Regenerative Medicine in Aesthetics
As we grow older our bodies produce less of the natural substances that keep our skin firm and well hydrated. In addition, years of exposure to the sun, pollution and the stress of modern living affects our appearance. As a result, facial lines and wrinkles appear as our skin naturally starts losing its elasticity.
At Aestha Clinic we are proud to introduce our new tailor-made programs for your specific regenerative, anti-ageing and aesthetic needs.
What is regenerative medical aesthetics?
Regenerative aesthetics (RA) is a new way of practicing aesthetics, whereby long-standing views and treatment protocols are being replaced by new tissue manipulation techniques aimed at recapturing the youthful tissue functions underlying fine aesthetic appearance.
The RA presentations are all innovations in soft tissue regeneration — regenerative medicine (RM) being newly applied to aesthetics.
The adult human body can produce new tissue in every area, even the brain. Regenerative medicine aims to return tissues and organs to normal functioning and preserve that functioning indefinitely. Understanding what goes wrong, tipping the body into decline, is central to regeneration medicine.
Two main theories of ageing — programmed theory and damage/error theory are dominant in medical science today. The programmed theory of ageing suggests ageing occurs according to a biological timetable, unique to each individual. Female hormonal ageing, as an example, is a programmed decline coded in the DNA and expressed at predetermined times according to inherited characteristics. The damage/error theory explains ageing as a result of environmental insult. Major environmental age-inducing pressures include, for example, UV light causing skin damage, or poor diet leading to elevated blood glucose and serious problems with the kidneys, eyes, blood vessels, heart, skin, and nerves. Cellular ageing manifests as DNA damage, which is the main cause of ageing.
Regenerative medical aesthetics in practice
Regenerative aesthetics aims to recreate youth, not by improving or providing the appearance of youth, but to actually make patients younger by reversing the ageing process using and enhancing the body’s natural healing and regenerating properties. Current regenerative approaches to aesthetics mainly utilise soft tissue regeneration processes via stem cells, biocues, and scaffolds.
Biochemical cues in regenerative aesthetics
Biochemical cues are used in RMA to stimulate and upregulate transplanted or resident regenerative cells or local cellular architectures. Plasma Rich Therapy uses the patient’s own blood and is gaining huge popularity in RMA including both PRP (platelet-rich plasma) and PRF (platelet-rich fibrin), which is the more advanced version.
Platelets contain important growth factors that increase cell proliferation, collagen production, chemotaxis, angiogenesis, and cell differentiation. PRP and PRF are concentrated platelets suspension in a small amount of plasma. Moreover, PRP and PRF contain three adhesive molecules (fibrin, fibronectin, and vitronectin) that reinforced osteoconduction.PRP (platelet-rich plasma), and PRF (platelet-rich fibrin) are both platelet-based growth factor treatments that are extracted using a centrifuge. PRF is different from PRP in that there is no anticoagulant (blood thinner) added during the spin. Hence, PRF has a more suitable fibrin network for the storage of cytokines and growth factors and also cell migration.
PRP (platelet-rich plasma) is increasingly being used in aesthetic treatments as an adjunct to treatments, especially those such as a laser, micro-needling, and peels, that create microdamage on the way to enhancement. PRP boosts patients’ natural ability to respond successfully to stimulatory aesthetics treatments.
Fractionation and incubation of PRP to increase growth factor concentrations is one new method that can potentially increase regenerative capabilities. Biocues from a multiplicity of sources is moving the science of tissue regeneration into the frontline of aesthetics.
Literature reviews of the science behind topical applications of growth factors show their potential to promote the production of collagen and other essential molecules.
PRF(Injectable platelet-rich fibrin) is a unique rejuvenation technique that uses the patient’s own blood plasma, enriched with:
- platelets (a source of healing proteins and growth factors)
- fibrin (the wound healing and regeneration matrix)
- stem cells (the conductors of our body’s own healing and regeneration molecules)
This product is injected, resulting in the activation of accelerated healing and regeneration. As a result, the body’s own powerful regenerative properties are concentrated and focused on the area of concern.
PRF intensifies the functioning and reproduction of cells, having a gentle, gradual, yet long-lasting, and accumulative effect.
PRF results are all the more impressive when incorporated into a treatment plan with hyaluronic acid fillers, wrinkle-relaxing treatments, and other skin treatments. Producing virtually no downtime, this clinic-based treatment can be used for skin and hair rejuvenation as well as treating problematic melasma and acne scars.
Scaffolds in regenerative aesthetics
Two common scaffolds/bio-stimulants currently used by aesthetics practitioners are calcium hydroxyapatite dermal filler, and non-permanent resorbable soft tissue threads. Threads are formed from resorbable components including polylactic acid.
Scaffolds, at their best, provide both stimulation and structure to guide and shape regeneration. Calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA)specifically stimulates the formation of collagen type 3 fibres. After a 9- month period, the type 3 fibres are largely replaced by type 1 structural collagen. CaHA also demonstrates the ability to increase the tissue levels and quality of elastin, while increasing dermal thickness and encouraging angiogenesis. These tissue-wide benefits have led to CaHA’s use in a hyper-diluted form for general soft tissue regeneration, alongside its common use as a versatile filler.
