When used as an in-office skin-care treatment, exosomes are extracted from human stem cells and frozen to keep them as stable as possible, Dr. Peredo says. However, unlike actual stem cells, exosomes don’t have a nucleus. They’re just mRNA (similar to the COVID vaccine), so there’s no possibility of an adverse graft-versus-host reaction, she adds.
Exsome therapy involves the application of topical exosomes (in the form of what looks and feels like a serum or gel) after treatments like resurfacing lasers or microneedling. I like to think of exosome therapy as the cherry on top of in-office treatments because it can only be done in conjunction with one — never on its own.
That’s because, although exosomes are nanoparticles, they cannot penetrate skin on their own. They need those disruptions in the superficial layer of skin to start communicating with skin cells. Otherwise, they’d just sit on the surface of your skin doing nothing, Dr. Peredo says. (This is also the reason why over-the-counter serums and creams aren’t spiked with exosomes just yet.)
How do exosomes benefit the skin?
As we get older, our skin cells start to atrophy, and our bodies produce fewer exosomes — similar to how we experience a decrease in collagen production, Dr. Park points out. This leads to sagging, fine lines, and wrinkles. Exosome therapy allows new exosomes to swoop in to help wake up inactive skin cells and older exosomes so they can get back to work to repair, strengthen, and rejuvenate skin.
In the process, exosome therapy increases collagen and elastin production, improves wound healing, and decreases pigment production, Dr. Garlapati explains. As a result, skin becomes plumper, firmer, brighter, and smoother.
You’ll be able to see improvements within two to six weeks following the treatment, according to Dr. Park. Just a week and a half after my own exosome therapy, I noticed my cheeks looking so much glowier and glassier than usual. If I were a foundation person, I would definitely cease to be one because my complexion looks so even and luminous on its own that I don’t want to cover it up.
