8 min readA FEW WEEKS ago, a story popped up on my news feed about a slug that can sever its own head and regrow another body in weeks. Scientists have theories as to why a creature might want to crawl around disembodied. (I mean, times are tough right now.) And it made me realize that the power of regeneration in nature is kind of amazing. What if humans could harness even some of that ability to regrow, say, healthier skin or fuller hair?
In some dermatologists’ offices, this kind of biological magic is already happening. Inspired by natural regeneration, a new crop of aesthetic treatments use blood platelets or stem cells plucked from follicles to rebuild skin collagen and sprout new hair.
Instead of injecting foreign products into skin to plump it up (hyaluronic acid fillers like Juvéderm or Restylane) or inhibit movement (neurotoxins like Botox or Xeomin), regenerative aesthetics “leverages the body’s innate ability to repair itself,” says Eunice Park, MD, founder of Airem Aesthetic Spa & Plastic Surgery in New York. You’re not just correcting for aging, proponents say; you’re making your cells behave younger.
Most people’s first exposure to regenerative aesthetics came through platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP). The treatment, which went mainstream in the past decade with help from brands like Regen Lab and Crown Aesthetics, involves drawing a patient’s blood, spinning it in a centrifuge to isolate and capture the growth factor–rich platelets, and then injecting them back into the skin. The super-high concentration of platelets combined with the targeted injection boosts cell division, growth, and wound healing. (It went mainstream after it was dubbed the “vampire facial” on social.)
These procedures appear to work—at least anecdotally—but likely only in the short term. “Most of these treatments aren’t FDA-approved, so there’s no robust clinical data looking at longterm outcomes,” says dermatologist Shereene Idriss, MD, founder of Idriss Dermatology in New York City. This field is uncharted. “People are using themselves as guinea pigs,” Dr. Idriss says.
The main objection from naysayers is that none of these treatments give you the immediate and noticeable outcome of Botox or filler. The signs are more subtle, and for many treatments you need to return every few years to keep up the effects. And critics say existing treatments work as well as these new ones, if not better—no vampiric blood draw necessary.
To make sense of the newer options, I talked to doctors—and patients—about the emerging field of regenerative aesthetics. What I found was a world that feels like science fiction but is as real as a headless slug that can regrow a whole new body.
Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Therapy (PDGF)
The Targets: Facial Line and Wrinkles
Think of this procedure as PRP, but with lab-grown growth factors—synthetic proteins, basically, that function as cellular boosters—instead of the platelet-derived growth factors that naturally exist in your blood. Why synthetic? Your natural growth factors decline with age, says David J. Goldberg, MD, director of cosmetic dermatology and clinical research at Schweiger Dermatology Group. And lab-produced growth factors deliver more consistent results than PRP, he says. PDGF therapy is FDA-approved for medical wound healing and bone regeneration, so a doctor could inject it off-label for cosmetic purposes. That said, PDGF therapy more often involves applying a gel-like solution (brand name: ariessence Pure PDGF+) topically following a microneedling session, laser resurfacing treatment, or chemical peel to smooth skin and promote healing.
Two or three sessions, spaced several months apart, are recommended for the best results. Cost ranges from $450 to more than $1,000 per session. Like most regenerative aesthetic treatments, PDGF therapy is best suited to the under-45 set, who are just beginning to notice the first signs of aging. “You want to start doing these things early on,” says Dr. Goldberg. “Think about it: If you start exercising in your 30s, the results are going to be much more long-term than if you start at 65. It’s the same principle here.”
What A Real Guy Says:
As a real estate developer in Southern California, Mark Jeffires, 62, spends his life outdoors—and has the sun damage to prove it. When fine lines and wrinkles, especially around his eyes, began to bother him, he went in to see Ava Shamban, MD, a cosmetic dermatologist, for three microneedling treatments with ariessence Pure PDGF+, spaced five weeks apart. Jeffires felt nothing (he was numbed using a topical anesthetic) but noticed a lot of improvement: “I see fewer textural issues on my forehead and midface, and overall my skin is much smoother. It was like my skin had been vac-packed.”
Exosome Therapy
The Targets: Dark Spots, Thinning Hair
Exosomes are tiny vesicles that act as messengers, traveling between cells and helping them speak to each other better, says Dr. Goldberg. Essentially, exosomes say, “Hey, fibroblasts, start making more skin-plumping collagen.” Or, “What up, melanocytes, can you calm down with the pigment production so we can get rid of these dark spots?” Exosomes are derived from plants or human sources (like bone marrow or umbilical cords—yes, really), and as cosmetic products, they are not regulated by the FDA. Physicians commonly apply exosome-based serums (brand names include Calecim Professional) after microneedling or laser treatments. Dr. Park says she uses exosomes to minimize inflammation after laser treatments and in patients who have red undertones to their skin (such as rosacea patients), as well as to brighten and hydrate skin. The results are subtle and best in patients under the age of 50 who are just starting to notice the first signs of aging. Exosome therapy isn’t a one-and-done type of treatment and typically demands several sessions, which cost around $500 to $1,000 each.
What A Real Guy Says:
After noticing some hair thinning around his hairline and crown, Joe Floria, 38, explored options. “I could tell my hair wasn’t as thick as it used to be, but I didn’t want to use minoxidil or finasteride,” says Floria, the owner of CrossFit Nine7 in Manhasset, New York. He opted for three sessions of radio-frequency microneedling with topical exosome. “I would compare the feeling to acupuncture—a small, quick sensation that’s not painful at all.” Floria says his results were gradual but noticeable after a few months.
