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Medical Spa MD – Angry Cosmetic Dermatologists & Plastic Surgeons!

Oct 16, 2009 Sales

Visit Medical Spa MD’s lively physician community forums and you’ll step into an brouhaha that’s more than just infrequent in plastic surgery and cosmetic dermatology discussions, it’s unheard of.

Frustrated by what a growing number of cosmetic surgeons see as an wall of silence and infuriating lack of support from cosmetic laser and IPL manufacturers, these doctors have taken their anger public in a kind of free-for-all gang-bang that you don’t usually see from physicians. A public riot where ‘names are named’ and fingers are pointed directly at identified individuals that populate the management teams of prominent cosmetic laser and IPL companies.

In a few cases strings of emails have been published that detail conversations (or lack thereof) that have taken place, publicly embarrassing executives and even fellow physicians that are acting as luminaries and educators. It’s as though the cosmetic dermatologists have decided to take the gloves off and play hard ball really hard ball.

Of course there’s still some pragmatism and horse sense left. Most of the cosmetic dermatologists comments that are left are made anonymously and the forums that host these discussions generally try to protect the plastic surgeons from hidden reprisals.

The web sites hosting these cosmetic dermatologists forums have some headaches of their own. Medical Spa MD, the most prominent forum for physicians in cosmetic medicine, has been served with a substantial number of letters and threats from lawyers for daring to make these forum discussions public.

“We’ve received more than the usual web site’s number of nasty-grams”, says the publisher of Medical Spa MD, “but to censor public discourse between physicians is not what we’re about. The physicians on the site are responsible for what they post directly and commenting that they’re not receiving sufficient support is just that, their opinion.”

The issues are complicated by the support that the cosmetic surgeons are demanding, leaving the IPL and laser companies in the awkward position of alienating their plastic surgeons as customers, or providing information for treatments that could easily be considered as off-label used by the FDA and open them up to potentially hazardous liability claims from patients and cosmetic dermatologists.

The topic is not likely to die down anytime soon. Information that’s disseminated on the web has a long life and it’s obvious that technology companies are taking notice. In some cases they’ve actively joined in the discussion forums and proactively address concerns of individuals as soon as they’re posted, leaving an impression of active customer support. These tactics seem to be working as the IPL and laser manufactures who are active have a much lower incidence of negative comments from physicians who see their calls for support go unheeded.

In the end it will come down to market demands. Many cosmetic dermatologists who are opening new cosmetic medical clinics and investigating IPL and laser technology are finding their way into these forums and asking their more experienced peers for advice. IPL and laser manufacturers who aren’t part of the discussion can’t expect to win the propaganda wars.

Medical Spa MD is a medical community of Plastic Surgeons, Cosmetic Dermatologists, and Aesthetic Physicians with more than 4,200 medical spa members world wide. Medical Spa MD offers medical esthetician training manuals and offers information on non-surgical cosmetic medical technologies and treatments.

Tags: blogging, Cosmetic Dermatologist, Cosmetic Medicine, Cosmetic Surgeon, Cosmetic Surgery, Dermatologist, forums, internet, marketing, Medical Spas, Medicine, Plastic Surgeon, Plastic Surgery, Sales