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Objective: Learn about regenerative medicine, growth factors, PRP and PRF, and Exosomes - Givens MD | Faces Medspa in Dubuque, Iowa.
Most everyone is aware of the benefits of growth factors when used in skincare products and procedures. Growth factors are natural chemicals that are produced by the body and involved in the cell signalling process. They are different from hormones, which travel throughout the body and have di
stant effects on other organs; instead they work directly in the area where they are applied to have an affect on the tissue. For example, growth factor serums like Skinmedica TNS Serum has beneficial effects on skin health by reducing lines, wrinkles, discoloration, and improving skin thickness by building collagen and elastin.
The "next generation" in growth factors are products such as PRP and PRF (Platelet Rich Plasma and Platelet Rich Fibrin). The treatment has even been branded "the vampire facial" (we are not a licensed provider of "the vampire" treatments) and has been made popular by celebrities such as Kim Kardashian. These products involve a quick blood draw from the patient, after which the blood is processed to extract the layer that contains platelets. Platelets are cells in the blood that are involved in healing wounds, thus they contain a very high concentration of growth factors. At Givens MD | Faces Medspa, we apply PRF to the skin after microneedling and laser procedures to help speed the healing process and promote collagen growth. We also Inject PRF into areas such as the tear trough to naturally fill the area, and into the scalp to promote hair growth. Men and women with Alopecia, hair loss, thinning hair, male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness have noticed a dramatic improvement in hair growth, and decrease of shedding hair after this procedure.
Exosomes are tiny particles which are about the size of a virus. They are produced by the body, and look like a small bubble. Inside of the bubble, various cell-signalling molecules are present. Various exosome products have been released on the market, and the exosomes that we have selected are harvested from sterile cell cultures of donated human placental tissue. The end result is a tremendous
amount of growth factors in tiny particles which are easily absorbed by human tissue. Exosomes are applied to the scalp to stimulate hair growth, and applied to the skin to improve healing and collagen production.
Oftentimes if patients have plateaued in their hair growth results from PRP injections, they notice a burst of hair growth after exosome application. We believe that this may be due to individual factors inside the body - for example a patient may not have as many growth factors in their platelets and thus PRP injections may not be as effective for that patient. Because exosomes are standardized and eliminate patient variation, the patient variables are eliminated.
It is important to note that exosome treatments are not regulated by the FDA. This is because exosomes are very new and "up and coming" and not enough research has been performed to satisfy the stringent FDA requirements. Exosome
treatment is designed to improve the appearance of the hair and skin, not to alter the structure and function of the tissue of the body. Because of the lack of FDA regulation, it is important to ensure safety of treatment. Dr. Givens has selected a company with the most rigorous safety standards for manufacturing and quality control to ensure that the product and treatment is safe.
