Aesthetic practices and physicians have begun offering treatments that focus on wellness and vitality, addressing health concerns at their core while enhancing external appearance—working from the inside-out. Therapies like hormone replacement and stem cell treatments are becoming more integrated into medical practices and med spas as regenerative medicine continues to grow. Much like how GLP-1 medications for weight loss have been adopted in longevity and aesthetic clinics, these therapies also aim to support long-term health on a cellular level to reflect a youthful appearance, beyond cosmetics.
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Aesthetic practices and physicians have begun offering treatments that focus on wellness and vitality, addressing health concerns at their core while enhancing external appearance—working from the inside-out. Therapies like hormone replacement and stem cell treatments are becoming more integrated into medical practices and med spas as regenerative medicine continues to grow. Much like how GLP-1 medications for weight loss have been adopted in longevity and aesthetic clinics, these therapies also aim to support long-term health on a cellular level to reflect a youthful appearance, beyond cosmetics.
“There is a growing interest in women’s wellness services, particularly hormone therapy optimization, weight management and sexual health,” says Lesley Silvestre, director of customer success at Zenoti. “Patients are increasingly prioritizing preventative care and regenerative medicine, seeking treatments that not only enhance their external appearance but also improve their internal health and overall well-being.”
Hormone Therapy: Reversing Skin Aging and Enhancing Overall Well-being Through Personalized Treatments
Restoring estrogen levels through hormone therapy improves skin moisture, suppleness and collagen synthesis while also improving mood, metabolism and energy levels to help a patient feel their best, thereby reflecting on the outside.Courtesy of Justin Pulliam, founder of VidaVital Medical
“When these levels drop, people frequently feel fine wrinkles, lack of firmness, dull skin and slower skin cell turnover,” Pulliam says. “By increasing circulation, boosting collagen synthesis and encouraging cell regeneration, hormone therapy aids in reestablishing equilibrium and produces…youthfulness by addressing the underlying cause of premature aging rather than just fixing damage.”
Restoring estrogen levels through hormone therapy, conducted at VidaVital, improves skin moisture, suppleness and collagen synthesis while also improving mood, metabolism and energy levels to help a patient feel their best, thereby reflecting on the outside and indirectly meeting the aesthetic expectiations of patients.
“Beyond appearance, hormone therapy is essential for enhancing quality of life and enabling people to feel and perform at their peak,” Pulliam says.
He warns that hormone therapy could cause side effects like mood swings, acne, fluid retention or mild blood pressure fluctuations, but are uncommon when therapy is appropriately controlled. He says optimal dosage and care required for long-term health and lifespan are given to every patient at VidaVital through a personalized approach, as menopause hormone therapy should be tailored to each person [1]. Reviewing hormone therapy regularly with the healthcare professional to make sure the benefits still outweigh the risks throughout the treatment is also recommended [1].
The future of aesthetics, Pulliam says, will include customized hormone and peptide treatments–regenerative medicine combined with aesthetic procedures using AI and cutting-edge diagnostics.
“A comprehensive approach that combines hormone optimization, diet and exercise will further transform how people view aging,” Pulliam says. “Hormone therapy will be essential to proactive aging as the medical aesthetics sector develops further, enabling people to appear and feel their best for many years to come.”
Stem Cell Therapy: A Revolutionary Approach to Enhancing Vitality, Health and Youthful Skin from the Inside Out
Stem cell therapy has become a technique used in aesthetics due to the cells’ ability to self-renew and differentiate into other cell types, stimulating the body's natural healing processes for tissue repair, regeneration and the restoration of skin. This therapy has formed a foundation for their use in regenerative medicine and cosmetic dermatology [2].
Cosmetic surgeon Thomas Su, MD is the founder of Quantum VSEL, where him and his team pioneer stem cell therapy by harnessing the body's VSEL stem cells using Strachan-Ovokaitys Node Generator laser technology. He says botox and fillers are more like fancy make-up, commonly used for a quick enhancement in youthful facial features. Stem cells, however, have the ability to make us younger, he says, as patients increasingly express an interest in “living longer.”
