Su
Attack!
Preventing or reversing the damaging effects of glycation in
the skin requires an inside-out and outside-in approach.
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, there has been a lot of
hype about glycation and advanced glycation end-products,
or AGEs, as they've become known to the skincare world. Yet,
with all the focus on glycation, much of this condition still
remains a mystery to patients and scientists alike.
Part of the mystery stems from the lack of evidence tying
specific aging reactions to glycation. With so many factors
in our bodies and environment capable of breaking down
34 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 | MedEsthetics
collagen and elastin, isolating the cause and effect
is challenging.
Yet, glycation is very real. Cross-linked proteins appear
clearly under fluorescence in the presence of glucose, and
incidence rates grow proportionately among diabetics. Many
in the medical aesthetics field believe that preventing and
overcoming the effects of this all-too common condition
requires a combined outside-in and inside-out approach.
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By Andrea Sercu