The numerous cells in our body age as we get older. It is not possible to halt the aging process but cosmetic surgery can help in delaying the process. When we age, our body areas do show some signs of old age, but the area where aging is most visible is the skin. When the skin appears saggy and loses its youthful glow, you tend to look older than you actually are. The findings of a 2012 study regarding how to overcome this condition provide a ray of hope for aging individuals. Scientists have found out that aging cells are only partly responsible for this decline in skin quality. New studies show that simply by adding more cosmetic filler to the fiber-filled area around the cells help aging skin cells to act like younger cells again.
The study involved injecting the skin of 21 volunteers in their 80s with cosmetic filler often used to reduce facial wrinkles. The filler boosts the ECM or extracellular matrix, filling in the spaces left by aging. The area chosen for injection was the buttocks where the light of day has very little impact. These are the results of the study.
- In a period of over three months, the fibroblasts started expressing collagen-related genes, produced more collagen, and began connecting better to the ECM.
- The entire layer of skin was seen to have grown thicker and blood vessels which nourished the cells were more.
- It showed that when external filler is used to alter the matrix and internal pressure is increased, it is possible to trigger a signal for the cells to wake up.
Fragmentation of the extracellular matrix plays an important role in skin aging but using the filler triggered the cells to act young again. However, the study doesn’t recommend that you apply filler throughout the body to make your cells young again. It gives a broader understanding of the ECM, which helps surgeons in prevention and treatment. This understanding could help surgeons to develop good strategies in conditions related to skin cells.
The study concludes, “… skin cells in elderly people have the capacity to respond robustly in a very positive way to alterations in the mechanical property of their environment.” The study clearly points out the nature of skin cells and possibilities of fillers, which is indeed helpful in developing future treatment options.