The “Secretome”
The Targets: Skin and Hair Health
This one comes from a company called Acorn Biolabs. The process involves harvesting 50 to 75 hair follicles from your head to obtain stem cells, which are incubated over several weeks to produce secretome, a collection of bioactive compounds that includes your natural growth factors and exosomes. Then Acorn sends the personalized secretome powder to a dermatologist for reconstitution as a serum that they can apply to your face or scalp after a microneedling or laser session. (Yes, all of this is wild.) The procedure is not FDA-approved for injection, so it’s done topically after aesthetic treatments. Having a topical serum applied is painless; the procedure that usually precedes it, involving needles and lasers, less so. The other big benefit is that it’s your stuff being used. “Think of a lock and a key—cells have a receptor that requires a protein to activate it,” Dr. Park says. Growth factors are the key to the lock: “Your own growth factors, peptides, etc., will have enhanced biocompatibility and optimize results.” Like most of these treatments, several sessions are recommended for the best results (monthly treatments for three to six months, with maintenance sessions to follow). The cost ranges considerably from practice to practice and with how your doctor uses your secretome, but Dr. Park’s office charges $1,000 for the hair follicle harvesting, $2,500 for the secretome kit that’s used for multiple treatments, and $190 per year to bank harvested stem cells.
What A Real Guy Says:
Frederick Ippolito, 52, a CEO in the auto industry, began to notice that his skin had uneven texture, tiny lines, and a look of fatigue. He visited New York City plastic surgeon Sachin M. Shridharani, MD, to try microneedling with the secretome, which he describes as a 2 out of 10 on the pain scale (numbing cream for the win). “Within a week or two, my skin felt smoother, especially around the cheeks, and a subtle brightness came back,” Ippolito says. A month in, he noticed the big changes: softened fine lines and overall firming.
Biostimulators
The Targets: Wrinkles, Sagging Skin
Traditional fillers are made from a hyaluronic acid gel that dermatologists inject into the face to lift, firm, and create definition along the jawline or cheekbones. These fillers work because they’re easy to shape and provide immediate results. But they can also cause puffiness, and they “are not stimulating cells to produce collagen; you’re just restoring volume using a [foreign] material,” says David Kim, MD, a dermatologist and founder of Soho Dermatology in New York City. Biostimulators, injectable compounds like poly-L-lactic acid and calcium hydroxylapatite that are sold under brand names such as Sculptra and Radiesse, work by settling “into skin, where they stimulate collagen production to restore volume,” Dr. Kim says. In addition to mechanically lifting and firming, these treatments help your body do that work on its own. The results are subtler and take more time to notice, typically several months. Two syringes will set you back about $1,200 to $2,000 each, and, as Dr. Kim says, it’s possible you’ll need more.
What A Real Guy Says:
Loïc Antina, 45, was looking to fill out his cheeks, which had begun to appear hollow, thanks to aging and weight fluctuations. “I didn’t want results that looked overly dramatic; I wanted natural,” he says. For him, Sculptra made sense. Antina had two sessions, each lasting about 15 minutes, with just some slight swelling for less than an hour afterward. About five months later, he really started to see a difference, with the deep lines around his mouth noticeably softer. “My results were visible and progressive, building gradually in the weeks and months after the [treatment],” he says.
Polynucleotide
The Targets: Sagging Skin, Fine Lines
Okay, brace yourself. This procedure involves injecting the DNA from the gonads of male salmon into your skin. It sounds like a gnarly thing to do, but the fish’s active compound polynucleotide (PN) is “closely compatible with human DNA, so in theory, it has the ability to signal to your skin cells to churn out more collagen,” says Dr. Kim. The FDA hasn’t approved PN as an injection, so dermatologists apply it topically with other treatments to enhance penetration.
Know that most of PN’s effects are backed by anecdotal observation rather than with clinical data. “This is for someone who’s not looking to correct deep lines, but who may want their skin to look more hydrated, plump, and rejuvenated,” says Dr. Kim. Results are near-instantaneous but short-lived—and multiple treatments are often recommended. The price ranges depending on where you get treatment (a dermatology practice vs. a med spa), but Dr. Kim’s PN treatments start at $1,200.
What A Real Guy Says:
I actually tried this procedure myself. Dr. Kim slathered on Rejuran’s Healing Essence PN and used the Potenza radio-frequency microneedling device with a fusion tip to help it penetrate into my skin. At first, I looked worse—dry, dehydrated, tired. But about a week later, I noticed an overall brightening and plumpness. I get Botox regularly in my forehead, so I wasn’t looking to correct any major lines or wrinkles with PN, but I think it’s a great adjunct to traditional cosmetic treatments. And, no, it doesn’t smell like fish.
Brian Underwood is beauty director at Women’s Health, where he oversees content strategy for the brand across all platforms, including digital, print, and social. Underwood previously served as beauty and wellness director at Oprah Daily and O, The Oprah Magazine. During his tenure leading beauty content for the Oprah brand at Hearst, stories Underwood commissioned were awarded the Skin Cancer Foundation Media Award and a Fragrance Award for Editorial Excellence (his second). He was the launch Beauty Director of Dr. Oz THE GOOD LIFE, and has held additional editorial positions at Fitness, Organic Style, Good Housekeeping, Life & Style Weekly, and Woman’s Day and has written for Self, Shape, Seventeen, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, and many more. Underwood previously served on the Skin Cancer Foundation’s gala committee and as partnerships director of the Trans Beauty Clinic, a New York-based charitable organization that provided beauty services and workshops to the city’s trans community.
