As our population live longer and enjoy higher standards of life and health, there has been a distinct shift from disease treatment to disease prevention. No longer are we content to have cures for common ailments and illnesses, people are looking to prevent certain negative health outcomes from happening in the first place. This has extended to our ageing process. In the past, aesthetic surgeons and doctors were kept busy trying to fill wrinkles and lines as soon as they pop up on the faces. Now scientists are asking: what if we can slow down the ageing process of the skin in the first place? Instead of filling lines, what if our skin can regenerate itself to an extent such that wrinkles won’t appear prematurely?
This shift in thinking is not new. There has always been a plethora of anti-ageing creams and products lining the beauty section of every departmental store. However, this has taken a newfound fervour of late as recent studies uncover new compounds that could potentially save our faces (and our wallets) from the potential pitfalls of age-related skin issues even before they arise.
From slower healing to dull dry skin plaguing the “tired thirty-somethings”, from wrinkles and lines to poor skin elasticity crippling the “fatigued fifties”, DNA extract therapy holds the promise of skin self- regeneration— and thus a brighter, more youthful dermal future ahead for us all is a possibility after all.
Where was PDRN (Polydeoxyribomucleotide) first used?
In 2001, researchers from University of Siena, Italy, found that skin graft patients who also received PDRN injections concurrently had significantly faster wound healing than those receiving placebo. PDRN was
thus first approved for clinical use in Italy as a tissue repair stimulating agent.
PDRN action
PDRN standardizes the DNA structure into the right size, replacing the damaged and aged skin with young and healthy skin. PDRN selectively acts on the A2 purinergic receptor to help cell growth and neogenesis. Besides the clinical treatment of orthopaedic conditions such as plantar fasciitis, other forms of chronic tendinosis, it has also found success in treatment of certain skin ulcers, with improved wound healing, relief of skin oedema and reduction of pain. In 2008, was approved for use in tissue repair and treatment of wound in skin graft by Korean FDA.
What is PDRN?
Polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) contains deoxyribonucleotide polymers where 50 to 2000 base pairs are combined in a chain. It’s main claim to fame amongst aesthetic circles is its remarkable ability to aid regeneration of skin and tissue. In vitro, PDRN was shown to enhance the growth rate of human fibroblasts which in turn is responsible for driving collagen production in the skin.
This explains why this compound has since been used as a tissue repair-stimulating agent several dermatological conditions, such as ulcers and burns. And how it is now being hailed as the latest anti-ageing ingredient for your skin!
What are the aesthetic uses for PDRN?
As PDRN evolved, new uses were found for this exceptional skin healing agent. Conditions that required an activation of wound-healing processes, including depressed scars in patients suffering from acne also benefitted from the use of PDRN.
Since it helps the skin regeneration, it is ideal after certain laser treatments such as a Fraxel light or SmartX lite laser treatment. More innovative uses involved its use in anti-ageing and skin rejuvenation therapies.
Recent studies published in the 2016 International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Korean doctors also found that patients receiving intradermal PDRN showed improvements in their pigmentation and overall complexion whitening.
How can PDRN help your skin?
PDRN is a vital ingredient that is not found in normal skincare. Incorporating this essential molecule into your skin will kickstart your skin’s physiologic regeneration processes. This will reverse some of the age-related changes that has taken place in your skin as well as optimize your skin health to better withstand future assaults, so that you have the best defence against accelerated ageing caused by environment and lifestyle factors.
PDRN is most suitable for people with:
- Poor healing – acne scars, marks
- Skin discolouration – pigmentation, age spots
- Age-related changes – dull, dry, rough skin, wrinkles and lines
How is this treatment administered?
In studies, PDRN is shown to be ideally administered in the following ways:
- PDRN Perfection: topically using sonophoresis (ultrasound) after a Fraxel light or SmartX lite laser After these specific fractionated lasers, micro-channels are created in the skin which allow enhanced penetration of PDRN into the dermis. The application of sonophoresis aids in the penetration of the ingredient.
- Rejuran DNA Resurgence: directly into the dermis via microinjections. Direct microinjections result in faster skin improvements as a result of the rapid effect. Microinjections can be done at any time and do not require a preceding laser for optimum results. This was the method employed in the 2001 University of Sienna study on skin graft patients.
What kind of skin benefits can PDRN deliver?
Patients will usually notice that their skin feels more supple, look more hydrated and have less wrinkles and fine lines. A series of 4-6 sessions every 2 weeks is recommended to saturate the skin with the optimal dose of PDRN (Polydeoxyribonucleotide) to give you the most impact for your anti-ageing needs. Patients who have this ingredient directly administered will tend to see quicker results than those who have it administered via the topical route. Both routes however do show beneficial anti-aging effects for the skin.
What are the side effects?
There are little to no side effects seen with this treatment so far as this is a superficial treatment. There is little to no downtime experienced by the patients undergoing this treatment as well, and all patients can wear makeup and return to normal activities after.
What can I combine this treatment with?
PDRN is a versatile adjunct to many aesthetic therapies but has particular advantages when used with specific treatments. It works in synergy with Lustrous Skin Program and Dazzling Skin Program, allowing favourable topical penetration of the ingredients post laser as an add-on treatment.
It is also used in Rejuran DNA Resurgence where it is combined with a salmon DNA extract, leveraging on salmon DNA’s potent anti-ageing effects to create an all-round youth-revival, holistic skin regenerator.