After years of research on how to heal a wound without leaving a scar, doctors in Switzerland have a skin care technology that they say makes skin ageless and heals wounds faster. They say there is a special ingredient. But some have concerns about the science behind this skin cream.
Lisa Raines, 39, has added the latest skin rejuvenating technology to her regimen. She said a product with processed skin cell proteins is making the difference.
"Since I've started using it, the fine lines around my eyes have been diminishing, pore size, tighter, firmer skin. Definitely," said Raines, who works in plastic surgeon Dr. Kamran Khoobehi's office.
It's called Neocutis, a line of products sold over the counter in your doctor's office.
"What patients are going to be seeing now, and probably more of in the future, are cosmeceutical creams that have this advanced protein and peptide technology that comes from cell tissue lines. And basically what these are, are sterile cell lines that produce some of the nutrients that cells produce, growth factors for example," explains New Orleans Dermatologist Dr. Mary Lupo.
"We know that growth factors are important in turning on collagen production," said Dr. Patricia Farris, a Metairie dermatologist and spokeswomen for the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.
And remember collagen, that gives the skin strength, elasticity and resilience, is what we lose with time, but especially from the sun, causing wrinkles. So turning on the skin cell's ability to rebuild collagen, reverses photoaging and damage. Doctors say Neocutis can be used daily, but is especially beneficial after procedures that injure the skin such as lasers, microdermabrasion and chemical peels.
"I can tell you that one of the best uses is in wounded skin because wounded skin needs the benefit of growth factors to advance and refine the repair of the wounded skin," adds Dr. Lupo.
"After laser treatments to myself, I find that it calms the skin down completely," said Raines.
Doctors also say it is especially good on skin ulcers, post surgery scars and newer scars from injury, showing a dramatic healing difference. And with everyday use, it can help the irritation from the number one, clinically proven, skin rejuvenator, prescription retinoids, such as Retin-A, Renova and Tazorac.
"The Bio-restorative cream, besides being highly effective after laser, is highly effective to decrease some of the flakiness and inflammation that you can get from the retinoids," said Dr. Lupo. "I think it's particularly good to use it immediately after exfoliation. I think you will get better penetration."
So what is so different about this technology? And why do it's makers have a web page devoted to answering questions from those concerned about it's ingredients?
A local plastic surgeon says the technology goes back to surgery on babies to treat them before they are born.
"If you do surgery on a fetus in the womb and before delivery and the fetus has time for recuperation and to heal the wound, there is going to be no scar," explained LSU Health Sciences Center and Metairie plastic surgeon Dr. Kamran Khoobehi.
So the company says the proteins in Neocutis come from regrowing and multiplying cells in a cell bank from one piece of donated fetal skin tissue. It was from long ago by a family who learned that their unborn baby could not survive to term. They argue fetal kidney cells were used to develop the polio vaccine and they hope this skin technology will one day better treat severely wounded or burned people.
Doctors say people who don't want to use this technology can use creams instead with peptides in them such as Pro-X or Regenerist sold over-the-counter in drug stores. While those do not have the extra boost of the skin proteins as in Neocutis, the peptides do work in a similar way. And they are much less expensive.
Meanwhile, doctors do believe the Neocutis skin care works and is best when used with retinoids and of course, daily sunscreen.
"So very often these products are derived from fetal cell lines or embryonic cell lines that are even more effective, of course, than older cells at producing things like growth factors," said Dr. Farris.
"I'm 47 and I can see difference in my skin compared to my brother's. I have much less wrinkles, fine lines," said Dr. Khoobehi.
There are 10 products in the Neocutis line.
The main product with the special proteins in it is either the Bio-cream or Bio-gel.
It costs between $130 and $150 at doctors' offices.
Editor's Note: Dr. Patricia Farris is no relation to Medical Reporter Meg Farris
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