Katie Hobbins

This week in aesthetics, we highlight skincare products for the aesthetics practice, LED therapy for capsular contracture and how to safely treat patients with darker skin types. We compare fat versus filler for facial rejuvenation and Dr. Suneel Chilukuri offers opportunities for patient self-care during the pandemic.

Featured Skincare for The Aesthetic Practice

From new summer launches to consumer favorites, our featured skincare includes sun care products, CBD drops and more.

LED therapy for capsular contracture requires patient commitment, but outcomes are promising.

Use of LED device and milk thistle after surgery may significantly reduce the risk of re-encapsulation.

How to Safely Treat Patients with Darker Skin Types

Dr. Suzan Obagi says she’s not afraid of causing PIH in darker skin types. She offers her expertise and approach to understanding and treating pigmentation issues.

Dr. Obagi’s Skincare Routine for Dyschromia

Ephelides, lentigines, PIH, melasma? This is Dr. Suzan Obagi’s go-to skincare routine for patients with dyschromia.

An expert panel shares how they choose between filler and fat for facial rejuvenation.

Fillers and fat aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive, say experts. Fat is great for global volume, while fat offers finesse.

Dr. Suneel Chilukuri offers observations and opportunities for patient self-care and maintenance during the pandemic.

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In case you missed it, this week we talked about LED therapy for capsular contracture, how to safely treat patients with darker skin types and more. 

This Week in Aesthetics: July 6-10

 details fast and effective sunburn treatments, and a $3 Magic Shaving Powder that TikTok is obsessed with, 

 explains the difference between retinoid and retinol, and 

 talks aloe vera uses that have nothing to do with sunburn relief as well as skincare tips from Dr. Barbara Sturm.

The Fastest, Most Effective Ways to Treat a Sunburn

Retinoid vs. Retinol: When to Use Each and Why

Why You Don't Need More Than 5 Products in Your Skincare Routine, According to Dr. Barbara Sturm

8 Amazing Benefits And Uses For Aloe Vera

TikTok Is Obsessed With This $3 Magic Shaving Powder, But Is It Safe?

This week, consumer magazines talk retinoid vs. retinol, effective sunburn treatments and more. 

Retinoid vs. Retinol

This week in aesthetics, we compare stem cells and exosomes, a recent study shows an increase in PRP use for the periorbital region, Dr. Jeffrey Dover shares what he’s learned about COVID-19 since reopening, Dr. Joel Cohen talks about popular combination therapies, Dr. Zoe Draelos discusses facial appearance apps, Dr. Jason Pozner provides an inside look at the latest ultrasound technology and Dr. Vince Bertucci offers tips for improving the injectable consultation.

Stem cells largely remain an unproven therapy. Could stem cell-derived exosomes be the key to successful anti-aging treatments? 

PRP Use Increasingly Popular for Periorbital Region

PRP joins peels, lasers, neurotoxins and fillers as a go-to treatment for periorbital rejuvenation according to a recent study in the

Dr. Jeffrey Dover, Chairperson for the AesCert Guidance Supplement published by the AAFPRS, provides an update on the current state of safety in the aesthetic practice.

With many patients working from home during the pandemic, Dr. Cohen says more patients are open to combining treatments and extending their downtime. 

Dr. Zoe Draelos discusses the role of consumer-targeted facial appearance apps, how they work and how they can be manipulated.

Device guru Dr. Jason Pozner provides an inside look at the latest in ultrasound technology.

Dr. Vince Bertucci offers tips to improve the cosmetic injectable consultation

Dr. Jeffrey Dover shares what we’ve learned about COVID-19 since reopening the aesthetic practice.

In case you missed it, this week we talked about ways to improve the injectable consultation, AesCert Guidance and more. 

This Week in Aesthetics: June 29 – July 3 

Despite the growing interest at the turn of the century in pursuing stem cell research to treat physical degeneration, damage and disease, nearly two decades later, the general safety and efficacy of stem cell therapy for regenerative medicine remains largely unproven.

According to the U.S. FDA, the only approved stem cell applications are from bone marrow or blood in transplant procedures to treat patients with cancer and disorders of the blood and immune system.

The FDA warns of the potential dangers of unproven stem cell therapies, including administration site reactions, the failure of cells to work as expected and the possibility that cells may move from placement sites and change into inappropriate cell types or multiply.

 reported a case of macular degeneration that led to blindness in a patient after a stem cell injection into the eye.

Another patient grew a spinal tumor after receiving an injection of stem cells to the spinal cord, according to the FDA.

Foreign stem cells can also be rejected by the immune system.

Exosomes, on the other hand, are released from stem cells and are cell-free. Researchers from Oxford and Scripps now conclude that it’s the exosomes specifically that have the regenerative benefits.

 The tiny sacs, 30 nm to 150 nm across, transfer DNA, RNA or proteins from cell to cell, affecting the function of recipient cells.

Researchers have examined exosomes harvested from human skin cells for skin repair.

In a paper on the subject, researchers at North Carolina University saw the anti-aging potential of exosomes after testing 3D spheroid-grown exosomes compared with a retinoid, 2D spheroid-grown exosomes and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) exosomes (which the authors note are currently used as a stem cell anti-aging treatment) to evaluate skin thickness and collagen production in mice.

They found that the 3D exosome-treated skin was 20% thicker than untreated skin, 5% thicker than MSC-treated skin, and had 20% more collagen than MSC-treated skin.

Unlike stem cells, exosomes can’t replicate or transform into malignant or harmful cells because they themselves aren’t cells. They also can’t be infected with viruses and are less likely to trigger an immunogenic response.

Their small size gives exosomes the advantage of being able to circulate more easily through the body and be administered without the use of needles. They’re able to penetrate the skin using pressure or jet injection methods.

For all these reasons, exosomes may turn out to be the holy grail initially envisioned with stem cell therapies. Stay tuned for more.

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/fda-warns-about-stem-cell-therapies

Kuriyan AE, Albini TA, Townsend JH, et al. Vision Loss after Intravitreal Injection of Autologous "Stem Cells" for AMD. 

Stem cells: What they are and what they do. 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/bone-marrow-transplant/in-depth/stem-cells/art-20048117

Nine Things To Know About Stem Cell Treatments. 

https://www.closerlookatstemcells.org/stem-cells-medicine/nine-things-to-know-about-stem-cell-treatments/

Ian Dixon, M.D. Exosomes vs Stem Cells: Exosomes as the Next Big Thing after Stem Cell Therapy. 

https://exopharm.com/the-next-big-thing-exosomes-versus-stem-cells/

Hu S, Li Z, Cores J, et al. Needle-Free Injection of Exosomes Derived from Human Dermal Fibroblast Spheroids Ameliorates Skin Photoaging. 

Tracey Peake. Suntanner, Heal Thyself: Exosome Therapy May Enable Better Repair of Sun, Age-Damaged Skin. 

https://news.ncsu.edu/2019/09/exosome-therapy-skin-repair/

Stem cells largely remain an unproven therapy. Could stem cell-derived exosomes be the key to successful anti-aging treatments? 

Author | Katie Hobbins

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