Kenya’s dermatosurgeon Dr Pancholi trailblazing in cosmetics industry
In his illustrious years as a Dermatosurgeon – an identifiable name in this profession, Dr Pranav Pancholi has conducted several thousand successful skin surgeries and diagnosed everything from membrane infections to skin resurfacing and scar correction.
But this year, with a substantive investment, he is expanding his cosmetic medicine scope – and it is for the right reasons.
The acquisition of a multibillion medical equipment, EMSCULPT machine—a Sh25 Million investment in 2020, the machine is the first and only non-invasive body shaping procedure to address both muscle and fat.
In an interview with People Daily, Dr Pancholi believes that the body-contouring device – a fast in Kenya and in Africa — will be a game changer in the aesthetics industry, not only in Kenya but on the continent.
“This is an investment that is timely and one that is bound to meet the existing market demand. Emsculpt machine is going to revolutionize the industry, no doubt. The idea is to fill the gap in the industry while at the same time meeting the growing demand,” said Pancholi in an exclusive interview.
About five years ago, cosmetic medicine was primarily the domain of plastic surgeons, facial surgeons and dermatologists — medical school graduates who undergo several years of training in facial skin and its underlying anatomy.
But now obstetricians, family practitioners and emergency room physicians are gravitating to the beauty business, lured by lucrative cosmetic treatments that require same-day payments because they are not covered by insurance and by a medical practice without bothersome midnight emergency calls.
But Dr. Pancholi, who has pioneered the machine on the continent is advising against getting skin treatment from unqualified ‘professionals’ who are out to make money at the expense of patients.
“Skin is the largest organ of the body, with a total area of about 20 square feet and therefore requires a trained professional and specialist to attend to it,” he narrates during an interview in his office.
He runs AVANE clinic – a reputable skin care medical facility and one of Kenya’s largest medical-spa chains. It has several franchises run by tens of doctors, including internists, family physicians, emergency room doctors, urologists, naturopaths, chiropractors, and ophthalmologists and psychiatrists all well-trained.
Personal care, grooming and beauty are big business markets and statistics continue to show how willing consumers of color are to buy products that fit their specific needs.
Inspired by the demand, tech-forward digital retailers such as Avane Clinic have emerged to house and provide solutions to meet the growing need and demand in the market.
In 2018, the value of the global cosmetics market was 507.8 billion U.S. dollars. The market was projected to value at about 758.4 billion U.S. dollars by 2025. Global cosmetics industry should be worth 438.38 billion by 2026.
According to the estimations, the global beauty market will have a decline of 20%–30% due to the pandemic. Women in the US spend around $3,756 on cosmetics annually.
Back home, the industry is estimated to have grown by 400 percent from Sh26 billion in 2014 to over Sh 100 billion in 2018. That figure is believed to have more than tripled today.
EMSCULPT machine was declared one of the “Most Worth It” procedures of 2019 by RealSelf, a leading online resource to learn about cosmetic treatments and connect consumers with medical aesthetic doctors.
The RealSelf “Most worth It” procedures are determined by patients “Worth it” ratings–a proprietary consumer satisfaction score based on their first hand reviews after a treatment, and rate them as “Worth It” or “Not Worth It.”
EMSCULPT received a “Worth It” rating of 92 per cent in the latest ranking, which was based on a cumulative “Worth It” rating over a period of 12 months.
Emsculpt is a treatment approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or USFDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, an equivalent of Kenya’s Pharmacies and Poisons Board.
The ministries of Health and Agriculture are in the process of creating the Kenya Food and Drug Authority which will replace Pharmacies and Poisons Board.
This machine works to tone and strengthen the abdominal muscles, as well as tone and lift the buttocks.
It works by applying high-intensity focused electromagnetic energy to trigger supramaximal contractions, which cannot be achieved in voluntary muscle movement.
Dr Pancholi further says that to achieve maximum results, a patient needs to undertake four sessions with one session costing about Sh50, 000 for such procedures.
Equally the price varies depending on what doctor a patient chooses to see and which area of the body they are working on, but each session can cost between $750 and $1,000 in Europe. Since the usual program is four treatments total over a two week span, one can expect the total cost to be between $3,000 and $4,000 in such markets.
“This machine induces approximately 20,000 supramaximal muscle contractions per 30 minute session and is the only technology that destroys fat while simultaneously building muscle.
The treatment is ideal for all age groups of patients who live a healthy and active lifestyle but looking to strengthen and define hard to target areas including the abdominals and buttocks,” says Pancholi.
The machine is also expected to give fitness outlets like gyms a run for their money, the high-associated cost notwithstanding, according to Dr. Pancholi who however, believes partnerships with such outlets will go a long way if the rare machine, popular among celebrities like Kim Kardashian, is to meet its intended purpose.
