#Japan #Minami Aoyama #Appearance Care #Paramedical Art #Scar Treatment

The Role of Paramedical Art Makeup in Appearance Care

When surgeries or injuries heal, residual scars often lead to color disparities and texture differences that can hinder psychological recovery. In recent years, there has been significant medical attention toward "Appearance Care," which provides comprehensive support for patients facing appearance changes due to cancer treatments or surgical interventions.

Innovations by BMC Clinic Minami Aoyama

One of the leading institutions in this field is the BMC Clinic in Minami Aoyama, operated by NMT Japan. This facility specializes in medical art makeup and offers a dedicated clinic for pigment formation, known as "Color Correction Outpatient Clinic." Their unique approach integrates two advanced techniques:

• - Paramedical Pigmentation®: This method utilizes medical-grade pigments for color correction.
• - Skin Rejuvenation®: This technique employs dry needling to facilitate tissue regeneration.

By merging these two methodologies, the clinic offers supplementary treatments that enhance plastic surgery results, ultimately aiming to bolster patients' self-image and confidence.

The Essence of Appearance Care

The impact of scars on physical and mental well-being is profound. Improving external appearance goes beyond simple aesthetics, contributing crucially to:

• - Restoring personal identity
• - Aiding reintegration into social life
• - Enhancing quality of life (QOL)

Paramedical Pigmentation® and Skin Rejuvenation® represent an evidence-based approach to restoring appearance, thereby expanding the healthcare value associated with aesthetic improvements.

Addressing Limitations Beyond Conventional Medicine

Advancements in surgical techniques have significantly improved the reconstruction of skin and soft tissue. However, current surgical practices often fall short in reproducing color and texture, leading to persisting imperfections. This is where paramedical techniques step in to provide the necessary finishing touches:

• - Paramedical Pigmentation® (color correction)
• - Skin Rejuvenation® (tissue remodeling)

Collectively referred to as "Paramedical Art Makeup," these methods aim to blend scars with surrounding skin, reducing their visibility and alleviating emotional distress for patients.

"We don't remove scars; we harmonize them. This difference leads to mental healing."

— Taeko Miyake, Director of BMC Clinic Minami Aoyama

Integrated Care System: Plastic Surgery and Medical Art Makeup

The hallmark feature of this project is its systematic integration of plastic surgery and medical art makeup under one roof. This ensures that patients do not need to move between various facilities and can receive consistent follow-up from the same medical team, comprising both physicians and nursing staff.

Comprehensive Treatment Options

BMC Clinic offers various treatment options based on a thorough medical evaluation of scars:

• - Surgical scar formation and conservative treatment
• - Paramedical Pigmentation®
• - Skin Rejuvenation®
• - Combination therapies where required

Currently, few facilities can provide such a comprehensive array of treatments within a singular medical setting.

Ensuring Validity and Safety through Specialist Involvement

The involvement of specialists in plastic surgery guarantees both medical validity and safety in treatments, reinforcing patient trust.

Technical Framework of Paramedical Art Makeup

• - Paramedical Pigmentation® (pigment-based treatments): These utilize internationally recognized safe pigments to achieve tonal and textural harmony with the surrounding skin. The technique is in high demand, particularly in the realm of areola and nipple reconstruction.
• - Skin Rejuvenation® (dry needling / pigment-free treatments): This technique employs fine needles to induce micro-trauma in scar tissue, promoting improved blood flow and collagen and elastin restructuring. It can also be effective for stretch marks and can be enhanced further when combined with art makeup techniques.

For cases where improvement solely via art makeup is insufficient, a plastic surgery specialist conducts surgical correction. Once inflammation settles, they can explore pigment application to camouflage and refine results further, all while considering the overall approach to appearance care.

Future Directions for Medical Art Makeup

NMT Japan aims to collaborate with medical institutions across various sectors, including areolar and nipple reconstruction, cleft lip and palate repair, vitiligo, and diverse scar treatments. Their goal is to establish paramedical art makeup as a vital therapeutic option in appearance care.

"Improving one's appearance is akin to reclaiming one’s way of life. As medicine and art makeup collaborate, reconstruction therapy can advance to the next phase."

Supervised by Shintaro Kagimoto, MD

Vice Director, Plastic Surgery Department, Cancer Institute Ariake Hospital
Clinical Research Officer, Survivor Support Room, Cancer Institute Ariake Hospital
Adjunct Physician, Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Japanese Red Cross Medical Center
Part-time Physician, BMC Clinic Minami Aoyama

With a commitment to patient care, BMC Clinic South Aoyama aims to provide cutting-edge treatments that not only treat but also empower patients through their journey of recovery.