How to Reverse Skin Aging

[John_Hemming]

This is my bald patch today. I wonder if I have now finally got most of the follicles (in this area) to re-engage with hair production. Its a slow process, but it does not involve fin, dut or hair transplants.

Most importantly it fits in with the two key aging mechanisms so is a more visual representation of other somatic changes.

[John_Hemming]

For those that have not seen these before.

[LaraPo]

You definitely grew some black hair!

[Virilius]

I see some darker hairs but not new regrowth. Clearly what you’re doing is not powerful enough to combat the negative effects of DHT or your hair follicles have already died off.

[John_Hemming]

The hair follicles get miniaturised and what is happening is that this process is reversing. I do have better comparative photos for the same location.

The single starting hair on the middle leftish of this image from May 2023, is the long out of focus hair in the front of the image above.

The depth of focus of the macro camera is quite limited.

[scta123]

@jnorm

Even if you get a hair transplant, you’ll continue to lose ground unless you take finasteride.

What about PRP and Dutasteride mesotherapy as alternative if clearly someone is sensitive to DHT levels and gets sexual or mood symptoms?

[John_Hemming]

In essence what DHT does is to damage the mitochondria so that the cells cannot produce the right proteins. Also senescence comes in and different types of hair cell do not differentiate properly.

Senescence is caused by a shortage of acetyl-CoA at the key stage and I am dealing with that by improving transcription. Separately I am working on improving mitochondrial efficiency. This affects all cells, but on the scalp it causes the reversal of miniaturisation.

Firstly I get fine weak hairs called vellus hairs, those then change into fine pigmented hairs. As the mitochondria get stronger the hairs get thicker. Sometimes new hairs start up either very strong (that is rare, but does happen), but often as not particulaly thick, not not fine either.

It is a slow process that is in a sense similar to hair receding save that it advances. Very slowly though. However, I am not sure I would wish to try to speed it up as improving mitochondria means mainly autophagy.

If you look carefully at the photo you will see a small number of hairs have fallen out as well. That may be from strong brushing, but it may be simply the normal hair cycle.

[Virilius]

Dutasteride mesotherapy works because it targets the root cause of AGA without going systemic although studies suggests it is somewhat less effective than using finasteride. PRP is more of a growth simulant on top of that.

[scta123]

@Virilius

finasteride

Do you think oral finasteride is viable for lifelong prevention or does it has time limit when its effectiveness expires? I have a friend who was using finasteride for years and years (he started soon after it was approved for hair loss) for his diffuse hair loss and it was very effective for long time but lately his hair loss is gaining momentum again.

[Virilius]

There are at least 3 separate 10 year follow up studies proving finasteride’s continued efficiacy in ~90% of subjects, with a sizable portion of those men having regrowth even at the 10 year mark. Extrapolating from that data, I would say that finasteride will likely keep your hair for decades at the very least. Even in the worst case, you will never bald completely.

[Dr.Bart]

Not many studies but there is this Effects of 1-year intermittent treatment with topical tacrolimus monotherapy on skin collagen synthesis in patients with atopic dermatitis - PubMed
It popped on my radar because my wife eye serum from Musely has that as an ingredient. Prescription Skincare That Works | Musely FaceRx Their formulations are made by dermatologists so I guess the data from this study or other sources had to impress them enough to include it.

I have used tacrolimus for eczema in my practice for decades It’s safe in spite of the PI warnings (remember the PI warnings for topical is taken from oral medication warnings). My patients seemed to do well with it and didn’t suffer the skin thinning and pigmentation issues that you would get from chronic topical steroid use. It never occurred to me that it could actually increase collagen synthesis… most eczema patients are children, they have plenty of well organized collagen.

It seems that anti-inflammatory agents in general have anti-aging effects, especially in older adults although you have to be careful with broad spectrum agents like topical corticosteroids.

[Chloe]

@Sylwia_CC

Rejuran

Hey @Sylwia_CC , how did you get on with these injectables for collagen? Did you work out which ones worked best in the end? I was looking forward to your update but can’t see it on here. Thanks!

[Veronica]

In case it helps, Oneskin is now shipping to the UK, duty paid:

Do you offer international shipping?

Do you offer international shipping?
Yes! We are able to ship to all addresses in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. We are not yet able to ship to any other countries outside of these but this is something we are working on.

For shipments outside of the United States, we ship DDP (with duties paid). Shipping duties and taxes are all included in the final price you see at checkout.

[scta123]

Has anyone tried PRP dermal injections (not topical application during microneedling) for face rejuvenation? Any thoughts?

