We spoke with Dr Klaus Fritz, a board member with 5CC, about his career in dermatology and 5CC’s upcoming congress in Barcelona.
Can you tell us a little bit about what led you into the field of dermatology, and what have been the highlights so far?
When I took dermatology lessons as a student at medical school, I decided never to specialise in dermatology. Everything looked the same and all dermatoses were described in a similar way.
After passing the exams I had to decide which way to go, and found out that dermatology could be very useful for any medical work, but there was no chance to be accepted as a resident at these times. That was a challenge, so I tried various methods and finally ended up having three options to be trained in dermatology. I decided on Bonn, the former capital of western Germany. Then I found that dermatology probably has the largest variety of specialisations, like internal medicine or general surgery, with a lot of subspecialisations ranging from surgery, internal medicine, allergy, all the way up to psychology. Before, I had wanted to become a psychiatrist, but now, as a dermatologist, I can say that I became one because skin and psychology are very closely linked.
At the time, when I founded my clinic, classic dermatoses, allergies and phlebology were the main topics, because at that time only one or two lasers and one collagen filler were available. Over the years, laser and aesthetic dermatology grew exponentially, becoming its own subspecialty, which I selected, because it is never boring. I enjoy seeing innovations every month – that keeps me going on.
Who has inspired you in your career and why?
There were a couple of friends at medical school who had chosen dermatology as their specialisation ealier than me. They brought me into contact with skin and allergies. Later, laser and aesthetic dermatology became more and more important. Since I come from the school of classic dermatology, it was not the CO2 laser, but the excimer laser to treat psoriasis and vitiligo, the Er:Yag for ablation and the Argon, later KTP, laser, that I was enthusiastic about. Since then, new technologies and procedures entered the market every few months up to today’s energy based devices (EBDs), body contouring and tightening therapies.
By getting more and more experienced, I not only attended many conferences as a participant, but also started to speak and even organise some of them, including our upcoming 5CC meeting in Barcelona with my colleagues Michael Gold, Maurice Adatto, David Goldberg, Moshe Lapidoth, Christine Dierickx and Henry Chan. In addition, focusing on this subspecialty is the reason universities have asked me to enhance their laser units, journals approach me to become a co-editor or reviewer, and companies ask me to join their advisory board and societies to become a board member.
All of these experiences have inspired my learning and curiosity, especially in aesthetic and laser dermatology.
Dermatology is evolving all the time; what do you think have been the most exciting developments in recent years?
In classic dermatology: oncology, dermatologic surgery, imaging systems, skin cancer prevention, occupational dermatoses and biologic therapy of chronic immunologic skin diseases have highlighted a game-changing progress.
In aesthetic dermatology: lasers and injectables developed from nothing to an incredibly wide spectrum of therapeutic options, among them the new EBDs, which are currently the most advancing technologies, fillers and threads.
You are known for being very dedicated to training; do you see this as an important part of working in medicine?
Teaching is always fun. Everyone who enjoys new experiences and progress in their field likes to speak about it and share the knowledge with other colleagues, especially the residents. This is why I accepted a role and continue to teach at the University, to (co-)organise conferences or to attend and to speak at meetings and conferences.
You are one part of the Faculty for this year’s 5CC Congress in Barcelona – can you tell us about the highlights of the meeting?
Together with my colleagues mentioned above, we founded the 5CC Congress 14 years ago. In lasers, aesthetics and dermatology, there are new developments every year. That’s why we see different subjects presented in congresses like the 5CC meeting year on year.
This year’s highlights include the masterclasses on anatomy and lasers and EBDs, as well as the teaching courses about rhinofiller, male aesthetics, digital marketing, cosmeceuticals and chemical peelings. Besides that, the sessions on medical dermatology, artificial intelligence and the latest innovations are only a few of the many highlights we look forward to at this year’s boutique international conference.
We are proud to welcome our world-class faculty, delegates and industry partners from all over the world. Don’t miss this special congress.
And finally, if you have any spare time, how do you like to relax?
I enjoy going out for dinner, riding my bicycle, going for a swim, skiing in winter or just doing nothing.
Many thanks to Klaus for his time.
Save the date
14th 5CC World Congress
1-4 September 2022,
Barcelona, Spain
www.5-cc.com/en/2022/home
