Babies & Anti-Aging; A Curious New Link

How far are you willing to go to look young? The latest treatment employs collagen derived from circumcised foreskin. Here’s what you need to know.

by Colette Bouchez -

Heard the term “smooth as a baby’s behind “? Well that phrase might soon include another related part of the anatomy – at least if one group of anti-aging scientists have their way.

Indeed, hot on the heels of an FDA committee report questioning the safety of anti-aging wrinkle fillers, comes news of yet another hot new “injectable” wrinkle filling ingredient – this one derived from the foreskin of circumcised baby boys.

Developed by British biomedical firm InterCytex, the new injectable is known as Vavelta. According to the manufacturer the “ magic” in the foreskin is the proliferation of budding collagen cells known as “fibroblasts. These are “collagen sprouts” that ultimately help the body produce collagen – the natural substance that keeps skin looking smooth, firm and wrinkle-free.

The Magic Of Collagen
When we are young, our body produces a continued supply of fibroblasts – so new collagen is always being made. That’s why young skin looks smooth, firm, supple and wrinkle-free.

But as we grow older, the combination of the natural aging process, along with environmental exposures (like too much sun) reduce or damage the number of active fibroblasts able to churn out collagen.

The end result, we have less collagen available to “prop up” skin’s underlying support structure. Without that support, our facial contours begins to slowly droop and the loosened skin on top begins to wrinkle.

For a while, skin experts believed topically applied collagen suspended in creams and lotions was the key to keeping skin looking young. But it wasn’t long before medical science began to prove that the collagen we apply externally simply doesn’t get down deep enough into the layer of skin where our collagen cells reside.

The next idea was to fill the wrinkles with collagen – or another collagen-like material. That gave birth to the popular wrinkle filling injections we have today. The results were great – albeit most often temporary, with little to no stimulation of fibroblast formation.

But now, scientists at InterCytex say they have the best of both worlds with the new collagen injections derived from a baby’s foreskin.

Not only the does injection fill the depressed area ( a wrinkle or a scar) but the fibroblast cells in the injection itself help stimulate the body to begin manufacturing more of it’s own collagen.

The end result: A wrinkle injection that offers both immediate and long term results.

Currently there is some evidence that all wrinkle filling injections can, over time, stimulate some collagen production. There is also another permanent filler on the market that involves the use of micro sized Plexi-glass-like beads which, when injected into the wrinkle causes the body to rush wound-healing peptides and collagen to the area, creating a permanent fill.

That said, the science behind Vavelta suggests that because the stimulation provided by the fibroblast activity of the foreskin cells is closest to what the body does naturally when we are young - it could prove to be the most effective minimally invasive anti aging injection treatment to date.

The New Wrinkle Injections: A Caution
But before you go scouring the local birth registry looking for the fountain of youth, you should know that, while the company is aggressively seeking FDA approval for use in the US, at the moment, only a select group of British physicians are using Vavelta – and clinical trials are ongoing.

Moreover, so far, the main drawback to the treatment is not so much one of safety, but one of cost. Although mothers must approve the use of their baby’s foreskin for clinical treatment – and many do - it’s still said to be in short supply. And that, of course, pushes the cost of the injections far past those of other wrinkle fillers and probably closer to the cost of traditional plastic surgery.

On the flip side, if the results are, as the company claims, permanent, so one injection could go a long way in helping you look young for a long time. And do it without the risks associated with traditional plastic surgery.

What’s important to recognize, however, is that while the Vavelta “fill” for any one particular wrinkle may be permanent, the procedure itself does nothing to keep other wrinkles from forming. So unless you have special access to Peter Pan’s colony of Lost Boys, you could go bankrupt long before you achieve the look of eternal youth.

You might also be interested in reading:
Hope or Hype? Can You Really Look Younger ?
The Return of the Face Lift & Other Ways To Avoid Growing Old!

For more health and beauty news visit RedDressDiary.com - The Source for Fabulous Women Over 40!

FDA Approves New Wrinkle Treatment - Plus New Self Care

If that face in the mirror is sporting lines and creases so deep you’re convinced only a complete face lift can help - take heart. A newly FDA approved wrinkle filling injection promises to do away with even those Death Valley style deep desert lines and creases.

Called EVOLENCE , it is being touted as the first ever collagen-based structural filler – an injection that not only plumps lines and wrinkles but creates a stronger structural framework for skin.