“Traditional cosmetic procedures may make us look better and create an emotional sense of well being, but they are not really promoting better health,” Su says.
For a true improvement in health and healing, stem cells deliver vitality and aesthetic improvements as a ‘side-effect’ to the whole body, Su says, by stimulating collagen production to maintain skin elasticity and repair damage. VSEL stem cells in particular are regenerative cells found in platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Discovered in 2005, they remain in a dormant "one-day-old" state and can transorm into any tissue, ready to mobilize and repair tissue when the body detects damage.
Stem cells can differentiate into many different cell lines and support different cell types and functions within the skin. All the components of the skin, including keratin, melanin, fibroblasts, immune cells, collagen and elastin all contribute to skin health, texture and function, Su says, and all these functions can benefit from stem cell therapy.
He warns, however, that while stem cell treatments do treat the largest organ in the body–the skin–from the inside, it requires a commitment of ongoing treatments to achieve and maintain aesthetic results. Currently, stem cell treatments are between $5,000-15,000 per treatment, so it is not easily affordable yet, he adds.
As a cosmetic surgeon of 20 years, Su says he believes that although vitality in aesthetics is becoming popular, vanity is still here to stay. Botox, fillers and traditional cosmetic procedures will continue to play the main role in looking younger, but stem cell treatments are beginning to play a role in aesthetics, though their effects are not as immediate or dramatic.
The skin is the largest organ of the body and its health depends on many components and factors. Su says the health and radiance of the skin must be considered on a cellular level to achieve the best aesthetic look. Stem cells, because they can help to achieve better overall cellular health of the skin, should be something that is considered as part of a long-term health and beauty plan, Su adds.
For a true improvement in health, healing and vitality, stem cells deliver vitality and aesthetic improvements as a ‘side-effect’ to the whole body.Courtesy of pinkeyes at Adobe Stock
Stem cell treatment can lead to a healthier dermis, fibroseptal meshwork, superficial fat layer and the underlying muscles, he says–necessary components to have more youthful skin, and the essential structure for a toned and firm look long-term.
Practice Management: Meeting the Demand for Longevity and Well-being in Modern Medspas
Eric Casaburi founded Serotonin Anti-Aging to provide treatments that support health, longevity and a high quality of life because there is a demand for services that are more focused on well-being and less focused on cosmetics, he says.
“We have seen an increase in the number of clients coming in, particularly younger demographics, asking about treatments that cater to longevity and vitality,” Casaburi says. “Longevity and healthy aging is not a new concept, but as more data emerges around the impact of internal imbalances on external appearance and health issues, more people are starting to listen.”
While he does offer aesthetic treatments for wrinkle reduction and body sculpting, Serotonin focuses on treatments like hormone replacement therapy that address internal imbalances causing external symptoms and challenges as well.
“It's important that medspas are investing the right resources into bringing these types of treatments to their businesses,” Casaburi says. “Treatments like HRT and age management require extensive knowledge and education, and it’s not something that you can decide to bring into your service menu one day without the proper preparation.”
Silvestre assists medspas with expanding their services to meet consumer demands. The treatments she’s increasingly seen medspas offer for vitality include peptide therapy, cell growth, weight loss, muscle recovery, anti-aging and metabolic health, as well as platelet-rich plasma therapy. AI tools and data-driven personalization have led to growth in biometric tracking and wearable health devices, she says, allowing medspas to create personalized treatment plans.
“I think we’ll see the aesthetics industry evolve in the same way things like fitness and weight loss did back in the 70s and 80s,” Casaburi says. “As more research came out…the fitness industry underwent a significant transformation that has brought us to where we are today–you can go to different boutique gyms for specific forms of exercise, [and] I think we’re seeing something very similar right now in the medspa industry around aesthetics, health and longevity.”
References:
1- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/in-depth/hormone-therapy/art-20046372#:~:text=For%20best%20results%2C%20menopause%20hormone,group%20of%20progesterone%2Dlike%20medicines.
2- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11634165/
