Regenerative Aesthetics

One of the things I’m becoming increasingly interested in within aesthetic medicine is regenerative treatments.

And not because they’re the latest trend, but because I find the science behind them genuinely fascinating. And for good reason! Aesthetic medicine is constantly evolving and with regenerative treatments, we can now see visible changes in those pesky lines that were once untreatable. We can reverse signs of ageing, encourage the skin and its environment to work better to reduce these signs in the first instance.

We’ve spent years focusing on replacing lost volume, filling lines and correcting the visible signs of ageing.

But what about the quality of the skin itself? Because this is ultimately the cause of most signs of ageing.

What if, instead of simply correcting what we can see, we could support some of the biological processes happening beneath the surface?

This is where treatments like polynucleotides and Celora Vita become really interesting.

Polynucleotides — supporting tissue repair

Polynucleotides are DNA-derived molecules being used in aesthetic medicine for their potential effects on tissue repair, hydration and skin quality.

Research suggests they can influence fibroblast activity, inflammatory signalling and processes involved in tissue repair.

And fibroblasts are particularly interesting because they’re the cells responsible for producing collagen and other components of the skin’s supporting structure.

The idea isn’t to add volume like traditional dermal filler, but to support improvements in the skin itself.

There’s promising research, although we still need larger, high-quality studies to understand their long-term benefits properly. However, what I see in clinic is promising, I see those coming for anti-wrinkle treatments, with already static, deep lines at rest, and no amount of anti-wrinkle is going to completely eliminate those lines. With regenerative treatments I’ve seen them reduce these lines dramatically! The skin has more turgor, when you pull and it bounces back, when skin looks glowing and you look and feel refreshed! This is the evidence and it’s exciting to know there is now a gap bridged to help offer better treatment outcomes for most patients that may have struggled with signs of ageing prior to regenerative treatments.

Celora Vita — giving the skin building blocks

Celora Vita takes a different approach.

It contains nine amino acids alongside hyaluronic acid.

Amino acids are the building blocks our bodies use to make proteins, including collagen and elastin.

The idea behind Celora Vita is to deliver these building blocks directly into the skin, alongside hyaluronic acid for hydration, to support the environment in which fibroblasts function.

I find this particularly interesting because it’s a different approach to improving skin quality.

Rather than focusing purely on stimulation, we’re looking at the materials our cells need to carry out their normal functions. If you fix the environment - the cell works properly!

Of course, having a scientifically plausible mechanism doesn’t automatically mean a treatment will produce significant clinical improvements. Celora Vita is relatively new, and I want to see more independent, long-term research. But the results are hugely promising, and that’s why it’s offered at Charis.

The improvements we’re looking for with Celora Vita are more hydrated, plumper-looking skin, with fine lines appearing softer and skin feeling firmer, smoother and more elastic. We want to see improvements in texture, less crepiness and dullness, and a fresher, healthier-looking complexion with a natural glow. Ultimately, the aim is to improve the overall quality of your skin, rather than simply adding volume.

Why does this interest me so much?

Because I’m becoming increasingly conscious of the long-term implications of aesthetic treatments.

I love what dermal fillers can achieve, but I don’t think continually adding volume is always the answer.

Sometimes the concern isn’t volume loss at all.

It’s changes in skin texture, elasticity, hydration or overall skin quality.

And these deserve a different approach.

What excites me about regenerative aesthetics is the possibility of supporting the skin’s own biological processes rather than relying solely on correcting visible changes.

But I’m also conscious that the word regenerative gets used quite freely in aesthetics.

Just because something is marketed as regenerative doesn’t mean we’ve proven that it regenerates tissue in a clinically meaningful way.

And that’s where understanding the science, the research and the limitations of each product becomes so important.

I don’t want to offer treatments simply because they’re new or popular.

I want to understand what they contain, how they’re supposed to work, what the evidence actually demonstrates and whether they’re appropriate for the person sitting in front of me.

Because ultimately, my goal isn’t to do more treatments.

It’s to make better decisions about the treatments we do for better patient outcomes.

Ashleigh x 🤍