Aesthetic Medicine

POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

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ABOUT THE COURSE

Context

Aesthetic medicine is a rapidly expanding field of medical knowledge, both nationally and internationally.

The field of Aesthetic Medicine aims to promote healthcare with an aesthetic focus, in close collaboration with the medical specialties of Angiology and Vascular Surgery, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Dermatology and Venereology, and Endocrinology, in an integrated manner of care and medical and surgical procedures.

Not being considered a medical specialty, there was no postgraduate training in Portugal to guarantee the certification of professionals and, simultaneously, the national production of science in this area. This gap has been, to some extent, filled by the demand for postgraduate university training abroad, which has existed for more than 30 years.

The creation of this Postgraduate Course in Aesthetic Medicine aims to provide a national alternative for training in the field, and to promote the production and publication of relevant scientific work. The curriculum is designed to equip physicians with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes deemed necessary for the practice of aesthetic medicine, enabling them to ensure the best possible healthcare for individuals.

The implementation of the Postgraduate Course in Aesthetic Medicine, promoted by the Fernando Pessoa University in collaboration with the Portuguese Society of Aesthetic and Cosmetic Medicine, constitutes an important milestone in the national validation and accreditation process of competencies in this area of medicine.

• Promoting basic health care, preventing the onset of diseases and other alterations, particularly mucocutaneous ones.
• Diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of facial/body dysmorphia and signs of aging.
• Treatment of unsightly body features.
• Application of techniques aimed at improving aesthetics, in the medical field.

Holders of a bachelor's degree and/or integrated master's degree in Medicine.

The total duration of the Postgraduate Course in Aesthetic Medicine will be 1 academic year, corresponding to 60 ECTS credits.

In-person classes will take place at the Gondomar campus of the Fernando Pessoa University (Fernando Pessoa University Teaching Hospital), on Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, on a monthly basis.

 

At the end of the Postgraduate Course, the student must have completed 90% of the total number of scheduled in-person hours and have passed the various curricular units of the study plan. Upon meeting these criteria, a final grade will be awarded (on a scale of 0 to 20), obtained from the following evaluation elements:

Theoretical assessment: assessment of theoretical knowledge, tests or exams or oral: (40%);
Theoretical-practical assessment: assessment in a work context (40%);
Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation: of the Monograph, before a jury appointed for this purpose (20%).

The Postgraduate Course certificate will be issued after verification that the student has completed the course in its entirety and passed all described assessment elements, totaling 60 ECTS credits.

It will not be possible to issue partial credits for prior training or professional experience, or to issue Module Certificates/Diplomas.

