Harnessing the body’s powerful healing mechanisms to promote a more youthful appearance is a part-and-parcel concept in aesthetic medicine. Regenerative aesthetics encompasses those therapeutic vectors which, according to a 2022 article in Dermatologic Surgery¹ fall under the three pillars of regeneration: stem cells, biochemical cues, and scaffolds. Emergent technologies may challenge these notions. However, as the field marches forward, the question has become, ‘Are we talking about new products or a new paradigm?’
Arguably, the most important development in the field is the overall shift in mainstream industry and consumer thinking toward the holistic, the natural and wellness. A tipping point has been reached, and it is high time, according to dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon Shino Bay Aguilera, DO, director of Shino Bay Cosmetic Dermatology (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). “I feel like we are at the pinnacle, hurtling toward regenerative solutions and overall wellness, because patients and practitioners alike are finally beginning to look for more natural solutions to get more natural-looking results. As we better understand the role of genes and tissue health at the cellular level, we are changing the way we treat aging.”
Traditional practices are adopting holistic philosophies, and new integrated wellness-based practices are becoming ubiquitous. Among those with longstanding experience in the art and science of functional, regenerative and aesthetic medicine, is aesthetic and anti-aging medicine expert Jennifer Pearlman, MD, director of PearlMD (Toronto, Ont., Canada). “Regenerative aesthetics transcends our desire to optimize and refresh as an emerging approach to reprogram youth and reset our aging. The new science of longevity reveals that aging is reversible and through the use of regenerative factors such as exosomes, growth factors and stem cells we can reprogram aging tissues such as skin and hair to be young again. But as we are all unique, the approach must be highly individualized and holistic. ’One-and-done’ just does not cut it anymore, and as we dig deeper into these emerging tools while learning more about old ones, an inside-out approach to health should be the new norm. As we move forward it is becoming starkly clear, we need multi-modality wholistic bespoke approaches that evolve over time for our patients.”
Rahi Sarbaziha, MD, director of Dr. Rahi’s Integrative Aesthetics (Beverly Hills, Calif.), epitomizes this multi-modal approach. “My practice offers a wide range of services with a lifestyle/ wellness approach to care,” she explained. “Regenerative aesthetic products are a large and growing part of this. I combine as many therapies as possible, including regenerative and more traditional modalities such as injectables. Exosomes and PDO threads, for example, work together incredibly well.”
Another question: How do we do this safely and responsibly, fighting the urge to succumb to the excitement and fall into the hype trap? Few areas generate more controversy than stem cell research. In fact, a recent article2 in Regenerative Medicine highlights the complicated issue in more detail, breaking down responsibility as accountability, liability, obligation and virtue, framing these concepts as a strategy for approaching stem cell research as a whole.
This is a sample article from The Aesthetic Guide.
Become a free member of the AMS to access all digital issues.
Continue reading here: The Aesthetic Guide
#StemCellTherapyRegenerativeandFatGrafting