Skin Cell Injections - Do They Work?

by Linda Franklin - The Real Cougar Woman

The relentless quest for beauty means we can't wait to hear about the next best thing. And the product generating the most buzz at the moment is Laviv.  Some think this new anti-aging wonder product will blow Botox out of the water.

The treatment — which involves re-injecting the body’s own cells into the face in a bid to eliminate wrinkles — has just been approved by the FDA and will be available in the U.S. this Fall. 

The procedure starts with a biopsy, or tissue sample, being taken from behind the ear. The cells of interest are fibroblasts, which produce collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid — compounds known to give skin a smooth and plump appearance.

These cells are then cultured in a lab for 90 days, and millions of new fibroblasts are created. Over the course of three sessions (spaced around five weeks apart), the fibroblasts are re-injected into the patient. The theory is that these injected fibroblasts stimulate the activity of those already in the skin, leading, after a few months, to firmer, plumper skin.

If any of this is starting to sound slightly familiar, that might be because, despite the claims, Laviv isn’t exactly new technology.  You might remember it as Isolagen, a process dubbed as ‘grow your own   Isolagen was launched in the U.S. Despite the fact that, once extracted, the cells were grown in a serum derived from cows, the process gained a reputation as ‘natural’.

The July issue of  Vogue, trumpets ‘the new trend in dermatology — grow your own filler’. But even if consumers are interested, there’s still interested in the price tag and of course reults. The data submitted to the FDA shows that six months after the final treatment, independent evaluators were asked to assess before and after photographs of patients treated either with Laviv or with a placebo.

The evaluators judged that in around 64 per cent of people treated with Laviv, they could see a difference; but then, they also saw a difference in around 36 per cent of those treated with a placebo.  And, that may not be good enough.‘Fillers such as Juvederm and Sculptra are about a tenth of the price of Laviv, and you know you’re going to get a result in every patient.