Speaker Publication Profiles from Major Conferences in Aesthetics, Plastic Surgery, and Dermatology

Background: Aesthetics remains a novel, poorly-regulated field of medicine. Objectives: This study compared the scientific backgrounds of speakers at major conferences related to aesthetic medicine. Methods: Records from conferences that took place in 2015 in aesthetics (Facial Aesthetic Conference and Exhibition [FACE]), plastic surgery (British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons [BAAPS]), and dermatology (British Association of Dermatologists [BAD]) were reviewed for professional backgrounds and publication histories of conference speakers. Results: FACE 2015 was the largest conference and included "aesthetics doctors" among speakers from diverse professional backgrounds. Speakers at BAD 2015 and BAAPS 2015 were mostly dermatologists and plastic surgeons. Overall and when grouped by profession, speakers at FACE 2015 had fewer authorships and were less likely to have authored any peer-reviewed papers. Only 17 percent of speakers at FACE 2015 had contributed to relevant publications. Aesthetics doctors only averaged 0.37 authorships versus plastic surgeons (6.76) and dermatologists (13.92). Conclusion: Most of the talks at FACE 2015 were presented by individuals with limited scientific backgrounds. The publication profiles of both FACE 2015 and aesthetic doctors were inconsistent with their fellow congresses and medical specialities. The results for aesthetic doctors might fall below the threshold deemed acceptable for doctors presenting themselves as experts in a branch of medicine, and might reflect a critical dearth of evidence-based practices in aesthetic medicine.