MedEsthetics magazines offers business education and in-depth coverage of the latest noninvasive cosmetic procedures for physicians and practice managers working in the medical aesthetics industry.
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SUGAR ATTACK! and potent antioxidant that helps prevent tissue respiratory oxygen from forming oxygen free radicals. Senté's Dermal Repair Cream contains heparan sulfate, a building block of skin that depletes with time and environmental damage. "The molecule works with stem cells and binds to growth factors in the skin to help with collagen synthesis," York notes. Heparan sulfate—an antioxidant as well as a glycosaminoglycans (GAGs)—can hold 1000 times its weight in water to hydrate the skin. Originally used by burn centers in Switzerland for wound healing, the active has produced preliminary data showing its aptitude for improving fine lines, tone and texture, and leading to gradual skin lightening after one month of use, says York. In a company white paper, researchers detail how 38 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 | MedEsthetics Antioxidants have become popular anti-glycation ingredients based on the link between glycation and oxidation. penetration of the epidermis by a low molecular weight 1% heparan sulfate has demonstrated the ability to induce profound rehydration and antiaging effects. In addition, a 2012 study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry (Kraushaar, DC, et al, J Biol Chem May 3, 2012) reported heparan sulfate's ability to facilitate growth factor-mediated mesoderm differentiation in embryonic stem cells. The active plays a key role in tissue regeneration following injury and may provide valuable triage to aged cells ravaged by the effects of glycation. Aminoguanidine is a promising ingredient that has nitric oxide-inhibiting activity and may help diminish the end products of glycation by preventing the sugars from sticking to the skin tissue, says Dr. Graf. Research suggests that aminoguanidine most likely operates on more than one step of the Maillard cascade (Khalifah, et al, "Amadorins: Novel Post-Amadori Inhibitors of Advanced Glycation Reaction," Biochemistry, April 13; 257(2); 251-8). Aminoguanidine has been used investigationally for diabetic neuropathy but has not been developed into a topical, though some skin labs are working with the ingredient in development, Dr. Graf notes. For instance, in in vitro assays of human serum albumin as a test protein mixed with glucose, Mibelle AG Cosmetics reports that the addition of aminoguanidine resulted in 90% inhibition of the formation of glycation end products after four weeks. A similar effect occurred with an antioxidant mixture comprised of grape seed extract and tocopherols. Both aminoguanidine and the antioxidants seem to help prevent protein glycation by blocking the conversion step of early glycation into AGEs. Glycation is an inevitable consequence of aging, but you can help patients stave off the collagen-altering and stiffening effects by taking a multi-pronged approach through diet, exercise and well-selected topicals. Andrea Sercu is a freelance writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. © ISTOCKPHOTO.COM Gotu kola (centella asiatica) is another important anti-glycation ingredient purported to help stimulate collagen synthesis, DeHaven notes. In addition to antioxidants, Dr. Graf favors carnosine, a building block of protein that can step in and block certain chemicals that play a role in the aging process. La Roche-Posay's DermAOX uses carnosine to help trap the glucose molecules that cause glycation by attracting the sugar molecules, thereby diverting the attraction away from the collagen fibers and thus protecting the skin's matrix, says Chen. In addition, anti-inflammatories are believed to help the skin defend against glycation by fighting the inflammation that results from free radical damage. The list of anti-inflammatory skincare ingredients is long: from resveratrol and licorice root to turmeric root extract, a potent anti-inflammatory that also protects the skin against free radical damage, according to Allison, who uses the herb in her Vitamin A+ Peptide Peel. Other ingredients are used for damage control when MMPs, like collagenase, break down the collagen due to an overload of crosslinking. Innovative Skincare, for example, uses 4-hydroxyproline in its new SHEALD Recovery Balm. "As we age, we become metabolically deficient in collagen synthesis. Our fibroblasts aren't functioning like previously," says DeHaven. "The 4-hydroxyproline helps stimulate the cells' signals to make new collagen." Rhonda Allison's Antioxidant Complex Serum features glycine soja (soy biopeptides), MMP blockers that promote fibroblast synthesis of new collagen and elastin; L-glutathione, an enzyme that protects fibroblasts and cells from free radicals; and L-Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD), an enzyme