Prof. Dr. Dr. Markus Depfenhart

Meet leading ‘skin and aesthetic treatments specialist’ Prof. Markus Depfenhart

‘Motivated, creative and passionate’ are just some of the many ways people have described Prof. Markus Depfenhart, a board-certified Plastic and Aesthetic Surgeon, and Emergency Physician who has a passion for innovative surgical and non-surgical procedures, particularly in the sphere of scar repair and treatment.

A colourful past

Born and bred in a small village in Southern Germany, Prof. Depfenhart remembers having a fascination for anything related to surgery, from the tender age of six. “As soon as I learned to read, I’d visit the local library and find as many medical books as I could. I was very interested in surgery and aesthetics, even as a child,” he recalls. “I’ve always loved the idea that no person (or face) is the same and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to surgical procedures,” he adds.

Prof. Depfenhart was also passionate about sport, particularly track and field, where he spent much of his childhood and teenage years competing at a national level. After graduating from high school, Prof. Depfenhart served in the German Military – and, thanks to his drive and determination on the sports field, he joined a special force unit where he was trained in parachuting, combat survival and medical training. Later, Prof. Depfenhart was asked to join an assessment centre to study medicine for the military as an officer- and that marked the beginning of his journey to become a plastic surgeon.

Prof. Depfenhart’s medical training and more…

While studying at the University of Frankfurt, Prof. Depfenhart worked part-time as a model and actor, never losing his fascination with aesthetics. After an accident in his childhood, Prof. Depfenhart was left with a significant scar on his left cheek, which motivated him to search for scar repair treatments and discover new, ground-breaking solutions.

During his final year at Medical School Prof. Depfenhart had the opportunity to work as an elective student in South Africa and volunteered at the Tygerberg hospital in Cape Town. Later he also spent a significant amount of time at the Groote Schuur Hospital in Observatory. During his time in SA, he fell in love with the city of Cape Town and had the chance to work with world-famous fellow Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Dr Des Fernandes, as his mentor. The two became great friends and collaborated on various projects for skin rejuvenation and inspired by his mentor Prof. Depfenhart’s passion for skincare and scar therapies continued to grow.

In 2009, Prof. Depfenhart became more involved in skincare innovations, particularly in the field of laser treatments, working on a ground-breaking laser device that was linked to in-vivo tissue engineering – where he worked with living organisms. Although the laser machine never went further than a laboratory prototype – it further enhanced Prof. Depfenhart’s career in medical engineering and helped him to create global strategic partnerships with medical professionals and universities all over the world.

This impressive resume has meant that Prof. Depfenhart has been highly sought after by medical companies, having been asked to consult on numerous conditions from cancer treatments to Alzheimer’s, anti-HIV treatments, in-vitro fertilization techniques, stem cell therapies and aesthetic medicine.

A man on a mission

There’s no doubt that Prof. Depfenhart is passionate about what he does. His boundless energy is evident in his work, where he’s motivated to use his knowledge and background in the field of aesthetics to help people look and feel their best. He has vast experience with both invasive and non-invasive treatments, including mesotherapy, chemical peels, laser treatments, wound therapy, Botox and plastic surgery – particularly in the head and neck areas, and he’s not stopping there!

Currently, Prof. Depfenhart is the CEO of a company involved in developing a unique non-laser-based device for tattoo removal, scar treatment and skin grafting. And, just recently, the company was awarded a research grant of 150k Euro by the Federal State of Hamburg to continue with their innovative skincare solutions.

Prof. Depfenhart is also involved with Southern Medical (South Med), a division of the larger Southern Group of Companies that includes a spinal implants department, as well as Skin Rejuvenation Technologies Pty Ltd – the company which founded the optiphi® brand. “A few years ago, I had the chance to meet the founder of the Southern Group of Companies, Dr Malan De Villiers, and we became great friends,” he explains. “Since then, we’ve worked together on various skincare projects and I’ve since become the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and member of the board of the optiphi® AG in Switzerland” he adds. ‘We’ve currently launched an exciting, revolutionary optiphi® skincare range called DELTA Medical Skincare, exclusive to doctors and medical skincare professionals,’ he says.

Prof. Depfenhart is also part of the Sisulu Foundation, a collaborative Pan-African platform for training, research and development in pandemics. It aims to accelerate responses from within the African research community with regard to diseases and pandemics.

Foundation members include the Walter Sisulu University, North-West University South Africa; the KAVI Institute of Clinical Research (KAVI-ICR) for Clinical Research at the University in Nairobi, Kenya; L'Institut de Recherche en Santé, de Surveillance Épidémiologique et de Formations (IRESSEF) from Senegal; the University of Botswana_official, the South African Vaccination and Immunization Center (SAVIC) at Sefako Makgatho University, South Africa; The Mother and Child University Hospital - Jeanne EBORI, Gabon; The University of Bonn, Germany; the National Institute of Biochemistry in Slovenia, and several scientists in their personal capacities.

Prof. Depfenhart is the driving force behind the development of this new revolutionary range and he is also the inventor of the game-changing DELTA Medical Skincare Code system that has recently gained a lot of attention