Back in the days of the Bush administration, the scientific advances provided by stem-cellresearch were significantly reduced due to his ban on federal funding. Since Obama lifted the ban in March 2009, research and development using these cells has resumed and continues to aid in the search for treatments for many cancers and degenerative diseases.
And there are the aesthetic innovations, namely in skin care (use of apple stem cells in products by Dr. Brandt, Lather, and Emerge Labs is said to preserve skin's youthful appearance) and plastic surgery.
Boy, do we love a good beauty advancement! Earlier this year, StyleList reported on stem-cell injections as part of a nonsurgical face-lift, used in conjunction with fat grafts (removing fat from one area of the body, like your thighs, abs, or butt, and using it to plump the face).
Today's Daily Mail reports, "Cells with this kind of power, it was thought, had to be harvested from embryos created in the lab or left over from fertility treatment. They were rare, precious, and extremely controversial. But this week, doctors have revealed how they are taking stem cells from adults and using them to repair faulty hearts. Those stem cells came from blood vessels. But there is another, perhaps surprising, source of stem cells -- our own fat."
So a source of potentially regenerative cells was hiding in our fat cells all along?
This development led U.K. cosmetic surgeon Dr. Mario Russo to the idea of a nonsurgical face-lift that employs only stem cells and no fat injections (which tend to die off after being removed) in order to regenerate collagen and halt or at least slow the aging process.
And eight weeks ago, the Daily Mail reporter volunteered to be the first recipient of this experimental procedure. At a private hospital, she had fat harvested from her abdomen and thighs (a.k.a. liposuction) and waited for it to be processed down to only its stem cells. This youth serum of sorts was immediately injected into her face dozens of times, as well as into a scar on her knee.
Here, the reporter's initial reaction, post-procedure:
"Then I was sent home with the warning that results would be slow to show, but would continue for up to a year -- or more. Over the next few days, I developed a few tiny bruises around my eyes and there was a little swelling, but nothing I couldn't cover up. I was astonished to see results within the first fortnight. My skin, which has always been blotchy, was startlingly clear. Within a month I looked peachier, my pores were smaller and I was less hollow eyed. I woke in the morning and thought for a moment that I'd forgotten to take off my makeup, as my skin looked so even toned. After six weeks, strangers started complimenting me on my skin."
While the injections themselves only took 20 minutes, the procedure is not pain free and costs about $11,000. Hmmm, for that we could buy a Smart Car, but who are we kidding? Smart Cars won't make us look younger or more fabulous. However, glowing, even-toned, plumper skin is priceless.
