One of our most exciting tools to optimise our ageing journey is the use of polynucleotides. They have been used in surgery to enhance wound healing for in excess of 37 years and more recently have entered the world of aesthetics and skin rejuvenation. Today, we invite you to dive into this world and discover how polynucleotides work wonders for your skin.
The Marvellous Polynucleotides
Polynucleotides represent the next generation of aesthetic treatment. They are highly purified chains of mRNA with a remarkable 30+ year track record in surgical treatments for wound repair. The injection of polynucleotides enables the body to better repair itself at a cellular level by boosting the number and vitality of fibroblasts. Fibroblasts are a major component in wound repair.
A Polynucleotides in Aesthetic Medicine
What sets polynucleotides apart from current skin rejuvenation, hair loss and scar revision treatments is their ability to enhance the skin with minimal injury. All current energy-based treatments for the above, work by causing controlled microinjuries in the skin and it is the body’s wound repair mechanism that produces the improvement. The drawback of this approach is that as we age our body’s ability to repair is diminished, which is why we appear to age.
How polynucleotides work
Polynucleotides are chemical messengers: They give instructions to the treated part of the body and then move on.
Fibroblast Cell Proliferation is the Key
Polynucleotides assist in the DNA repair and energising of existing fibroblasts, especially those suffering the effects of ageing. This stimulates the process of fibroblast cell proliferation where an existing cell divides into 2 daughter cells. The result is a substantial increase in younger and more energetic fibroblasts within the treated area. These cells are essential for skin healing and overall skin health. The effects are rapid, with the majority of the increase happening within the first 4-7 days.
Fibroblast Cell Proliferation leads to:
- More and Better Collagen: Fibroblasts are also the architects of collagen and elastin production. With an increase in fibroblasts, you get more collagen and elastin. This leads to an increase in dermal thickness, reducing the appearance of fine lines. Importantly, the collagen produced is the stronger and higher-quality Type 1 collagen, not the Type 3 and 4 found in scar tissue.
- Improved Skin Hydration: Polynucleotides have a unique ability to attract and bind water molecules, forming a stable and permanent three-dimensional gel. This results in improved skin hydration, making your skin look plump and youthful.
- Increased Scavenging: Free radicals (single oxygen atoms) are very reactive and can directly damage the DNA of our cells, leading to premature ageing and even skin cancer. Their existence is caused by UV sunlight, pollution, and oxidative stress from strenuous activities. Fibroblasts act as the body’s defenders, scavenging these harmful oxygen-free radicals. With more fibroblasts in action, they can do this job even more effectively.
Administering Polynucleotides
The process of administering polynucleotides to achieve these exceptional effects requires precision. The polynucleotide solution is delicately injected into the skin’s dermis through a series of small injections using a very fine needle. This process leaves small, shallow deposits of the solution, which are absorbed quickly by the body.
It is important to emphasise that polynucleotides aren’t fillers; instead, they interact with existing fibroblasts, re-energising them within just 30 minutes of injection, thereby jumpstarting the rejuvenation process.
These dynamic molecules don’t linger within the body; in fact, around 50% of them are broken down by the body’s enzymes within approximately 30 minutes of injection. Within a few hours, all traces of them have been naturally eliminated from the bodyWhere polynucleotides shine
PhilArt, our go-to product comes in four versions:
- PhilArt: This versatile version can be used almost anywhere on the face or body (except around the eyes) to enhance skin quality and help with scar revision.
- PhilArt Eye: As the name suggests, it’s perfect for addressing fine wrinkles around and within the eye orbit.
- PhilArt Hair: Formulated to complement PRP therapy, it enhances hair regrowth, although it can’t regrow hair in completely bald areas.
- PhilArt Next: This version is tailored to rejuvenate older skin, bringing back its youthful vitality.
The Power of Combination Treatments
The fibroblast proliferation produced by polynucleotides is in effect reducing the age of the skin and in addition to the benefits mentioned above it is preconditioning the skin to enable a better response to existing aesthetic medical treatments. Therefore, at Cosmex Clinic we will typically use polynucleotides as a preconditioning treatment for:
- Hair loss in conjunction with platelet rich plasma. Also very useful for pre/post hair transplant scalp conditioning and facial rejuvenation (Vampire face lift)
- Skin Resurfacing and Scar revision in conjunction with 1550nm factional laser or medical needling with RF e.g. Endymed Intensive or Morpheus 8
- Light Facials in conjunction with IPL to optimise skin tone and reduce the early signs of ageing.
As a result of combination treatments, we are now seeing positive results in patients as old as 84 who had previously been unresponsive to previous treatments.
We are not saying that polynucleotides are the panacea to cure all skin conditions, but they are a significant step towards the holy grail of cellular regeneration.
