Alexander Turkevich about modern drugs in the market of aesthetic medicine

A huge number of medical products are presented on the market of aesthetic medicine today. Their use allows solving a wide range of aesthetic problems, in particular, beautification and rejuvenation. In order for doctors not to get lost in a huge range of drugs, and opt for only the best products, they need to listen to the opinions of experienced experts. Specially for estet-portal.com dermatovenereologist, oncologist, candidate of medical sciences, associate professor of the department of dermatology and venereology of the Lviv National Medical University. Danila Galitsky, Professor of Dermatovenereology at the University of Rome «J. Marconi» Oleksandr Turkevich shared his opinion about modern preparations presented on the market of aesthetic medicine.

What is the most progressive product on the aesthetic medicine market today?

I am deeply convinced that there is almost everything on the aesthetic medicine market now. There are any medical products: fillers, botulinum toxins, threads and much more. And these products are already a little tired of people, as they do not open up new opportunities. That is, they make it possible to technically change the face, change the volume, but do not give the opportunity to really influence the aging process or rejuvenation.

I am convinced that injectable anti-aging – this is tomorrow, which, in fact, is already coming today.

What I mean is when doctors do not just change the geometry of the face with their own hands, but influence rejuvenation. By and large, it seems to be nothing new: we all know PRP therapy, which seems to be related to injectable anti-aging. But we are well aware that marketing in the PRP therapy market significantly prevails over its real possibilities. Therefore, I am talking about high-tech products, which, on the one hand, make it possible to change the contours of the face and its geometry, and on the other hand – they also affect rejuvenation. That is, they make tissues younger, in our situation the skin and subcutaneous fat pads. These drugs, if they do not restore youth to the patient, then at least stop aging.

What kind of problems can these drugs solve?

The patient is starting to look really younger. Not better, but younger, and this word best characterizes the effect of such drugs. When we have performed a procedure or a course of procedures that a patient needs, and this is one, two or maximum three procedures, her skin color and her turgor change. Unlike classical mesotherapy, where the procedure must be performed every week or two, since the patient looks good exactly until the injection edema has subsided. By and large, after injections of these drugs, the patient does not seem to change, but after the procedure she looks as if she had just returned from a good rest.

What exactly are the drugs that work the way you just described?

Let's be completely objective, without branding. The weakest, but also the oldest link – This is PRP therapy. These are also two drugs that absolutely complement each other, since they affect the same thing from different sides, that is, they give us the opportunity for an integrated approach. These preparations – this is H&S by Hyalual and TwAc (ed. - TwAc presented by Medhome). And third, a completely new direction, although now many people are already doing this – This is lipofilling. But, firstly, surgeons should deal with it, and secondly, the result of the procedure, by and large, is absolutely unpredictable, we still don’t know what we will get in the end. And now a new direction is beginning – obtaining active substances from the patient's fat using a range of thermal treatments, that is, from sub-zero to plus temperatures. This is quite a wide range, but, in any case, the same growth factors and stem cells are not damaged. This is the active fraction, and therefore it is something similar to PRP therapy. And this is the third direction, supplementing the previous two.

Drugs that are called boosters appear on the market. What does this word mean to you?

The name booster, on the one hand, is, of course, very popular, but, on the other hand, really booster systems – these are systems that allow active substances to be in the place where we need for some time. That is, by itself, such a system does not have any function, except for transport.

A proper booster system should be a good transporter, that is, be able to carry active substances to where we need them.

And when they are already there, they stay there for a certain time, start working, and only after that the booster substance leaves.

Growth factors and stem cells: expert opinion

Alexander Turkevich shared his opinion on the use of growth factors and stem cells in aesthetic medicine.

What are the most active substances currently on the market?

These, of course, are peptides, which have a lot of questions, because there is more marketing than science. This is a very interesting direction, but it requires study. These are also polynucleotides, which are among the most studied substances in terms of anti-aging. And, of course, these are growth factors and stem cells. With growth factors, everything is clear: we either provide growth factors or stimulate their formation. Well, stem cells – this is probably the most difficult question, because we know very little about their capabilities. Therefore, I think that it’s not worth taking risks with stem cells just like that.

Do you think that growth factors can provoke the development of cancer?

I don't know the subject well enough to speak categorically on this issue. It so happened that there are a certain number of people who listen to my opinion, and therefore I cannot afford to just talk thoughtlessly on this topic, realizing that there are people who will perceive my words as the ultimate truth. Therefore, I will probably avoid answering this question, at least in the near future.