The latest issue of the National Enquirer has an interesting story (which I am quoted in) that claims Suzanne Somers is going to have a stem cell facelift. Apparently her latest book contains a lot about her ideas with stem cells and their possible benefits. She mentions getting her stem cells banked in a recent blog post, as well.
So what is the stem cell facelift? Basically, stem cells are extremely young cells which can divide and grow into the cells of the organ they are transplanted into. That's why stem cells are very promising for cancer treatments, where treatment often includes removing large portions of important organs. Many people believe that stem cells which are transplanted into the face can help reverse aging by becoming youthful skin and fat. The stem cell procedure/device is not FDA approved for this purpose, however, so the actual stem cell facelift cannot be performed in the U.S.
Currently the closest thing we have to a stem cell facelift in the U.S. is the Volumetric Facelift, or a facelift combined with fat grafting. I was a coauthor of the original scientific paper that described this procedure back in 2004. For that article, click here. The difference between fat grafting and actual stem cell injections is that although fat is chock full of stem cells, the fat contains other cells as well.
Photo credit: prphotos.com
Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:
