Katie Martin, PA-C, Share Insights Into Aesthetic Innovations in 2023 and What’s to Come in 2024

“I believe in community over competition and collaboration over competition. The better we all are as an industry, the better we all become,” said Katie Martin, PA-C, while discussing aesthetic innovations from 2023. Martin, a board-certified physician assistant, advanced injector, and vice president of clinical operations at Holden Timeless Beauty in San Marcos, California, recently spoke to Dermatology Times about her favorite advancements in 2023 and what she’s looking forward to in 2024.

Some of Martin’s top advancements from 2023 include the approval of Galderma’s Restylane Eyelight for the treatment of undereye hollows, Allergan’s Skinvive for improving skin smoothness, and the addition of Alastin’s new C-Radical Defense product.

With a growing industry such as aesthetics, Martin also discussed the importance of proper training for those starting their career in aesthetics. “As leaders in the aesthetic community, we owe it to future generations to really bring training and innovation to the forefront,” said Martin.

Transcript

Katie Martin, PA-C: Hi, my name is Katie Martin. I'm a board-certified physician assistant, advanced injector, and vice president of clinical operations here at Holden Timeless Beauty in San Marcos, California. And we are also Alpha Aesthetic Partners.

Dermatology Times: In your opinion, what have been a few of the most important announcements or approvals in aesthetics in 2023?

Martin: 2023 was a great year for some of my favorite companies. So Restylane Eyesight was an indication from Galderma for Restylane-L to be used in the interocular hollows. And although many of us as clinicians have been using it for years in that area, we can finally talk about it, not only in peer-to-peer trainings that I do for Galderma as a GAIN trainer, but also on stages. I believe the more we can learn from each other, and we can train on it, the better our outcomes are going to be as a whole industry. So, I think that was one of the top ones. The other one I was very excited about was Alastin's new product, the C-Radical Defense. And I think through research and science, we now know that some of the old vitamin Cs of the past might have actually been degrading elastin in the process. And now we know that the new vitamin C serums of the future can actually help build elastin, so that was a great innovation of 2023. And thenSkinvive by Allegan, which I know skin boosters have been in Europe for a long time, but the US has been anxiously awaiting them, soSkinvive by Allergan is another one that I'm very excited about in 2023.

Dermatology Times: What new advancements or procedures have you been the most excited to utilize in your practice?

Martin: I would have to say that all 3 of those. From a trainer aspect for Galderma, I think Restylane Eyelight was a big, huge innovation, and the ability for us just to talk about it and train on it and again, share best practices throughout the country, which I believe in community over competition and collaboration over competition. The better we all are as an industry, the better we all become. I have switched over a lot of my patients for skincare to Alastin's C-Radical Defense because of its elastin-preserving qualities and I truly believe that everybody needs a sunscreen, some sort of retinol or retinoid product, and vitamin C.

Dermatology Times: What's in store for aesthetics moving into 2024?

Martin: 2024 I think is going to be a great year with new indications from some of the top leading companies. I'm looking forward again to just expanding their knowledge and their science and their FDA approvals so that we as a trainer community can take that to the masses and learn from each other.

Dermatology Times: What areas in aesthetics or patient care still need additional attention or innovations?

Martin: I think the aesthetic community, because it is such a new and quickly growing subset of medicine, I think we all as a community need to come together and be better about really training in the right way and training in natural and safe enhancements. I think there might be a little bit of "wild wild west" going on out there just because it's such a new industry and everyone is dying to get into it and learn about it because it is such a wonderful career path. But I think as leaders in the aesthetic community, we owe it to future generations to really bring training and innovation to the forefront.

[Transcript lightly edited for clarity]