As the owner of Shot Bar, a medical spa, and as a healthcare practitioner, I make it my priority to stay on top of “what’s hot” in aesthetics because I want to ensure safe practices while making sure the treatments I offer at Shot Bar Medspa, located in Chicago, are effective. Evidence-based practice guides me in everything I do, and I do not make decisions based on trends alone. There must be research to back it up!
Small But Mighty: How Exosomes Are Changing the Game in Healthcare
Enter exosomes. The U.S. exosomes sector is projected to expand from $101 million in 2024 to $1,917 million by 2034, experiencing a CAGR of 34.22% [1]. The increasing number of cases involving chronic healthcare problems and disease is driving the growth of the U.S. exosomes market. The U.S. exosomes market is expanding because of exosomes’ increasing use in diagnosing and treating various diseases and health conditions, and the possibilities seem somewhat endless for these little helpers.
Pharmaceutical companies are vigorously researching the role of exosomes and the exosome market is rapidly growing. This is due to the promising research due to exosomes ability to target cells with accuracy. They even cross the blood-brain barrier, which makes them very attractive to deliver therapies and medications, especially in neurological diseases. The future of medicine, perhaps? I think they could be.
Okay, but what are exosomes, and why should you care?
Exosomes are important for a multitude of medical and medical aesthetic reasons. They are small vesicles that measure 30-150 nanometers in size that are packed with cellular information, including proteins, growth factors, lipids, RNA and DNA. They are found in the blood, adipose tissue, umbilical tissue, saliva, urine and cerebrospinal fluid. Their primary job is to wake up cells that do not communicate and facilitate the delivery of communication from cell to cell. Cells need to talk to one another for so many physiological reasons, such as with tissue repair (for example post-laser treatment or any type of wound healing). They are also great for immune responses and inflammation. Research is also ongoing for cancer detection and predicting illness such as age-related diseases such as arthritis, metabolic disorders, heart disease, amongst many others.
The Power of Regeneration Over Restoration at Shot Bar
At Shot Bar, our treatments are designed to regenerate tissue for anti-aging purposes. I am seeing a shift in the primary goal of medical aesthetics from just “making” you look younger to actually helping to grow new collagen, so you are actually having a medically rejuvenated effect. Of course we offer filler, but I often tell my patients that “filler just fills,” so what are we doing to regenerate our aging tissue? Humans lose 1% of collagen stores every year after the age of 20, and that adds up.
A few of the primary goals of my medspa include wound healing post-procedure, scar treatments, anti-aging with devices, treating pigmentation issues with lasers and hair loss treatment and prevention. Exosomes have the power to assist with these goals immensely. My industry is once again witnessing a shift in more of a natural result. Exosomes can help with that. They are revolutionary.
The anti-aging benefits of exosomes are compelling! They deliver growth factors, cytokines (help control inflammation), proteins, amongst other molecules listed above to enhance cellular repair and regeneration. It is well known that as we age, our ability to repair ourselves becomes diminished. This leads to wrinkles due to loss of collagen and elastin, which exosomes can assist with stimulating, thereby improving skin texture to restore a more youthful appearance. I am an exosome user and can speak firsthand at their efficacy in that my skin is tighter, brighter, firmer and more evenly toned since I first began using them about four years ago.
A New Era of Skin Rejuvenation Starts with Exosomes
Exosomes are being used for treatments worldwide. The way that they are being administered here in the United States are topical, as the FDA has not yet approved other methods, such as being injected. For example, when I have a patient who comes in for a treatment at Shot Bar wanting a laser, a Tixel or microneedling, we use exosomes to prompt a healing response on the treated areas. These devices create small injuries that allow the exosomes to absorb into the skin for all their healing powers.
We also apply exosomes after Sofwave to enhance results, soothe the dermis while giving patients an extra boost of post-treatment confidence. The goal of medspa treatments such as these are achieving the result of smoother, firmer and more even toned skin. Exosomes can help reduce the signs of aging, period.
The list can go on and on as to why we love exosomes at Shot Bar. One is simply because they have a high safety profile. They are being vigorously studied. My staff and I have all been well-trained on sourcing and how to handle them once they are in our possession. We store them at the proper temperature and treat them like “liquid gold,” as my longtime nurse Angela Lutes will say. Exosomes overall present a low risk of a negative reaction or outcome. We also love that they are natural and do not involve any synthetic additives or chemicals. Lastly, they can be used for so many reasons, as mentioned earlier for the treatments of scars, post-procedure healing, fine lines and wrinkles, and even uneven skin tone.
Time will tell, of course but I think that exosomes are going to be everywhere in the medical industry, and not just in aesthetics. I am excited to learn about ongoing trends and continue to learn the ways in which they are being studied. I do not believe we have even fully figured out what these little guys can do. For now, at least we have a promising advancement of a scientifically backed modality in aesthetic medicine so I can offer my patients what they deserve, and that is the best.
I often have patients who seek out treatment for scar revision and reduction. Since these vesicles are helpful in modulating the inflammatory response, they promote healthy tissue regeneration. This can assist and accelerate wound healing and reduce the appearance of scars, especially after a procedure such as a laser treatment or microneedling. These modalities when paired together are a powerful coupling.
I use devices inside of Shot Bar that help with pigmentation and uneven skin tone. It is known that the pigment of skin can be a common “chief complaint” when a patient is in our treatment chair. Exosomes are known to regulate melanin thereby assisting lasers in their jobs to help achieve a more even skin tone.
References:
1- https://www.towardshealthcare.com/insights/us-exosomes-market-sizing
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