Cosmetic Regenerative Medicine

A major focus of aesthetic medicine is that of regenerative medicine. While we already offer some regenerative treatments at our Glam + Glo Medical Aesthetic Spa locations, there are some new innovative products that have been launched. What is regenerative medicine though? The Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics at the Mayo Clinic describes it as such: “Regenerative medicine is focused on developing and applying new treatments to heal tissues and organs and restore function lost due to aging, disease, damage or defects. The human body has the natural ability to heal itself in many ways”, particularly, the human skin. Did you know that your skin is the largest organ on your body? How often do you stop and think about your skin being a vital organ? When we view it for what it is, it’s easier to understand why it’s so important to take care of our skin using SPF and skincare products as well as regenerative modalities.

Regenerative treatments and products for the skin focus on correcting our skins textures (think dry and dull skin, enlarged pores, scars) as well as pigment irregularities, and loss of collagen and elastin. As we age, our skin cell turnover slows down. Our skin cells go through a cycle of being produced at the cellular level to rising to the surface where they die and shed off as new skin cells come forth to replace them. When the process slows it leaves that dead dry skin sitting on the surface longer than we would like. Dark spots or hyperpigmentation are also formed at a cellular level and rises to the surface always to be followed by more layers of pigment to come. Loss of collagen and elastin is also a key factor in aging. These two components of the skin are partly responsible for loose, lax, and sagging or drooping skin as we age. Collagen production begins to decline around the age of 20-25 and elastin drops off significantly around the age of 40. By 45 we have lost 25% of our collagen and will continue to lose 1% annually. The areas of collagen and elastin loss, skin texture, hyperpigmentation, and overall skin healing is where regenerative medicine is significantly impactful.

Dr. Joshua Crose describes regenerative medicine in aesthetics by stating, “The basis for most of aesthetic medicine is the very principle of using the body to improve itself. We cause some sort of insult with the expectation that the body’s response will produce a positive result.” At Glam + Glo we offer several treatments that work to induce the body to produce it’s own collagen and elastin. These treatments include Sculptra and Radiesse hyperdilute injections as well as traditional microneedling, aqua gold microneedling, Morpheus8 microneedling with radio frequency, and Intense Pulse Light treatments. To compliment these treatments we now offer Exosomes as well as our NeoCutis and Obagi Skincare lines.

Sculptra and Radiesse hyperdilute are both injectable biostimulators that address the underlying cause of aging, collagen loss. Sculptra specifically improves collagen type I and helps to restore volume loss. Radiesse hyperdilute aids in stimulating collagen type I and III as well as elastin. By increasing the collagen and elastin production you improve the scaffolding of the skin and create tighter skin with improved hyaluronic acid as well.

Microneedling of all types work to stimulate collagen production through controlled wound healing. By creating micro injuries in the skin via the micro needles our bodies will then work to repair themselves. This repair process leads to remodeling in which the wound is replaced with new dermal tissues and blood vessels which are comprised of rich collagen and elastin proteins. These proteins improve skin youthfulness. Morpheus8 takes this a step further with deeper depths achieved as radio-frequncy is emitted through the micro needles.

Microneedling can be boosted with the application of Exosomes. Exosomes are a new and improved state of the art alternative to platelet rich plasma (PRP). Many of you have heard of the Vampire Facelift in where a patients blood is drawn, platelet rich plasma is separated from the blood sample and used to place back on the skin. The problem with PRP is that it’s effectiveness is dependent upon the individual. An older patients plasma may not contain PRP that works as well as a healthier or younger patient. Enter Exosomes! Exo-xom is the most cutting edge scientific biotech breakthrough for harnessing the power of stem cells. Exosomes are derived from a healthy young patient, screened similar to blood after it is donated, and they contain potent growth factors, peptides, coenzymes, minerals, amino acids, and vitamins. There is no fluctuation in the quality of the product, like with PRP; therefore they can elicit a 600% increase in collagen and 300% increase in elastin when applied topically to the skin. Additionally they are anti-inflammatory, as opposed to PRP being inflammatory, and can improve the skin’s healing and decrease downtime after treatments.