A major conference discussing the latest dermatology practices and cosmetic and surgery procedures kicked off yesterday.
The eighth Bahrain, Dermatology, Laser and Aesthetics Conference and Exhibition (BDLA8 2025), organised by BDA Conferences and Exhibitions, at the Radisson Blu Diplomat Hotel Residence and Spa, Manama, runs until today.
It features more than 70 lectures, 15 sessions, five masterclasses and seven workshops and symposiums.
The two-day event brings together more than 85 speakers from Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, India, the UAE, Germany, the UK, Egypt, Russia and more to explore key issues in dermatology and exchange expertise on addressing industry challenges.
“It is a pleasure to welcome everyone to the BDLA8 2025,” Conference President Dr Ameen Al Awadhi said during the event’s opening ceremony.
“This year we are especially proud to continuously expand, evolve and diversify to deliver a range of interesting topics and information on dermatology and plastic surgery.
“We are also proud to include dozens of doctors to speak on many topics in the field, sharing their experiences and encouraging collaboration.”
Dr Al Awadhi speaking at the ceremony
Dr Al Awadhi delivered two sessions yesterday on ‘Same Itch, Different Disease: A Deeper Look into Atopic Dermatitis’ and ‘Prurigo Nodularis and Updates in Common Dermatologic Condition’.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, German Medical Centre dermatologist Dr Abdulaati Aghniya told the GDN that such conferences provide an important platform to address pressing issues in the region and beyond, including the growing influence of social media on self-confidence.
“Many young girls come to clinics requesting different procedures, but as doctors, we have a responsibility to know when to say no,” he said, noting that unfortunately some practitioners prioritise profit over patient wellbeing.
“As medical professionals, our duty is to restore confidence and deliver the best outcomes for our patients,” he added.
“Personally, the greatest reward comes from seeing a patient’s smile after a procedure – but it must be done in a way that enhances their natural beauty rather than drastically alter their appearance.
“With cosmetic treatments, the goal should always be to build a patient’s confidence in a healthy and balanced way.”
Speakers at the conference
While precise statistical data on young people receiving fillers in the Middle East is limited, studies in countries like Saudi Arabia and Iraq indicate a significant increase in cosmetic procedures, including fillers, among young adults.
This trend is driven by factors like social media influence, evolving beauty standards, peer pressure, and rising disposable income, leading to greater acceptance and demand for facial fillers among younger demographic.
Some of the sessions held on the conference’s first day included Difficult Patients in Medical and Aesthetic Dermatology; Decoding Skin Tumours: Navigating the 2023 WHO Updates; Online Reviews: The Word of Mouth; Beyond the Ordinary: Unusual Cases in Dermatology; Buttocks Augmentation; Fillers: My Quest for the Unknown; and Artificial Intelligence in Plastic Surgery: Does it have a Role?
Today’s sessions include Uses of Vaccines in Dermatology, Advances in Psoriasis: from Pathogenesis to Treatment; Hair Transplantation in Saudi Arabia; Social Media Trends in Hair Loss: from Reels to Reality; The Rise and Fall of Permanent Lip Fillers; An Overview of Vitiligo and Lips from Theory to Masterpiece.
julia@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))