"EVOLENCE represents a new generation of facial fillers, an innovative structural agent providing beautiful, immediate results by replacing the collagen lost with long-lasting, naturally sourced collagen," said Annie Heremans, M.D., Ph.D., a vice president with OrthoNeutrogena Asethetics Group who developed the new filler.

But does it really differ from the cache of fillers already available? Many of the most popular injectables rely on a substance known as hyaluronic acid – which fills lines and creases by attracting water to the space. Others, like Artefill use a combination of cow collagen and a plexi-glass type of material to fill lines and help wound skin cells to stimulate new collagen production. Botox, another wrinkle injection, works by relaxing the muscles that hold wrinkles in the skin - and results are definitely temporary.

EVOLENCE , however is considered to be the first structural filler - so not only is your face free of lines and wrinkles, but your skin may also be firmer with better elasticity overall – which might delay wrinkling in the future.

EVOLENCE, is a combination of natural porcine (pig) collagen - which say researchers is the most genetically similar to human skin - and a natural sugar called D-ribose.

Using a technology known as Glymaterix, the collagen is combined with the sugar to produce a substance that company researchers say is remarkably similar to the collagen produced naturally in human skin.

Another plus: Unlike collagen injections of the past, which had a high rate of allergic reaction and required pre-testing before an injection, EVOLENCE requires no pre-testing and has a low incidence of allergic reaction.

And while collagen shots of yesterday lasted only about 3 months, EVOLENCE is said to last a year or longer. Results of the injections are almost immediate, with total visible results in 12 hours or less.

The technology behind Evolence has already been in use in wrinkle treatments approved in Canada, Europe, Israel and South Korea, since 2004. The FDA approved Evolence on July 1st and should be available in doctor’s offices later on this year. But whether or not it really does what it says - or American women will embrace it with the same kind of gusto as other wrinkle injections, remains to be seen.

For the time being, however, it joins an ever growing arsenal of non-surgical anti-aging injections already available - including JuveDerm, Restylane, Perlane, Artefill, and Sculptra. For a quick and easy –to- read chart on how the different wrinkle fillers compare click here.

Self Care – Keeping Wrinkles At Bay

Now if you’re thinking that since collagen plays such a key role in youthful skin, you might get a similar result from using a collagen based cream, think again.

Experts say there is almost no medical evidence to show that collagen applied to the outside of skin can make it deep enough into cells to affect any significant change.

That said, there are some ingredients that can - and some things you can do to help keep the collagen you do have from being lost .

First and foremost, doctors say stay out of the sun - and out of tanning booths. Why does this matter? Both UVA and UVB rays literally gobble up collagen, causing skin to wrinkle a lot sooner.

"The sun impacts collagen production in the skin, and without collagen, skin won't naturally maintain that plump,moist, youthful, wrinkle-free look," says New York City plastic surgeon Dr. Darrick Antell.

Get enough sun exposure, he says, and collagen will be dramatically lost, causing skin to wrinkle a lot sooner and a lot more. Sunscreen, by the way, can help prevent at least some of that damage from occurring.

Next, he says avoid exposure to cigarette smoke. Much like the sun, Antell says chemicals in tobacco smoke can also play havoc with collagen, increasing breakdown and aging you long before your time.

Lastly studies show using certain topical products can help increase collagen production . In a new study published in this month’s Archives of Dermatology, University of Michigan researchers cite products containing the ingredient retinol (a derivative of vitamin A) as having sufficient medical back up to show collagen production is affected. For more ingredients that also can help, click here.

If you can afford a medical procedure, the study also recommends laser facial resurfacing, particularly with the new Fraxel lasers. This too can impact collagen production by creating microscopic “wounds” in skin cells. The body responds to the injury by stepping up collagen production in this area, so lines and wrinkles are soon filled naturally.

And, of course, wrinkle filling injections are another option – and new research shows they may provide more than just a temporary fill. Indeed, evidence continues to mount that, over time, a number of wrinkle filling injections stimulate natural collagen production. And that means that eventually, your skin cells may begin acting more the way they did when you were young. Just don’t let them influence your fashion sense! :)

For more information on how the current selection of wrinkle filling injections compare - and which ones work best for which types of wrinkles - click here.

To learn more about other topical ingredients medically shown to impact collagen production,click here.

You might also be interested in reading "Sunscreen Caution: Are You Really Protected?"(click here), or "23 Ways To Prevent Wrinkles" (click here).

Or visit www.TheRedDressDiary.com - The destination for fabulous women over 40!