Program Content

  1. Definition of Aesthetic Medicine
  2. Positioning and international situation of Aesthetic Medicine
  3. Economic Activity and Democratization of Aesthetic Medicine
  4. Limits of Practice in Aesthetic Medicine. The Importance of the "SPMEC White Paper on Aesthetic Medicine"“
  5. Medical Training
  6. Duty to inform patients/clients
  7. Anamnesis
  8. Evidence-based Aesthetic Medicine
  9. Complementary Diagnostic and Therapeutic Methods in Aesthetic Medicine
  10. Evidence-based Aesthetic Medicine
  11. Aesthetic Medicine as a holistic and preventative approach
  12. Sleep and its impact on quality of life and aging.
  13. Basic Principles of Management and Marketing
  1. The ethical problems of Aesthetic Medicine
  2. General Principles of Medical Ethics
  3. General Principles of Conduct
  4. Ethical Aspects of Marketing and Advertising in Aesthetic Medicine – sales process, ethical and deontological aspects
  5. Communication during consultations, managing expectations and conflicts.
  6. Informed consent for medical procedures and image acquisition.
  7. Clinical Records
  8. Relationships with Third Parties.
  1. Basic concepts of photography
  2. Types of cameras
  3. Camera controls and lens selection
  4. Photography in clinical and operating room settings; macro photography of anatomical specimens – color, size, and definition.
  5. Controlling exposure, sharpness, color, and white balance in medical and scientific photography.
  6. Histogram analysis
  7. Basic photo editing: basic correction and retouching tools; preparing photographs for display, printing, and scientific work.
  8. Digital workflow
  9. Types of digital files, file organization and archiving.
  10. Photography with a phone
  11. Ethical aspects of medical and scientific photography.
  1. Anatomy of the circulatory system of the upper limb
  2. Insertion of a catheter into a peripheral vein
  3. Aseptic technique is used in the characterization and handling of the catheter, system, and insertion site.
  4. Blood collection by venipuncture
  5. PRP introduction and brief explanation of its preparation and administration.
  6. Definition and selection of materials for minor surgery.
  7. Techniques and procedures of minor surgery
  8. Understanding the fundamentals of wound care and healing.
  9. Methodical approach to a wound (choice of suture material, appropriate suture points)
  10. Standardized practice of basic suturing techniques
  11. Identification and management of elective minor surgical pathologies (skin lesions, lipomas, and sebaceous cysts).
  12. Medical Devices: Definition, Regulatory and Legislative Framework, Classification, and Market Introduction
  13. Materials needed for the practice of Aesthetic Medicine: Cleaning, Protection, Marking, Asepsis and Disinfection
  14. Waste Management Procedures and Equipment in Aesthetic Medicine
  15. Exploration of different materials used in Aesthetic Medicine
  1. Anatomy of the Head and Neck
    1.1 Osteology, myology and angiology; neuroanatomy – cranial nerves
    1.2 Anatomy of the facial fat pads and the SMAS
    1.3 Clinical anatomy of the neck
    1.4 Anatomy of Facial and Cervical Aging
  2. Exploration of the anatomy of the head and neck in cadavers.
  3. Anatomical-clinical relationships in Aesthetic Medicine and "Danger Points"“
  1. Skin structure and homeostasis
  2. Basic dermatological semiology, description of dermatological lesions.
  3. Pathologies with aesthetic implications in dermatology
    3.1. Pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment
    3.2. Acne, Rosacea, Pigmentation Disorders, Facial Vascular Lesions
  4. Basic principles of Dermatoscopy
    4.1. Technique and Instruments
    4.2. The importance of colors in dermatoscopy
  5. Phototherapy
    5.1. Intense Pulsed Light – IPL, Ablative/Non-ablative Lasers
    5.2. Biophysics of light/tissue interaction
    5.3. Types of phototherapy
    5.4. Use – indications, handling and precautions
  6. Skin Types and Conditions
  7. Cosmetic Routines for Healthy and Beautiful Skin
  8. Pharmaceutical technology in Aesthetic Dermatology and Cosmetology
  9. Principles of clinical pharmaceutical compounding
  10. Challenges of Cutaneous Administration and Personalization of Therapy
  1. Fundamentals of lighting systems (Laser and IPL)
  2. Light-Textile Interaction (Effects)
  3. Laser and IPL dosimetric characteristics and parameters
  4. Safety of lighting systems
  5. Non-ablative light systems (Laser and IPL)
  6. Ablative light systems
  7. Fractional Laser Systems (ablative and subablative)
  8. Ablative/non-ablative lasers
  9. Generalities in the diagnosis of body contour alterations: cellulite, localized adiposity, lipedema, venolymphatic edema, flaccidity.
  10. Fundamentals of Photodepilation
  11. Treatment protocols for body contour changes
  12. Home treatments: dietary advice, cosmetics, herbal medicine, food supplements, compression garments.
