Let’s talk Pro-Ageing, Pro-Active, Progressive
Before I get to product or treatment trends in the Aesthetic, Regenerative and Cosmetic Dermatology arena, the biggest shifts that I am excited about relate to two aspects.
The first being, the slowly growing and hopefully ever expanding pro-ageing movement. Its heartening to see brand behemoths like Esteé Lauder getting behind what should be less a movement and more a norm, sadly this is not (yet!?).
Paulina Porizkova was a beauty in her 20s, 30s and 40s. Now in her late 50’s, she dazzles, representing a womanhood that is less about preservation of an ideal that should be (and frankly shouldn’t have entered our collective conscious to begin with) fast evaporating from our thinking, and more about embracing an attitude of self-care, subtle adjustments and the concepts of moving in and through the world with grace, dignity and self-respect.
Societal norms take a long time to shift, but I am hopeful that along with these changes come real and sustainable adjustments to our thinking regarding growing older, being a post-menopausal woman, why it is that your grey locks do not represent beauty, wisdom, gravitas, rather than being relegated to the stage in life where masking the grey with varying tones of Gentian Violet and purple rinses dressed in homemade twinsets becomes the expected norm(I’m not bashing either homemade or sets, I happen to love both, but alas, a stereotype does exist). Let’s be honest, ageism is alive and well. It’s part of what fuels the voracious appetite for anti-ageing treatments of all kinds. To be natural, but with a large lashing of well-maintained, is the most powerful individual and societal message of all.
Moving on to Regenerative & Self-Reparative Treatments
The second trend that I feel very excited about relates to all things regenerative & self-reparative. This area of medicine is about understanding and harnessing the body’s own repair and regenerative capacity, applicable to the Aesthetic medicine arena because of a growing number of treatments available that harness the body’s capacity to stimulate regeneration. An expanding body of evidence on this topic has brought a better understanding of even established procedures being regenerative when undertaken consistently. All of this amounts to a perfect fit when considering that Aesthetics is all about maintaining, repairing, and improving, where applicable.
The Stalwarts & New or Newer Ideas, Treatments & Procedures
There are those options which are tried, tested and evidence-based. These have all been around for long enough to have proven their worth:
- Micro-needling
- Chemical peels
- Topical Retinoids
- Fractional laser
BUT, this article is about a little more than the above….
Below I mention what may be new (or freshly unearthed from the annals of history ;)) in terms of treatments and ideas, some of which I am putting time and effort into either incorporating into my practice or investigating further:
- Growth factors: Not new, but the use of purified, sterilised human growth factors is an area within Aesthetics that is deserving of a mention. Growth factors are proteins naturally found in the body and required for cell growth, differentiation and survival. Benefits include inducing one’s body to move into reparation and production mode, as well as stimulating the production of collagen and elastin, essential to maintaining skin health in terms of elasticity and firmness. These growth factors are commonly derived from human tissue (stem cells, and either sourced from fibroblasts or from platelets). They have a proven track record within the wound care and post-operative healing space. Within my realm, the use of these actives provide benefit for alopecia as well as general skin rejuvenation where ageing skin, skin texture and post-procedure healing is of concern. These products (whether lab-derived, synthetic or the patients’ own) are generally approached as a set course over a number of weeks, with maintenance treatments thereafter.
- PRF/PRP: Platelet Rich Fibrin (PRF) is continuing to gain traction in the industry because it doesn’t contain any anti-clotting agents (as opposed to PRP). It is 100% natural and patient-derived (an in-clinic blood draw, centrifugation of the whole blood and use of the platelet-rich plasma or fibrin is all it takes). This modality is low tech, easily and widely accessible and excellent for alopecia, but also works for rejuvenation of the face and neck, and is wonderful for acne scarring (and scars from other causes too), amongst others. It is also universal and can be used in combination with various other actives, including Hyaluronic acid, Biotin and some dermal fillers. I still make use of PRP in my practice for the greatest majority of cases but find myself transitioning more and more given the benefits of PRF (PRP has it’s place and is a safe and effective procedure to undertake, ).
- Polynucleotides: Sperm of the poor Salmon… No, not really, but the active ingredient is also contained within these creatures’ bodily fluids. Purified, sterilised strands of DNA are used to produce the products available to us in the industry or synthetic versions or those derived from aligned (similar) sources are utilised. Administered by a doctor and highly effective for: hydrating key areas (currently, I use Polynucleotides for the peri-orbital area). These actives are good for: collagen stimulation, hydration, and have antioxidant properties. They can be used in combination/overlayed with bio-stimulators, skin boosters and dermal fillers.
- If you haven’t already noticed, collagen is a BIG word. We loose it from the age of 25 at the rate of 1% per annum, and then spend a lifetime trying to get it back. Helped along by a growing understanding of the process of loss over time, as well as the key benefits ascribed to keeping our levels at least partially maintained which has the effect of skin that has the capacity to age well. Because let’s face it, ageing happens. Period! Any process proven to stimulate the production of collagen (Please do note: I say proven!, independently and with veracity, as mentioned there are 4 options that fit this bill to a tried and tested tee!) be it low tech, manual, mechanical, chemical, endogenous, exogenous etc. gets my thumbs up.
You’ll note that only a few key procedures, treatments, concepts and products have been listed, collagen stimulation, skin regeneration and reparation central to them all.
These various options represent areas of increasing/established focus for me at the present time. The key in my practice is to look at each patient and their needs on a case-by-case basis, to tailor their treatments accordingly, and to offer a variety of the most appropriate options, often combining treatments. Of course Aesthetics has a way of keeping one on one’s toes, so hold that thought….!
*A note on Exosomes: Within the body, exosomes are carriers of important signalling molecules that regulate a variety of cellular functions. They are required for the maintenance of tissue homeostatis (balance) and for regeneration. Relatively new to the game within skincare and Medical Aesthetics, Exosomes are gaining increasing popularity for their promoted ability to stimulate collagen production, for modulating and dampening inflammatory processes, and for their role in the healing of tissues. While growth factors are used for skin repair and collagen stimulation, exosomes are believed to aide in improving inflammatory conditions, and pigmentation, as well as for enhancing overall skin regeneration. However, it is important to note that the evidence for their benefits, or at least as far as how powerful these actives are, presently remains patchy. So, while media coverage increases and their use becomes more mainstream it’s important to heed this lack of evidence and apply their use judiciously. No magic bullets exist as far as exosomes are concerned, but more to the point not really anywhere in any event.
A Few Closing Remarks…
Bear in mind that best results are achieved by applying a multi-modal mentality and approaching one’s skin, one’s ageing journey, one’s appearance through the lenses of less being more, a little goes a long way (until it doesn’t in which case more drastic measures may be the order of the day, but that’s best discussed with a cosmetic surgeon), tried and tested wins the race, balance, oh that beautifully elusive concept, and lastly that maintenance is best served as a slow 6 course meal, rather than a quick and dirty burger at the drive-in.
Maintenance is about the everyday of every year (And by the way, your everyday could and should start today- it simply is never too late!!).
If you have any questions about anything I’ve touched on, or would like more information, don’t hesitate to get in touch. I look forward to hearing from you!