[Chloe]

I believe PRF is far superior! Plus is all natural, I think PRP contains synthetic stuff.

I was looking into how to do it myself actually. Seems simple once you get the right settings for the centrifuge and would save so much money.

Dr Rajani talks about the differences here: PRP vs PRF

[Veronica]

I had PRP dermal injections 5 years ago, alongside deep microneedling.
It was by an MD, a trusted specialist I’d previously dealt with for mole removal.
I would not consider this outside a medical setting.
It was a course of 3, 1 month apart, total cost ~ £3,500.

I don’t do fillers or botox; the Dr recommended PRP, & I agreed. I knew, medically, of PRP, it’s endogenous, skin-healthy, & as extreme as I was willing to go with my face.

Blood/plasma was used in the microneedling, the remaining 2 syringes were injected around my face & eyes.

There was initial redness & slight swelling which lasted a few days, alongside crustiness from the microneedling. Having no filler experience, I can only guess that the injections & inflammation added a slight, temporary, “filler” effect?

I was already pretty happy with my skin, no issues or anything obvious to “fix”.
I felt glowy for a few days. I don’t think the treatment was detrimental.
I can only guess that, perhaps, it helped in maintaining overall skin health; I have no way of measuring that. I only completed the course of 3 as I had paid in full upfront. I guess I was sold to, a little.

I wouldn’t do it again; I can’t quantify a result & I don’t like to mess with my face anyway.
I have a v simple facial routine & I stick to that.
Older & hopefully slightly wiser, I am trying not to get tempted by the latest thing.

The photo below is several hours post treatment - skin red (I’m naturally v pale), crusty & a bit swollen (aged 54):

[scta123]

@LaraPo

If you ever try meso pls share your experience.

Okay, here’s what happened. About a week ago, I went to pick up my husband from the hospital so we could have lunch together. After waiting for him to finish attending to a patient, he offered me the chance to try an unused opened product. It was a slightly viscous HA product, and he used about 2ml of it on my face. I can’t remember the name, but I can look it up. He made around 200+ little needle pricks all over my face using a very thin needle, and the product was injected intradermally. Some of the pricks bled a bit, especially on my lower cheeks and chin, but it wasn’t too bad. It took about 15 minutes with a couple of breaks while he changed needles. Afterward, I applied a cold compress to my face for another 15 minutes. My face was a bit bumpy, but nothing major—I was still able to go to a restaurant for lunch without any issues. By the evening, my face was a bit sore and bumpy, feeling like I had been stung by 200+ bees. By the next morning, it was still a bit bumpy, but by Monday, I almost forgot I had anything done. Honestly, I couldn’t see any difference at first, so I was a bit disappointed. However, by Thursday, the skin around my eyes was noticeably smoother. By Friday, a friend at a party even commented that I looked great. My skin felt different—plumper and tighter, although it’s hard to describe. I didn’t see much difference around my eyes, but by Saturday, I noticed that there was less sagging in my skin and my brows seemed a bit higher. Today, when I looked in the mirror, I felt like I looked 5-10 years younger. I didn’t have many wrinkles to start with (just a tiny one on my chin and above my nose bridge), but they seemed to have disappeared, and even the lines when I smile are less pronounced. I still feel a strange tingling sensation all over my face. Overall, it was a great experience, and I’m amazed by the difference. I got it for free, but would I pay 500+ EUR to have it done professionally? Maybe. Would I continue doing it twice a year? That’s a difficult question… I’ll try it again in a few months and see how it goes. But for now, I’m pleasantly surprised. My husband just came home and looked at my face, saying, “Oh, I see it kicked in.”

[LaraPo]

Great review! Keep doing it. Depending on how long the effect lasts, you may need it more often than twice a year. When the effect fades away, do it again!

[scta123]

Yes, I’m completely hooked now! My first experience was quite surprising in terms of the timeline—it takes a few days for the magic to happen. It’s almost like turning on an Instagram filter; you’re still the same, but you just look a bit better. Perhaps this is more about prevention, starting before major wrinkles and sagging occur. Initially, I was disappointed, but then I began to notice how smooth my skin was becoming under my fingertips. The most noticeable difference was around my eyes and on my eyelids.
I’ve been advised to repeat this particular product in 6 months, but I might consider a “lighter” version in between. Additionally, he offered me the chance to be a guinea pig for PRP or PRF, but I’m still contemplating that.
Now, I’m even more amazed that you do it yourself.

[Paiva]

Ås you seems truly satisfied with the procedure and result, maybe do you know what comercial name this procedure?