What is Exosome Therapy? All Your Questions Answered

Exosomes are among today’s buzziest skincare ingredients, but what exactly are exosomes, how can you choose the best product to recommend to patients, and how can exosomes be used to complement in-office skin rejuvenation procedures?

New York City dermatologist Marina I. Peredo, MD, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, answers the most pressing questions on exosome therapy in this exclusive interview with AestheticsWire. Dr. Peredo is the director of the board at ExoCel Bio.

What are exosomes, exactly?

Dr. Marina I. Peredo, M.D., F.A.A.D: “Exosomes are a type of extracellular vesicle (EVs) of about 125nm made of a lipid bilayer that contains growth factors, mRNA, and miRNA. They target damaged cells and repair them. They have anti-inflammatory cytokines and reduce signs of aging.”

Where do they come from?

Dr. Peredo: “Exosomes are naturally secreted by different types of cells such as Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs). MSCs are the optimal source of exosomes as they are intended to repair human cells and will provide the best regenerative effects.”

How do they differ from stem cells or growth factors?

Dr. Peredo: “Stem cells are cells and exosomes are nano-vesicles that do not have a nucleus and contain thousands of growth factors. Exosomes are different from stem cells because they cannot self-replicate, which takes away the risk for tumor formation. Exosomes are also stable, so they can be frozen long-term. Exosomes have almost three times the growth factors that stem cells do, which means they are able to restore target cells at a greater capacity.”

What is the difference between professional grade vs. over-the-counter (OTC) exosomes?

Dr. Peredo: “OTC exosomes do not have the same regenerative efficacy as professional grade exosomes. OTC exosomes are lyophilized, which means they have been ruptured and only contain growth factors with added chemicals. Non-lyophilized exosomes are intact and must be preserved at -20C to -80C.  Professional-grade exosomes are much more effective at repairing the damaged cells and you will see results far longer than the day of your treatment. A few weeks post-procedure, the exosomes are still helping to rejuvenate the skin and hair. “

What exosome product do you use and why?

Dr. Peredo: “I use ExoCel Bio’s Exovex exosomes to enhance the results after an in-office treatment. They relieve the burning sensation after a laser or micro-needling treatment, reduce redness and dramatically reduce post-procedure downtime by 80%. It decreases the pain level of the burning sensation, discomfort, and heat by 50% and reduces inflammation. In addition to topical use, we use exosomes as an injectable to treat hair loss.”

What procedures do they complement?

Dr. Peredo: “Exosomes complement in-office treatments such as microneedling or laser treatments. I use them frequently immediately after the Clear + Brilliant facial, micro-needling, or micro-needling with radio-frequency. We use exosomes for our younger patients post-procedure at the lower concentrations as a prejuvenation protocol and for more mature patients at higher concentrations as the rejuvenation protocol.”

Any risks or potential downsides?

Dr. Peredo: “There is a risk of infection due to cells that are improperly harvested. That is why it is important that you are using pure non-lyophilized exosomes, which is why I use ExoCel Bio exosomes. “