Oxidative stress and invasive procedures: the right balance

In the fierce, sometimes blind struggle for the healthiest lifestyle possible, unfortunately, the essence is often lost. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), that is, free radicals, actually damage cellular structures, macromolecules of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. However, oxidative stress, which is one of the main causes of age-related skin changes, occurs only in the absence of the correct balance of antioxidant and pro-oxidant systems. That is, only in the case when the load of free radicals is really high and the protective antioxidant systems do not cope with their work can we talk about their real detrimental effect.

It is fair to say that ROS act in some cases as physiological participants in metabolism. For example, they are involved in the destruction of a foreign object by the phagocyte; it is ROS that “attacks” the “stranger” already inside the phagocytic cell, when the “enemy” is captured by the phagocyte. In addition, ROS plays an important role in the excitation of the neuron, so it turns out that even full-fledged facial expressions would not be possible without ROS. The important role of ROS at certain stages of protein phosphorylation, leading to spatial packaging of the target protein, has also been proven. It is obvious that without free radicals, proper metabolism and tissue functioning are generally impossible. The only question is an adequate ratio of pro-oxidant and antioxidant systems.

The main representatives of antioxidant protection in the skin specifically in the epidermis are: α - tocopherol, an isomer of vitamin E, squalene, coenzyme Q, glutathione, ascorbic acid and uric acid. And, as a rule, this internal defense system copes with endogenous free radicals, which appear every second during the majority of physiological chemical reactions in the metabolism of all tissues and organs.

It becomes more difficult when exogenous radicals are added, when exposed to UV rays and other components of photochemical “smog”, organic pollutants, heavy metals, dust particles, smoke and microorganisms. Invasive cosmetic procedures play an important role in the load on the antioxidant system. Any damage to the skin (even a microscopic puncture with a 34 G mesotherapy needle) leads to a chain of chemical reactions, the ultimate goal of which is wound healing. And in this chain, the formation of free radicals will be obligatory, which will be one of the main signal molecules to restore the integrity of tissues. Such procedures include absolutely all manipulations with the skin in a cosmetologist’s office that are associated with a violation of the integrity of the skin or acute stress for the purpose of stimulation: mesotherapy, biorevitalization, botulinum therapy, contouring, laser therapy, fractional RF-lifting, SMAS-lifting, chemical peels etc.

A distinctive feature of mesotherapy (using antioxidants) and biorevitalization (combined drugs) from all of the above procedures is the supply of tissues with the necessary components of antioxidant protection.

Conventionally, all invasive procedures can be divided into therapeutic ones - those that fight pathological changes in tissues, restore oxidative protection; camouflage - only hide an aesthetic defect without affecting its pathomechanism of development; stimulating - the purpose of which is to activate metabolic activity in tissues through damage and acute stress. Based on the above facts, people with signs of oxidative stress need to strengthen antioxidant protection, and this is the entire symptom complex of biological and photoaging, as well as patients receiving any invasive procedures.

The whole difficulty for a cosmetologist in justifying to a patient the need for therapeutic injections (antioxidant meso-cocktails and combined biorevitalizants) lies in the absence of a quick visible result for the patient in the mirror.

The problem is that after contouring, botulinum therapy, invasive hardware procedures, medium and deep peels , patients, as a rule, see a pronounced result almost immediately and observe it months later, since some techniques have a prolonged effect.

But if they had the opportunity to look inside the skin, they would see the cellular stress occurring in it, which can become chronic and result in a decrease in all types of activity in the tissues. If you do not deal with stress, then with each new procedure, with each new impact, the effect of invasive, camouflaging and stimulating procedures will decrease, and the signs of age-related changes caused by oxidative stress will become more pronounced. Frequently traumatized skin without adequate antioxidant support exhibits all the hallmarks of “smoker’s skin,” killed by chronic oxidative stress. Outwardly, it is rough skin, grayish or yellowish-earthy in color with a rough pattern of wrinkles, enlarged pores, and sometimes swelling of varying degrees of severity.

In this case, only the correct educational work of the media, social networks and the cosmetologist in the office can favorably influence the correct construction of anti-aging program protocols. Providing information to patients about the importance of external (cosmetics, professional aesthetic, physiotherapeutic procedures), internal (vitamin complexes, dietary supplements) and injection (antioxidant meso-cocktails and combined biorevitalizants) antioxidant protection at the first signs of oxidative stress in tissues, as well as when taking a course of camouflage and stimulating anti-aging treatments. It is necessary to orient the patient not on an immediate, but in fact camouflaging effect, but on the long-term prospect of slowing down age-related changes, thanks to taking control of the oxidative defense system, which plays a leading role in the aging of not only the skin, but the entire body as a whole.