Keynote speaker: Desmond Fernandes

hosted by António Almeida

Desmond Fernandes is a renowned South African plastic and reconstructive surgeon, internationally recognized for pioneering innovations in skin health and rejuvenation. After earning his MB.B.Ch. from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1966 and his F.R.C.S. from Edinburgh in 1973, he joined Prof. Christiaan Barnard’s heart transplant team at Groote Schuur Hospital, contributing to the landmark “Piggy-back” heart transplant. He later led the Cleft Lip and Palate Division at Red Cross Children’s Hospital for over two decades, presenting extensively at international congresses and becoming a Fellow of the Plastic Surgery Unit at Showa University, Tokyo.

Driven by his early experiences treating melanoma, he developed the Environ® Skin Care range, the first to introduce high-dose vitamin A in cosmetic formulations—an innovation that transformed the field of medical skincare. He also pioneered skin needling (percutaneous collagen induction) and minimally invasive “scarless” facial rejuvenation techniques, which have become global standards in aesthetic medicine. Author of several influential books and recipient of multiple international awards, Desmond Fernandes continues to lecture worldwide and serves as Adjunct Professor of Surgery at the University of Cape Town.