Esthetics
Beauty, in our view, is something that is an inborn quality of being human. It is something that is God-given, and we encourage our patients to understand that wanting to hold onto that aspect of our health, like every other aspect of our health, is worthwhile. Many people immediately feel guilty when they concern themselves with keeping their appearance or they feel grief as they watch it slip away. At NewLeaf, we encourage patients to change their thinking in this area.
Yes, we have all seen the misguided individuals who can never seem to be happy with how they look as they change more and more of their appearance until they are no longer recognizable. As one friend put it to me when I was in my 30s, “Would you want to climb into that woman’s lap if you were her grandchild?” Most of us would simply like to continue being recognized as the person we are and not lose what we were given, and we certainly don’t want the kind of disrespect that comes in our culture if a certain degree of aging becomes apparent on our bodies. We are not going to change the attitudes of ageism, but we can shore up our ability to avoid that hazard.
Stem cells play a role in esthetics, as they have a remarkable quality to harness your own body’s ability to regenerate. In the skin, for example, stem cells have been shown to regenerate capillary blood flow to the dermal layer, and once that is established, there is a rebuilding of collagen and elastin and the stuff a luminescent complexion is made of. With “homing devices” for areas that need repair and regeneration or for areas of inflammation, stem cells may heal tissues that had prior scarring, or rebuild what has become, or may in the future become, a wrinkle. They can restore warmth and luminosity to the skin that reminds us of our best days.
When combined with skin regenerative techniques, such as micro-needling, the results can be nothing short of remarkable. You will look like the way you remember yourself looking, and your grandchildren will be attracted to that healthy glow (or your future grandchildren!).