Glynis Ablon, MD, FAAD, Discusses Filler Complications and Exosomes

In an interview with Dermatology Times®, Glynis Ablon, MD, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist, associate clinical professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the owner and director of the Ablon Skin Institute and Research Center in Manhattan Beach, California, discusses her sessions “How to Manage Complications: The Ugly Truth” and “Topical Exosomes,” presented at the 2023 South Beach Symposium (SBS) meeting in Miami Beach, Florida.

Ablon is also a member of the SBS Planning Committee and reveals why SBS is a unique dermatology conference.

Transcript:

Glynis Ablon, MD, FAAD: Hi. I'm Dr. Glynis Albon. I'm a board-certified dermatologist and associate clinical professor at UCLA, and the owner and director of the Ablon Skin Institute and Research Center in Manhattan Beach, California.

Dermatology Times®: As a member of the SBS Planning Committee, what makes SBS unique compared to other meetings?

Ablon: So, I've been a part of the SBS academic team since 2009. And I always feel like the meeting is the best of the best speakers, medical and aesthetic advancements, and fun. And I'm lucky to be among these brilliant minds and forward-thinking researchers to discuss and explore and learn about the future of dermatology.

Dermatology Times®: What do you enjoy and look forward to with SBS each year?

Ablon: Well, Miami feels like a second home for me. And it's a place where I kind of mix innovation, ingenuity, and ocean which I love. Exhilaration is everywhere. So, it's a really fun place for me to be and I love the meeting.

Dermatology Times®: What are 3 take-home points from your session, “How to Manage Complications: The Ugly Truth?”

Ablon: I always say that it isn't the 99 cases that go right, it's really knowing how to handle the one case that goes wrong. And filler complications I think can really be avoided in most cases. And it's critical to know your anatomy, which is why cadaver dissection is so important. And we do have that here at SBS, and there are new ultrasound devices to help one reduce vascular compromise. But it's not always about injecting into the vessel. Sometimes it's actually about compression of a vessel that can lead to a complication. And I suggest that you should have a list in every room or at least in the nursing station to help you on a step-by-step instruction sheet of what to do, which I'll be discussing at the meeting, what to do and how to handle the complications that can arise. And remember, it's not just the vascular compromise that there are other complications. So, you really want to know immediate and transient ones that are like bruising and swelling. And then you also have the immediate and persistent ones, which can be overcorrection or misplacement. And that's including the vascular compromise in that. And then finally, the delayed or long-term post-product interaction which is really the hypersensitivity in the biofilms.

Dermatology Times®: What are 3 take-home points from your session, “Topical Exosomes?”

Ablon: I do think the future really is exosomes, and we've only hit the tip of the iceberg. The development of exosomes really is rapidly advancing and it's important to note that there are two main sources of exosomes, which are the bone marrow stem cells, and umbilical cord stem cells and each have their own unique differences. But both can be engineered for skin and hair signaling. And they both have regenerative qualities or abilities including angiogenesis, collagen synthesis, and inflammatory regulation. And there's one company that's actually taking the best of both worlds and mixing bone marrow and umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells that will be available soon, so very exciting.

Transcript edited for clarity