Active ingredients like growth factors allow the skin to undo the damage caused by sun exposure, stress and other environmental factors

Dr Vikas Sharma

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Developing ways to fight the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, as well as inflammation and hyper-pigmentation efficiently has been one of the main interests of everyone wanting a youthful glowing skin.

The introduction of growth factors in topical and injectable formulations is the latest in skin science to counter the skin and hair ageing.

Signs of ageing

Ageing of the skin is mediated by a combination of the effects of time (intrinsic ageing) and environmental factors (extrinsic ageing) on skin cells and their extra-cellular support matrix.

There is a loss of underlying fat of the face, leading to hollowed cheeks and eye sockets. The signs of aging generally start at the age of 40.

Keep it at bay

Aging is unavoidable but can be delayed. Numerous approaches have been developed to slow down facial skin aging process.

While the demand for growth factors to maintain skin health increases with ageing, the levels of endogenous growth factors and their activity are known to decrease in aged skin. A logical approach to reversing the signs of skin ageing is to harness the ability of skin to repair itself and to supplement these healing processes with essential components that have been lost as a result of ageing. The use of growth factors and cytokines in skin rejuvenation and reversal of photo-ageing has emerged as a novel anti-ageing treatment.

Various clinical trials have shown that human growth factors, when applied topically or when injected provide beneficial effects in reducing the signs of facial skin ageing. The collagen fibres present in the dermis, provide a mesh-like framework of support and strength for the skin. Elastin fibres present in the dermis have the ability to snap back into place after stretching, giving the skin its firmness. Both get affected in skin ageing process- areas with less support begin to cave in and wrinkles begin to form and growth factors help replenish the fibres and reduce wrinkles.

Playing the key role

Growth factors are polypeptides or proteins, which play a key role in the regulation of a number of physiological processes operating at extremely low concentrations. Growth factors are regulatory proteins that attach to cell surface receptors and mediate the signaling pathway between and within cells.

Growth factors

Anti-inflammatory: They reduce inflammation in the skin, which is crucial to improving skin health, alleviating inflammatory skin conditions, and preventing overall skin aging caused by permanent, low-level inflammation known as “inflammageing”.

Anti-aging: GFs help boost the production of collagen, elastin, and glycan, the structural fibers of the skin. This leads to an improvement in the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and large pores.

Cell regulators: Growth Factors help regulate cell division. This leads to a thicker, firmer, and tighter epidermis and dermis. You will notice that your skin appears firmer and tighter.

Healers: GFs accelerate and promote healthy skin healing after in-clinic procedures such as lasers.

Kind to scars: GFs can also minimise scarring during wound healing.

Undo the damage

Anti-aging skincare is all about repairing damage to your skin. By utilising active ingredients like growth factors, we are trying to encourage the skin to undo the damage years of sun exposure, stress, and other environmental factors have done. One way of thinking about GFs compared to other active ingredients is to picture the relationship between a conductor and his orchestra. Growth factors mastermind the activity of other skincare ingredients. They optimize activity and allow the other components to realise their full potential.

Topical growth factors are derived from a variety of sources, including humans, animals, plants, recombinant bacteria, and yeast. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal cells are the preferred cell type to obtain the bioactive factors for use in topical anti-ageing products.

So the growth factor products are the icing on the cake if you’re looking to maximise your skin-care regimen.

(Dr Sharma is a Chandigarh-based dermatologist)