GEM's Comprehensive Aesthetics Training Support from Novice to Expert

As we launch GEM to our Level 7 community, we explain how the Global Evidence matrix supports your aesthetics training journey.

In our previous article, Introducing GEM: The Global Evidence Matrix for Aesthetic Practitioners we detailed what GEM is.

This was followed up with information on how following GEM principles allows injectors to contribute to elevating safe aesthetic practice. You can read more about this in our article, How GEM Drives Up Aesthetic Medicine Safety Standards.

What we haven’t yet explored is how the GEM app can enhance your aesthetics training journey and understanding of best practices. It can boost your credibility as a medical aesthetics practitioner dedicated to upholding the latest patient safety protocols. 

So let’s get into it and find out how…

5 ways GEM supports your aesthetics training journey

Here are five key ways in which the Global Evidence Matrix and its online GEM app will enrich the filler aspects of your injectables education.

1. Step-by-step guide to the safe administration of every filler treatment

In addition to being taught GEM principles through your eLearning and in-person training sessions, you also have the reassurance of the GEM app. This is hosted exclusively on a private channel within our Comma platform. 

The GEM app provides you with a host of educational tools, including a step-by-step guide to every filler treatment for the face. Divided by experience level, so you can ensure you’re practising within your scope of competency, you can see each part of the process.

This includes what are, essentially, at-a-glance checklists so you can instantly see key information, including:

• Needle or cannula?
• What size?
• Best filler product for this treatment by G prime
• Injection depth
• Anatomical placement target - where you want the product to end up
• Injection technique
• Recommended total product volume per hemi-face treatment.
  

These ‘cheat sheets’ are backed by more in-depth details for a greater understanding of each treatment, including:

• An overview of the treatment
• A detailed description of the injection technique from entry point to post-treatment actions
• Exploration of the medical and aesthetic risks involved 
• Links to each evidence source.

This information allows you to tailor your use of GEM to what you’re concentrating on and how much time you have. Whether you’re doing a quick scan or want a deep dive, the Global Evidence Matrix has you covered.

2. Visual learning tools to enhance your understanding

Sometimes a visual learning tool is the best way to communicate a message. This can be especially true when you’re learning how to inject filler. 

For every treatment covered in GEM, in addition to the text-based information, you’ll also find a:

• Specially commissioned 3D illustrations and unique animations showing the relevant anatomy and techniques. These will be released throughout the year
• 4K HD demonstration video showing Dr Tristan Mehta carrying out the treatment, narrating his actions throughout.

As these are all available on demand, you can access them whenever you want a refresher. You can rewatch them as many times as you like, while your subscription is active.

3. Ensure your techniques are always up-to-date based on the latest evidence

One of the key tenets of GEM is that it standardises treatment techniques based on the latest research data. 

It’s reviewed and updated annually, so if you follow GEM methodology, you will always be practising at the cutting edge of clinical safety, using the most up-to-date, evidence-based approaches.

This is not just a comfort to you as a practitioner. It’s a great marketing tool to communicate to your patients. As we wait for UK aesthetics regulation to wrangle the current ‘Wild West’ situation our industry finds itself in, patients aren’t always sure who they can trust. 

Any information you can give to explain that you are a safe, ethical, response, medical aesthetics practitioner will stand you in good stead. You’ll inspire confidence and trust among your patients and potential clients by explaining that:

• You’re a healthcare professional
• You hold or are training for a respected injectables qualification with the UK’s leading provider of postgraduate aesthetics courses
• Your approach is based on the most up-to-date scientific evidence because you care about their safety.

4. Use GEM to map your career progression goals

Another important aspect of the Global Evidence Matrix is ensuring each treatment is categorised based on the experience level of clinician it’s best suited to.

We arrived at three skill levels:

• Novice or ‘beginner’ is Development Stage 1 (< 1,000 filler treatments performed)
• Intermediate or ‘competent’ is Development Stage 2 (1,000-2,000 filler treatments performed)
• Expert level is Development Stage 3 (>2,000 filler treatments performed).

These were devised following a research project we undertook led by our Academic Director, Professor Sebastian Cotofana, and featuring industry experts including Dr Arthur Swift. Entitled Identifying Levels of Competency in Aesthetic Medicine: A Questionnaire-Based Study, you can read this paper in the prestigious Aesthetic Surgery Journal.

Every GEM subscription contains access to the information for all three experience levels.

By seeing all available levels, you’ll be able to quickly understand: 

• If a treatment is advisable for your current experience level
• Which treatments you can move onto next as your experience grows
• What’s involved in safely administering the most advanced treatments so you can plan your career progression, including whether these are treatments you actually want to offer your patients.

5. GEM principles apply to any product range

Whilst you’ll train using a specific premium filler range, the techniques detailed in the Global Evidence Matrix apply to all filler product ranges. 

Explaining the best product type by consistency and G prime allows you to translate the requirements to whichever product line you use.

So, regardless of which range your filler course provides, you’ll be able to use the same approach if you use a different product in your own clinic.

Online access to GEM to support your aesthetics training 24/7

As healthcare professionals, often working within the NHS or private practice with little free time, we know you squeeze your revision in when you can! This frequently means studying outside of normal business hours. 

The GEM app is available 24/7 for the duration of your subscription, allowing you that extra level of ‘always on’ support.

Want to know whether you use a needle or a cannula for treating the vermillion border at 2am? Need to know what layer you’re treating when injecting the pre-auricular with a cannula, at 4am? No problem! You can quickly and easily look up the information you’re after using GEM. 

The same is true if you’re practising privately and come across a treatment you haven’t done in a while or need a refresher on. You can simply use your desktop web browser or mobile phone app to log in to GEM and quickly get the information you need.

Thanks to its engaging, user-friendly design, GEM provides an intuitive reference platform that will show you - thanks to the visual learning aids - as well as ‘telling’ you. 

Replace your doom-scrolling sessions with GEM explorations to really level-up your aesthetic practice!

How to access the GEM app

...if you're a Harley Academy Level 7 trainee or recent graduate

If you are a current Level 7 trainee, the instructions for how to access GEM will be emailed to you by our Student Support team. Your access begins on Monday 10th February 2025 and is free for 12 months. You can also find this information about how to login to GEM on your online learning portal.

You’ll be able to access the initial phase of entries, covering the topics below, as well as a large case study video library.

• What is GEM?
• The Essentials
• Injection Principles
• Lateral Mid-face
• Medial Mid-face
• Nasolabial Folds.

The additional treatments for other zones will be rolled out over the next month, with continuous updates thereafter.

...if you're not a Harley Academy trainee or are on a non-Level 7 course

Our paid annual subscription will be rolled out to other cohorts, including trainees on other courses and the wider aesthetic medicine community, in due course. For details as to when this will become available, please register for our email updates. 

If you are not a current Harley Academy trainee and have any questions about GEM, please drop them in the chatbot in the bottom right-hand corner of this screen. Please note that you’ll need to have accepted our use of cookies to be able to see this.

We can’t wait for you to see GEM and get your feedback! All your comments will go towards continually improving its content and delivery.

For further information, check out our previous articles on GEM. Alternatively, if you’re a healthcare professional considering a new career in aesthetic medicine and are looking for the most advanced, evidence-based approach to botox and filler training, let our experts help you. Book a call with our approachable and knowledgeable team who can give you quick, accurate answers to all your questions and find the best aesthetics course for you.

All information correct at time of publication