Anyone who has followed me for a while knows how I feel about needles, neuromodulators (Botox) and fillers. Short story: I was over-injected once causing my eyelids and brows to droop dramatically changing my face. Not good. I am also pretty dedicated to anti-aging as naturally as possible. At the same time, at 48, I am having some pretty significant skin concerns. Namely fine lines and wrinkles on my forehead and undereye (crow’s feet). Then there’s the under eye circles (I am notoriously a bad sleeper so that doesn’t help)! But something else started happening in the last year- I started to see skin laxity in my lower face or jowls area. It was like my face was drooping before my eyes!

I started researching treatments to improve skin laxity. I was very interested in Vivace, a radiofrequency microneedling device to tighten and tone. I had done PRP one time, but this was a much more advanced version of microneedling adding in radiofrequency for deeper penetration.

Microneedling works by using extremely small needles to pierce the very top layers of the skin. In turn, this spurs skin growth and collagen production. As your skin reacts to the penetration of the needles, the appearance of unwanted skin issues is reduced. Radiofrequency microneedling adds the element of radiofrequency energy to the traditional microneedling procedure. In addition to the benefits seen with the micro-injury provided by the microneedles, RF microneedling also delivers RF energy deep into the dermis further enhancing skin tightening and scar reduction. After talking to the experts at Greenwich Med Spa they suggested Vivace, also called Virtue.

Skin Remodeling for Anti-Aging

Remodeling was a new term for me. It basically means that you can revive aging skin by stimulating the formation of new collagen to improve elasticity. Vivace is a deep fractional remodeling device. Ideal areas of treatment are the lower face, that may have jowling.

GMS was so welcoming and put me at ease during my consult. I had their clinical practice director, Amanda, perform the treatment. She explained how the treatment would feel and even suggested a compliment treatment; something I had seen online and was very intrigued by- following up with stem cells, applied after to help with healing and skin regeneration.

Stem cells are revolutionary for skin

I had seen this performed in Beverly Hills but hadn’t met anyone in Connecticut performing this. I was so excited. The stem cells, applied topically, post treatment accelerate collagen formation and induce healing.

What are they and are stem cells and exosomes different?

Imagine a medical treatment that is so regenerative, cutting-edge, and promising that it has the potential to cure diseases that were once thought incurable. That’s exactly what exosome therapy might offer. By harnessing the power of tiny cellular messengers called exosomes (which are literally how our cells communicate with each other), this revolutionary therapy has the potential to treat a wide range of conditions, from chronic pain and cancer to neurodegenerative, inflammatory, and cardiovascular disorders too. In this blog post, we’ll specifically discussing using exosomes topically to help regenerate skin.

Exosomes are derived from adipose stem cells and contain over 50 growth factors, 30+ collagen types, and 300+ growth factors.

Exosome therapy is a new treatment that is used both medically and for beauty purposes. It involves a cutting-edge cellular regeneration technique that builds upon the success of other proven therapies like stem cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma. Exosomes can be delivered either to skin topically after a laser or micro-needling treatment. By improving cell signaling, reducing inflammation, and promoting cellular regeneration this therapy has shown promise.

At the heart of exosome therapy are exosomes themselves.  Exosomes have been described as “tiny bubbles that are released from cells, especially from stem cells”. They’re also called extracellular vesicles. These “bubbles” are lipid spheres that act as messengers and carry genetic information and critical signaling proteins to be delivered to other cells.

When I visited the aesthetician at GMS for my first treatment, she confirmed that in her experience, exosomes really do have the ability to renew skin.

My treatment

The day of my treatment I numbed for 30 minutes with a topical numbing cream. The Vivace treatment was then performed- it felt like deep needling all over my face. This treatment was very quick- 15 minutes or so. Once done, Amanda applied the Benov stem cells. They were applied all over my face to penetrate into the “wounded” tissue and accelerate healing.

Results

The results were immediate- my skin had an absolute glow. About a week later my under eye circles had virtually vanished. The lines in my forehead and under eye area were smoothed – not completely gone but much, much better. The best part is that the results look and feel completely natural. The tightening and lifting affect on my jowls and lower face is still yet to be seen as it takes some time. For Vivace the ideal treatment plan is 3 sessions spaced 4 weeks apart with final results showing at 8-12 weeks. It is still early and I have one treatment to go, but I certainly feel like my skin is tighter and clearer already and I look forward to revisiting my results in another couple months.

If you are interested in learning more about Vivace and exosomes contact Greenwich Med Spa.

Watch some additional videos of the treatment(s) here: