“Forever young, I want to be forever young…”
Same, Alphaville. Same.
Unfortunately, despite my enthusiastic participation in sunscreen, protein, lasers, peptides, supplements, exercise, and whatever longevity rabbit hole I happen to be exploring this week, actual immortality remains stubbornly unavailable.
But healthier-looking skin that ages better? That part is considerably less fantasy.
The goal isn’t to make a 50-year-old look 25. Frankly, that’s usually where things start getting weird. The goal is healthier, stronger, more resilient skin while strategically addressing the damage we accumulate along the way.
Age gracefully. Just don’t age passively.
STOP PLAYING AESTHETIC WHAC-A-MOLE
For years, aesthetic medicine focused heavily on correcting individual signs of aging: soften this wrinkle, fill that fold, remove that brown spot. But if we only chase what pops up next, aging becomes a very expensive game of Whac-A-Mole.
Skin aging is bigger than wrinkles. Collagen production declines, cellular turnover changes, elasticity decreases, and years of ultraviolet exposure show up as pigment, texture and photodamage. Genetics matter, but so do sun exposure, hormones, nutrition, sleep and how we care for our skin.
So instead of asking, “What procedure should I get?” I’d rather ask, “What does your skin actually need?”
At AnAesthetics, I think about skin longevity in four broad goals:
PROTECT → STIMULATE → CORRECT → REGENERATE
WELCOME TO THE REGENERATIVE ERA
You’ve probably heard growth factors, PRP, peptides and exosomes tossed around lately. They are not interchangeable.
A growth factor is a signaling protein. Think biological message. Exosomes are microscopic extracellular vesicles involved in cell-to-cell communication that can carry more complex cargo. Think tiny biological delivery envelope.
That potential has made exosomes enormously interesting in regenerative aesthetics. It has also made the word exosome enormously interesting to marketing departments. Those are not necessarily the same thing.
Mindy’s Nerd Note: Exosome is a category, not a quality guarantee. Source, manufacturing, characterization, stability and clinical evidence matter.
At AnAesthetics, our preferred exosome skincare is (plated) Skin Science, which uses human platelet-derived exosome technology. What caught my attention wasn’t another pretty bottle with EXOSOMES! written on it. There is published human research evaluating this platelet-derived technology.
WAIT… ARE WE TALKING ABOUT TELOMERES?
This is where my longevity-nerd brain really perked up.
Telomeres are protective structures at the ends of our chromosomes, and telomere dysfunction is part of the larger biology of cellular aging. In an exploratory human study, participants used a topical platelet-derived human platelet extract for 12 weeks. Researchers evaluated actual skin biopsies for markers of cellular senescence and telomere-associated DNA damage.
They found a significant decrease in telomere-associated DNA damage.
Not longer telomeres. Important distinction. This study did not show that skincare lengthened telomeres or reversed biological age.
Researchers also reported reductions in cellular-senescence signaling and changes in pathways involving collagen and elastic fibers. Among participants who started with high levels of senescent cells, treatment was associated with an approximately 40% reduction in pro-inflammatory senescence-associated signaling.
Does that mean we discovered immortality in a gold bottle? Sadly, no. I checked.
But it is a fascinating shift from simply asking, “Does my skin look younger?” toward asking whether we can influence some of the cellular processes involved in how skin ages.
“BUT I WASN’T RED!”
We’ve also started incorporating platelet-derived exosome support into some of our in-office treatments.
After my own recent Vampire Facial® with SkinPen® Microneedling + PRP combined with LaseMD Ultra, I was genuinely surprised by how quickly my redness settled and how soon my skin got to the glowy part.
We’ve even had patients worry their treatment “wasn’t as good” because they weren’t very red the next day.
Redness is not how we grade your treatment.
Pain, peeling and prolonged inflammation aren’t trophies. The goal is an appropriate controlled stimulus followed by repair and remodeling. Our experience is anecdotal, but controlled research following fractional CO2 resurfacing has also reported improved recovery with this platelet-derived technology.
For a limited time, we’re offering our platelet-derived exosome enhancement for $25, regularly $50, with Vampire Facial® and LaseMD Ultra treatments.
REFRESH. RESTORE. REBUILD.
So what does your skin need?
REFRESH is for early changes and prevention: protecting healthy skin, stimulating collagen and addressing subtle pigment or texture changes.
RESTORE addresses more noticeable photodamage, pigment, texture or early laxity with customized combinations of regenerative and energy-based treatments.
REBUILD is for more advanced photodamage, laxity, wrinkles and texture, when a comprehensive approach may make more sense.
And sometimes, we give REBUILD jet fuel.
TRIPLE THREAT JET FUEL
ONE DOWNTIME. THREE TARGETS.
Living in Goldsboro, home of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, naturally we couldn’t simply call this a combination treatment. We gave it jet fuel.
Triple Threat combines three complementary strategies: IPL or LaseMD Ultra for pigment and pores; RF microneedling + PRP for deeper collagen remodeling and firmness; and Erbium or fractional CO2 resurfacing for wrinkles, texture and more advanced photodamage.
The goal is one comprehensive treatment plan with one planned downtime instead of chasing each concern separately. Triple Threat Jet Fuel also includes complimentary platelet-derived exosome support as part of our regenerative recovery protocol.
Not every technology or combination is appropriate for every skin type, and REBUILD does not mean turning the laser to “flamethrower.” Everything is customized.
THE LEAST SEXY LONGEVITY SECRET
Consistency wins.
A $300 serum cannot negotiate with the sun while you’re lying beside the pool without sunscreen. Even our fanciest technology works better as part of a thoughtful long-term strategy than as an annual panic attack three weeks before your class reunion.
Protect. Stimulate. Correct. Regenerate. Repeat appropriately, not obsessively.
That’s also why consultations at AnAesthetics Goldsboro are always complimentary. I don’t want you choosing a procedure because TikTok diagnosed your face at 11:47 PM.
Because the best treatment isn’t necessarily the most aggressive or most expensive one. It’s the one that’s appropriate for you.
And while I haven’t quite cracked the Forever Young part yet… I’m still working on it.
AGING GRACEFULLY. INTELLIGENTLY. AND DEFINITELY NOT PASSIVELY.
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