The new era of Regenerative Aesthetics promises to reprogram youth while beautifying from the restorative powers within!
A new era of regenerative aesthetics is changing the paradigm of health and beauty. With this revolution, precise biomarkers are informing personalized treatment pathways targeting the hallmarks of aging. Innovation in regenerative aesthetics builds on the biostimulating effects of standard therapies with the regenerative potential of emerging options.
3D Facial Aging
Aging of the skin occurs across all layers and is accelerated by resorption of the facial bones. As the skin ages, there is degradation of the extracellular matrix, deterioration of skin micro-architecture with loss of collagen and elastin, deflation of subcutaneous fat, and descent of soft tissue. In the deeper layers of the skin, there is an age-related decline in fibroblast number and activity representing a loss of its regenerative potential.
We are born with over 700 million stem cells but our regenerative potential declines as we age. By the time we turn 40 years of age, the stem cell count has depleted to 25 million and by the age of 60 we are left with only a mere 5 million, less than 1% of our youthful level. Although our regenerative potential declines it does not disappear. The ability to deliver, augment and produce regenerative effects in aging adults is fueling an exciting new field of medicine. A field that aims to target the root causes of aging. The goal is to reprogram youth and restore tissue to a more functional and youthful state.
Regenerative Power of the Skin
The skin is by far the most regenerative organ with the greatest combined concentration of both mesenchymal stem cells and fibroblasts. These two cell types have the ability to produce collagen, elastin, fibronectin and the constituents of the skin’s extracellular matrix. Skin derived stem cells and fibroblasts are not only plentiful but easily targeted by interventions applied either topically or with minimally invasive treatments such as microneedling, laser and iontophoresis. The easy access for both treatment as well as harvesting of stem cells for future use makes the skin an ideal target for regenerative approaches. Thus, aesthetic medicine is at the leading edge of the regenerative revolution.
Beauty from Within: A new standard
Treatments designed to stimulate tissue remodeling require a more wholistic approach. To support the tissue remodeling response, underlying patient factors are paramount. An optimal milieu that provides high availability of required building blocks and co-factors such as amino acids and vitamins required for collagen biosynthesis while simultaneously suppresses the effects of inflammation and oxidative damage is key. A beauty from within approach must work both from the outside in and inside out. Hormonal, nutritional and metabolic optimization are key to ensuring potency of biostimulatory and regenerative treatments. After all, the skin is contiguous with the gut lining and receives over 30% of the body’s total blood supply. More than ever, aesthetic medicine requires a whole patient approach.
Look Young, Live Long
Looking young is a predictor of living long. The regenerative potential of the skin is reflected in the skin’s health and appearance and correlates to biological age. Early wrinkling and deterioration of the skin may reflect advanced systemic aging. The skin can be considered a phenotypic biomarker of aging. Glycation of collagen due to the binding of AGEs (advanced glycation end products) causes skin degradation, laxity and redness and often affects the lower face, chest and neck. AGE-induced damage of the skin’s collagen and elastin fibres is long lasting and hard to treat as collagen has a 15 year half-life and elastin a 70 year half-life. The same process of AGE-mediated damage can affect and age other tissues in the body including ligaments, cartilage, and the vascular wall.
Taking Charge of Aging
But aging is not inevitable. Our daily decisions, lifestyle and habits play a vital role in shaping our health and determining how well or not we will age. The study of super-agers reveals that less than 20% of our aging is genomically determined. When it comes to early aging of the skin, lifestyle is even more important. Increased UV exposure and cigarette smoking are the two most important lifestyle factors accelerating aging and damaging the appearance of skin.
Skinspan and the Hallmarks of Aging
Skinspan can be considered the time over which we can maintain healthy, attractive and youthful skin. Of the 12 recognized hallmarks of aging, some reign as vital to the skin. Stem cell exhaustion, cellular senescence, epigenetics and mitochondrial depletion are amongst the key drivers of aging. A personalized approach to analyze and address the most relevant hallmarks is key to enhance the health and appearance of the skin and extend skinspan.
Functional Aesthetics: A new paradigm
A functional aesthetic approach is one that is personalized, wholistic and designed to precisely target the hallmarks of aging in an individualized way. A beauty from within approach is key to achieve optimal outcomes with biostimulators like Sculptra® and Radiesse ® and regenerative therapies including PRP, exosomes, peptides and cellular based treatments. The new era of aesthetic medicine will be more personalized and wholistsic than ever before.
