The team at LiVDerm was honored to speak with Suneel Chilukuri, MD at the recent South Beach Symposium (SBS) in Miami Beach. As a dermatologist specializing in cosmetic dermatology, Dr. Chilukuri offered some background to his SBS presentations and some of the latest cosmetic devices. He also shared his excitement about the upcoming SBS: West Coast Derm event in Southern California in October, where he is a co-chair.
LiVDerm: In a few words, why do you think it’s so important to stay up-to-date with the latest happenings in the field?
Dr. Chilukuri: With the rapidly changing technology that we have in dermatology and cosmetic surgery, it’s important to understand what we can offer our patients. It’s remarkable really, especially in terms of melasma and hyperpigmentation. We can really change somebody’s life by improving their quality of skin. For scars, acne scars, surgical scars, there is so much that we can do now that we were never able to do before. Jaw shaping is the latest trend that’s out there. Everybody talks about this snatched jawline. It’s fun for Instagram, but what does it really do for a person? A lot for somebody who has micrognathia, a little bit of a recession of the jaw. We are able to give that structure and that confidence. We see it quite often in both grooms and brides as they are getting ready for a wedding. They don’t want to have that side-angle shot that shows what they consider to be a weak chin. With the technology we have, we have to be abreast as physicians and health care providers and be able to offer the latest advancements that work every single time.
LiVDerm: You were part of the live patient device demonstrations at SBS. Can you tell us a bit about that and some of the devices that were used?
Dr. Chilukuri: We are continuing to evolve and push technology. We saw that Aviclear can really help with acne. In a very unique mechanism, it’s shrinking the sebaceous gland, the oil-producing gland. We know that we can use something like Aerolase to improve the erythema as well as the active acne that’s there. That short pulse ND-YAG is going to make a big difference in terms of overall skin health. We can also use that same device to decrease pigmentation. Using a low fluence painting-type technique can make tremendous changes there. We saw that if you do that in combination with something else, such as the pulsed wave microneedling technology, Sylfirm, you can have long-term results with melasma. If you put the Moxi, which is the 1927 thulium, on top of that, then you’re getting that home run. You are able to lift the skin, improve the skin quality and really give great changes to our patients. I can’t wait to have more of us share what we can do with these devices.
LiVDerm: What is a key takeaway from that demonstration that you would love SBS attendees to immediately put into practice?
Dr. Chilukuri: I think it’s important to understand that you can now treat all skin types. In the past, we used to say not to use energy-based devices to treat anyone who has skin type four, five, or six. That’s not the case now. You saw that Ultraclear, a resurfacing device that improves what we call ‘crinkling’, especially around the eyes and the mouth, can be used for any skin type. We can improve the overall texture and quality by understanding how to properly put that amount of energy into the skin.
LiVDerm: As an internationally recognized dermatologist, how have you helped guide and mentor other dermatologists around the world?
Dr. Chilukuri: I would love to say it’s me mentoring, but I think oftentimes we learn from each other. It’s really nice to see what’s coming down the pipeline. The first time that we are getting to mentor from the U.S. outside is going to be with Daxify. From that, we can share our experiences and vice versa. Redensity, what is called RHA-1 overseas, was put here. What is their experience so we don’t make the same mistakes? Same thing with Volux. When we create that jawline and are improving that gonial angle and the mentum, how much should we be putting in? Our international colleagues have shared that with us and we are sharing our experience nationally and internationally with lasers in combination with those fillers and neuromodulators.
LiVDerm: Have you had a chance to get to our exhibit hall and network with our attendees?
Dr. Chilukuri: I think one of the best parts of South Beach Symposium is the exhibit hall. Every single vendor is not just selling you something, but really looking to partner with you. The best part is, oftentimes it’s the faculty members, the KOLs, who have done their research on that product that is sharing real-life experience. We have David Goldberg, Glynis Ablon, Doris Day, Michael Gold, all the pillars of dermatology, cosmetic dermatology, and lasers, that are in the exhibit hall walking through, learning how to do other things. They are so approachable to talk about what they are doing now and what their real-life experiences are. I think that the biggest and most unique portion of South Beach Symposium is having the interaction with your colleagues inside the exhibit hall.
LiVDerm: We are excited to have you co-chair the upcoming SBS: West Coast Derm at the Terranea Resort. Can you give us a sneak peek at what is in store?
Dr. Chilukuri: I don’t want to share too much, but I can tell you it’s going to be remarkable. We are going to divide it into categories, so if we talk about someone who has acne, what are all the treatments that we can do that are the most current offerings? Rosacea, the people that suffer from erythema as well as the papular pustular rosacea, what can we offer them? There is going to be a big blend of both medical and cosmetic dermatology. How are we using some of these devices, fillers, and neuromodulators to improve scars? It’s going to be exciting. I can’t wait to share it with you when you get there. But one of the things I can tell you that will be discussed is regenerative medicine. Over the last years, we have found what we can do for the face, we can do for the scalp, for the neck – it’s remarkable. I hope that you will join us for South Beach Symposium on the West Coast.
Join Dr. Chilukuri alongside co-chair, Natasha A. Mesinkovska, MD, PhD at SBS: West Coast Derm, our brand-new event taking place in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA on Oct. 6-7, 2023.
Transcript edited for clarity.