  13. Physical techniques in aesthetic body medicine: massage, hydrotherapy, electrotherapy, radiofrequency, ultrasound, laser, shockwave therapy, thermotherapy (application of heat/application of cold), cryolipolysis, pressotherapy.
  14. Physical basis, mechanisms of action, indications and contraindications, adverse effects, and scientific and experimental evidence of the different techniques applied in the treatment of body contour alterations.
  15. Practical applications of lighting devices
  16. Practical demonstration of facial rejuvenation.
  17. Treatment of benign pigmented lesions (seborrheic hyperkeratosis, pedunculated fibroma, senile purpura, actinic keratosis)
  18. Electrothermotherapies and mechanotherapies
  19. Body treatment protocols
  20. Clinical applications and practical cases of non-ablative laser, intense pulsed light (IPL), and Neodymium YAG laser.
  21. Indications for plasma laser technology and its usefulness in aesthetic medicine.
  1. Physiology of facial aging
  2. Facial proportions
  3. Facial assessment and diagnosis
  4. Anesthetic Procedures and Nerve Blocks in Aesthetic Medicine
  5. Botulinum toxin
    5.1. Types
    5.2. Pharmacology
    5.3. Indications and contraindications
    5.4. Basic application techniques
    5.5. Atypical Applications of Botulinum Toxin
  6. Facial fillers
    6.1. Types
    6.2. Pharmacology
    6.3. Indications and contraindications
    6.4. Basic application techniques
  1. Facial bioremodeling
  2. Rhinoplasty
  3. Lip and smile shaping
  4. Cervical and Thoracic Rejuvenation
  5. Hand Rejuvenation
  6. Liquid collagen biostimulators
  7. Biostimulation threads and lifting threads in Facial Aesthetic Medicine
  8. Integrated treatment protocols
  9. Treatment protocols in the perioral, periocular, and cervical regions.
  1. Peeling: types and pharmacology, indications and contraindications
  2. Chemical Peel Treatment Steps: Pre- and Post-Peel
  3. Classic Chemical Peels
  4. Nanotechnological Peels
  5. Basic Peeling Techniques – Hands-On
  6. Advanced Peeling Techniques – Hands-On
  1. History of Mesotherapy
  2. Clinical applications of aesthetic mesotherapy: indications and contraindications and aesthetic pharmacology.
  3. Facial Mesotherapy
  4. Body Mesotherapy
  5. Hair Mesotherapy
  6. Mesotherapy: substances, mechanisms of action, mixtures and methods of application.
  7. Isolated and combined protocols in the practice of Mesotherapy.
  8. Hydrolipodystrophy, Adiposity and Lipodystrophy: etiopathophysiology and clinical classification/terminology
  9. Hydrolipodystrophy, Adiposity and Lipodystrophy: predisposing, triggering and aggravating factors
  10. Physical assessment, indications and contraindications for treatment.
  11. Anthropometry, Bioimpedance, Skinfold Thickness, Thermography and Ultrasound
  12. Therapeutic approach: main outpatient and surgical treatments
  13. Complementary approach: phytotherapy, cosmetology and nutraceuticals
  14. Ozone therapy in aesthetic medicine.
  15. Microneedling
  16. Nutritional guidelines for the treatment of cellulite, localized fat, and water retention.
  17. Current trends: ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting, paleo diet: the truths and the myths
  18. Contraindications and patient particularities/limitations
  19. Treatment complications: identifying, treating, and preventing them.
  1. Importance of Hormones in Brain Injury
  2. Principles of Hormonal Modulation
  3. Modulation versus Replacement
  4. Hormonal deficiency and excess
  5. Metabolism and Metabolic Syndrome
  6. Insulin and Diabesity
  7. Compounding of medications and hormones – Compounding Pharmacy
  8. Pleasure Hormones
  9. Thyroid Hormones
  10. Physiology and action of hGH
  11. Melatonin
  12. Vitamin D
  1. Pharmacological Treatment of Baldness
  2. Surgical Treatment of Baldness
    2.1 Hair Microtransplantation: Introduction and Indications
    2.2 Surgical techniques: FUE, FUT, scalp reduction
  3. Equipment in trichology and hair surgery
  4. Types of fur and hair
  5. Hair cycle
  6. Hair Diseases: Alopecia Areata, Androgenetic Alopecia, Fibrosing Alopecia, Effluvium, Scaly Diseases
  1. Phlebological pathology of the lower limbs: pathophysiology and diagnosis
  2. Clinical and Doppler ultrasound phlebological assessment
  3. Surgical/non-surgical treatment: indications and limitations
  4. Chemical sclerosis of varicose veins
  5. Epicutaneous photocoagulation of varicose veins and telangiectatic veins.
  6. Post-treatment care for non-surgical procedures
  1. Genital Aesthetics
  2. Vaginal Rejuvenation with Laser – State of the Art
  3. Intimate Peeling
  4. Hyaluronic acid in its gynecological application.
  5. Postmenopausal Genitourinary Syndrome
  6. Postpartum Vaginal Laser Applications
  1. Basic Life Support and Automated External Defibrillation (AED)
  2. Complications in medical-aesthetic treatments: diagnosis and approach flowcharts
  1. Research Project Design
  2. Structuring a scientific article
  3. Good practices in writing texts
  4. Bibliographic research and scientific referencing
  5. Quantitative and qualitative methods
  6. Peer review and rating
  7. Scientific edition

