service excellence and recognise the best service providers in different categories is a unique effort worth commending. The commitment displayed by a business or professional towards customer satisfaction is indeed something that must be encouraged. I hope that all the winners will keep up the good work and achieve greater heights in the times to come and emerge as true BIG BRANDS!”

BIG Brands Research Service Excellence Awards are given away to business organizations and professionals annually based on their service quality, leadership position in the industry, dedication to customer satisfaction, positive entrepreneurial initiatives, exemplary business practices, feedback from the end customers and the industry and business growth. The winners include the best doctors and clinics and hotels and restaurants amongst many other business areas. Big Brands Research collects the inputs from end consumers in different segments regarding their satisfaction level from products and services being offered by the different brands and professionals in different geographical locations in Maharashtra.

The company conducted this research study over a period of 6 months and with more than 50 field executives collecting the data from across the different cities in Maharashtra. The primary objectives of this comprehensive market research study were to identify and recognize service excellence, associated innovations and best practices that lead to exemplary performance and to highlight the importance of pursuing customer satisfaction in today's competitive and ever-evolving business environment.

Dr. Pai receives the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award

Dr. Jamuna Pai, was bestowed with the prestigious 'Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award' for her outstanding contribution to the field of skincare at a function in New Delhi to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.

Selected by an elite panel of politicians and social workers, the recipient of this award is selected on the basis of their outstanding services, achievements and contributions to their particular profession. Some notable recipients of this award have been Mother Teresa, filmstar Rajinikanth and Indian musical instrumentalist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.

Dr. Pai had the honour of receiving this recognition due to her pioneering work in the field of cosmetic medicine within India. Apart from this, her business employs mostly only women and she has worked tremendously towards their upliftment and empowerment, which was also recognised by way of the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award.

Dr. Jamuna Pai - Skin Expert Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2011

Dr. Jamuna Pai with the finalists of the Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2011 contestants in Mumbai

Beauty Goes HI-TECH

Dr. Jamuna Pai - Founder Blush Clinics

Beauty today has come a long way from the days of using painful waxing strips to remove body hair and tweezers to remove blackheads. Instead we have a plethora of options for any beauty problem today, and each one practically painless and quick! Whatever your problem maybe you can be sure that the highly advanced world of beauty technology has the perfect solution. Here are a few of the most cutting edge advances of today.

LASER HAIR REDUCTION

Hair removal has always been an important part of any woman’s beauty regime. An unkempt pair of eyebrows, dark sideburns, greenish hair grow thin the underarm area or hair growth on the upper back can be quite jarring to the eye and can ruin an otherwise pretty face or attractive figure. Incorrect methods of hair removal can result in painful ingrowths, boils or a dark greenish growth. And nowadays a lot of men are also opting for laser hair reduction on areas such as the chest etc.

Unwanted hair is a source of embarrassment and most of us would like to rid ourselves of this problem permanently. The diode hair removal laser is the gold standard in hair removal solutions and works extremely well on any area of the body. A unique component of the diode laser is the chilling tip that was designed to protect the Indian skin by actively cooling it before, during and after the laser light is transmitted. The cooling tip also has a mild anesthetic property, which allows tender areas to be treated in a relatively painless fashion.

FRAXEL

Fraxel (short for fractional laser) is a laser that is as revolutionary as the results it can deliver. Unlike other laser treatments, the Fraxel treatment is able to target microscopic areas of the skin, using focused laser columns to eliminate old, damaged skin cells, penetrating beyond the skin’s surface without affecting the outer layer of skin. This breaks down the old scar tissue and stimulates the body’s own natural healing process which builds new ‘even’ scar tissue and replaces damaged or dull, blotchy skin with fresh, glowing and healthy skin. Since the Fraxel is so precise, it is effective even on delicate skin types, areas like the neck, chest and skin on ageing hands. Results are immediate and progressive with maximum results in approximately two to three months.

THERMAGE

Thermage is the only non-invasive procedure that helps tighten and contour your skin in a single treatment — with no surgery, no injections, and no downtime. The effects of the treatment are visible almost instantly and can last for years, depending on the skin’s condition and each individual’s ageing pattern. The perfect antidote to signs of ageing or tiredness, this procedure is easy enough to be conducted during one’s lunch hour! Thermage uses a unique radiofrequency technology to safely heat the deeper layers of the skin, whilst cooling the surface of your skin to keep it intact during the procedure. This deep heating stimulates your body’s natural skin renewal process, which helps tighten existing collagen and form new collagen. Over time, sagging or wrinkled skin is replaced with smoother, tighter skin, improved tone and texture and an overall youthful appearance.

TRIO

A milder version of the radiofrequency current used in skin tightening is the ‘trio’ (trade name). This is meant for people who would like skin tightening for a short while, whilst suiting their budgets too. This can normally be combined with one of the luxury line of facials. Reversing the process of ageing, correcting pigmentation and hair reduction are just the tip of the iceberg. The next few years is bound to see quantum leaps in this field!

Dr. Jamuna Pai holds a commanding position in the field of skin care. Trained with leading dermatologists in India and abroad she holds diplomas with credit from The British Independent Examination Board, The Royal Society of Health and The International Academy of Acupuncture.

Featured in StyleSpeak Magazine

Issue - February 2011