How to read clinical evidence for aesthetic devices

Aesthetic device marketing leans heavily on the word 'clinically proven'. The phrase carries no fixed meaning, so the burden falls on the clinician to read the underlying study design.

Start with blinding. An unblinded case series in a field with strong placebo and measurement effects tells you very little. Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled designs are the standard worth holding devices to.

Then look at the endpoint. Was the measured outcome the one being advertised? Circumference reduction, fat layer thickness and patient satisfaction are three different endpoints and should not be used interchangeably.

Finally, check whether the study used the same device, same wavelength and same protocol as the one being sold to you. Evidence does not transfer across platforms.