The topic of the monograph should align with the postgraduate study plan.

Coordination & Contacts

Coordinator: Prof.a Doctor Daniela Maia Mendes 
Co-Coordinators: Dr. Marco Bruno Guerra da Rocha (SPMEC) • Prof.a Doctor Maria Callé

Fernando Pessoa Academy
9th of April Square, 349
4249-004 Porto
T. +351 22 507 1300
academia@fundacaofernandopessoa.pt

Request information about the course:

Faculty

Dr. Alejandro Acuña • Dr. Amélia Almeida • Dr. Ana Lúcia Nogueira • Dr. Ana Moreira • Dr. Ana Paula Marum  • Dr. André Cerejeira • Dr. André Lourenço • Dr. António Carvajal • Dr. Arlindo Rego • Professor Dr. Áurea Lima • Dr. Carlos Trabulo • Dr. Cátia Sousa • Dr. Cristina Azevedo • Dr. Emilce Ínsua • Dr. Fernando Moura • Dr. Flávia Barsali • Dr. Francisco Carvalho Domingues • Dr. Gonçalo Rocha • Dr. Ivone Mirpuri •  Dr. João Lima Gabriel • Dr. José Bilhoto • Dr. José Miguel Fernandez • Dr. Juliana Pais • Dr. Júlio Ferreira • Dr. Leila Marques • Dr. Lorena Rivas • Dr. Manuel António Campos •  Dr. Manuel Rodrigues Sousa • Dr. Marco Guerra Rocha • Professor Dr. Maria Calle Vellés • Dr. Maria João Fernandes • Dr. Mário Mendanha • Professor Dr. Mariano Vélez • Dr. Marisa André, Dr. Paula Ramôa, Dr. Pedro Sousa, Dr. Rafael Almeida • Dr. Raquel Silva • Dr. Rita Oliveira • Dr. Rodrigo Ayoub •  Professor Dr. Silvério Cordeiro • Dr. Simone Ayres • Dr. Sofia Santareno • Dr. Victoria Morón

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Selection and ranking criteria for candidates and their respective weightings:

  1. Master's Degree in Aesthetic Medicine – 30 points
  2. Specialization course in Aesthetic Medicine – 20 points
  3. Other postgraduate training in areas of interest/influence of Aesthetic Medicine – 15 points
  4. Other postgraduate training in other areas of Medicine – 5 points
  5. Evaluation of curriculum path – 20 points
  6. Being a member of SPMEC – 10 points
  7. Interview conducted by the coordinators (evaluation of expectations and purposes) – 10 points

Documents to be submitted (1); (2); (3):

  1. A simple photocopy of an identification document;
  2. A simple photocopy of the Taxpayer Identification Number (CPF);
  3. Certificate of Bachelor's/Integrated Master's Degree in Medicine (original or certified copy);
  4. Proof of membership in the Order of Physicians (Professional Card) or professional registration in another EU member country;
  5. Proof of civil liability insurance;
  6. Curriculum Vitae model Europass;
  7. Proof of full membership in SPMEC.

Find information and register at: Applications 2026/2027

(1) Citizens of countries not belonging to the European Union will have to present a valid residence permit in accordance with the rules of the Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service;
(2) Simple photocopy of the Taxpayer Card is not required if the identification document is the Citizen Card;
(3) Certificates of qualifications from foreign higher education institutions: copies or originals must be authenticated by the official education services of the respective country and recognized by the Portuguese diplomatic or consular authority or bear the apostille of the Hague Convention. The certificate of subjects must include or be accompanied by the Grade Scale.

School Dates & Fees

Edition 2026/27: Starting in November 2026

Applications: 2026/2027

Dates

First Application Phase: April 22 to May 22, 2026 (submitted to SPMEC – Portuguese Society of Aesthetic and Cosmetic Medicine)
2nd Application Phase: May 25th to July 4th, 2026 (submitted to SPMEC – Portuguese Society of Aesthetic and Cosmetic Medicine)
3rd Application Phase: July 7th to September 5th, 2026 (submitted to SPMEC – Portuguese Society of Aesthetic and Cosmetic Medicine)
Publication of Provisional Admission List: September 9, 2026
Withdrawal/Exchange Period: September 10, 2026 to September 17, 2026
Publication of the Final Admission List: September 22, 2026

Fees

Application Fee: €100*
Annual Registration Fee: €350
Annual Tuition Fee: €5750

  • First installment of Annual Tuition Fee – 50% of the amount (€2,875), upon enrollment;
  • 2nd installment of Annual Tuition Fee – 50% of the amount (€2,875), until the end of December.


* This amount refers to administrative costs and is non-refundable in case of non-placement and/or withdrawal.