The Use of Exosomes in Aesthetic Medicine
Are exosomes the new medical frontier for aesthetic practitioners? Why are exosomes one of the hottest trends in the aesthetic and regenerative business? Dr. Donn R. Chatham, Medical Director of Chatham Facial Plastic Surgery, discusses the pros and cons of the use of exosomes to address anti-aging, skin restoration, and other aesthetic concerns.
What Are Exosomes?
Dr. Chatham explains, “Exosomes are very tiny chemical messengers found in every cell of the body and in platelet rich plasma.” While exosomes were discovered in 1983, few people know about them.1 Initially not well understood, recent studies suggest an exciting new frontier for helping improve the health and appearance of skin.
Exosomes contain very tiny bits of mRNA, proteins, and growth factors which enable our own cells to ‘talk’ to each other. “If you imagine your body as a city, then exosomes are like the postal service delivering letters and packages back in forth to everyone there,” says Dr. Chatham. “They can help cells function at their best.”
Dr. Chatham further clarifies that “exosomes are different from stem cells, which are actual live cells with DNA.” Examples of stem cells include those harvested from an individual’s own fat. However, he advises his patients about the potential side effects of using stem cells, cautioning that, “For example, you would not want to stimulate a tumor.”
Exosomes can be sourced from animals, plants, or humans (such as fat, placenta, platelets, and bone marrow), but there is significant variability among them. Dr. Chatham notes that plant exosomes may not communicate effectively with human cells, saying, “For example, if you speak to me in French, but I only know English.”
What Does Exosomes Research Show?
Research indicates that exosomes may aid in wound healing, reduce inflammation, and support other regenerative and restorative functions. However, further clinical trials are needed to evaluate their effectiveness and potential benefits in aesthetic medicine. 2
It should be noted that currently there are no FDA-approved uses for exosomes to be injected into the skin. Nevertheless, this hasn’t stopped companies and practitioners from promoting so-called miracle exosome serums and creams. You may have seen marketing from aesthetic brands and practices advertising treatments for fine lines, discoloration, or stimulating collagen and elastic fiber production. These products can only be marketed with cosmetic claims, such as, “improves the look of skin,” but not medical claims, like “improves acne scars.”
What Should An Aesthetic Patient Do?
Avoid jumping on the latest social media or advertising trends—don’t move so fast! Take the time to learn how exosomes are best used. For now, exosome serums are limited to topical skincare, and the skin’s natural barrier prevents most absorption into deeper layers. Dr. Chatham stresses that “some companies market their own exosomes without revealing their source or quality control purification measures.” He also notes that “many off-the-shelf exosomes are unstable with a short half-life, and plant-based exosomes may not have much effect on human cells.”
The bottom line is that while exosome serums are applied to the skin by medical or aesthetic practitioners using microneedling or lasers, there are currently no FDA -approved exosomes for injections. Approval may still be 4 to 5 years away.
Buyer beware—but stay tuned!
1 Exosomes: Looking back three decades and into the future,J Cell Biol, 2013 Feb 18; 200(4):367–371.
2 Exosomes based advancements for application in medical aesthetics, Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2022 Dec 20; 10:1083640.
