The ageing process heralds a number of changes:
- reduction in skin quality
- reduction in mechanical tension
- reduction in hydration
Together with other age related damage, the skin changes lead to a reduced barrier function and hydration, as well as increases in sagging, pore size, wrinkles, dullness, rough texture, hyperpigmentation and dryness
How is testing your DNA useful in a beauty clinic?
There are many ways to approach various skin concerns including ageing and wrinkles. A DNA skin test will help to create enhanced skin care treatments that fit your skin’s genetic needs. This clinic is one of the first in the UK to provide a genetic test dedicated to your skin health.
Your genes will never change. You were born with them and they don’t change.
Your skin is the largest organ the body has. The top layer, called the epidermis, is where old and dead skin cells flake off. This process is called cell regeneration. Your body needs the correct nutrients to regenerate skin cells.The dermis contains your hair follicles, sweat gland and connective tissue. 70% of connective tissue is mostly collagen, which gives the dermis its structural integrity
Why are genes important?
The male and female that created you (your parents) provided you with your unique set of genes.
A gene is a small section of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). DNA is our instruction booklet needed for us to develop, survive and reproduce.
DNA is converted into Ribonucleic acid (RNA) which is a similar molecule to DNA but is the step between DNA and a protein being produced.
Proteins play critical roles in your body. Proteins provide the structure, function and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs, including your skin.
The majority of the time you inherit genes that code instructions correctly. Occasionally one or both parents pass on instructions that have a small error in them, this
error is more commonly known as a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), we pronounce this as ‘snip’. Most SNP’s have no effect on you or your life.
SNP’s can result in the resulting protein behaving differently. In many cases this means the function of the protein is not as efficient as we would like it to be. In
other words, the protein does not carry out its role as expertly as we would like it.
An example of this:
The gene COL1A1 instructs cells to make type 1 collagen. If you have a SNP on this gene, you produce type 1 collagen but not as efficiently as someone that does not have a SNP.
This is fascinating information to know. Collagen production decreases naturally from the age of 20. Therefore, you are at a much higher risk of producing lower amounts of collagen throughout your life. Resulting in a higher risk of losing plumpness and structure plus increasing the chances of wrinkles sooner.
There is no UK national average age that has been identified to say when wrinkles naturally appear, but if you have SNP’s, this can be sooner than others.
What are the different results you can get?
Interpreting your DNA can be complicated. Team Gene Skin have made this process very easy by categorising your results into a particular type. The results are split into three categories:
- Structure: Strength to build collagen synthesis support through treatments and collagen products;
- Nourish for vitamin and mineral support such as vitamin C, vitamin A and zinc through serums and facials and
- Combination: the above 2 combined in which patients need support through treatments and products
What does a Structure result mean for me?
If the result means your type is Structure this means you are at a higher risk of degrading collagen quicker and could lose the plumpness in your skin sooner.
It is important that you encourage collagen production.
Your skin specialist will offer you a bespoke treatment plan that best supports your skins needs. Please note that
This could be:
Microneedling (also known as Skin Needling or Collagen Induction Therapy) is a treatment that uses small needles to create minute punctures in the skin to encourage the body to create a wound healing response and renew the skin cells. As the skin repairs, it stimulates the production of new and healthy Collagen to give an almost immediate plumping effect.
Light Therapy offers a revolutionary and natural way to effectively generate more Collagen in the body using the anti-aging effect of LED light therapy.
What does a nourish result mean for me?
If your result is Nourish, this means your skin is at a higher risk of not receiving enough zinc or vitamins from food directly to your skin.
It is important that you include facial creams or serums that include vitamin C, A and zinc, to supply these important nutrients.
Your skin specialist will offer you a bespoke treatment plan.
This could be:
Mesotherapy uses tiny superficial injections to the face using a cocktail of ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, amino acids, peptides, and vitamins to target hydration,
ageing, pigmentation, and skin texture.
Hydrodermabrasion a restorative facial treatment that uses a combination of serums containing vitamins, along with suction and anti-bacterial blue light to treat
the skin.
Dermalinfusion is a 3 in 1 treatment that exfoliates, extracts, and infuses skin with a condition specific serum.
Cleopatra is a facial facial that uses a personalised combination of skin-nourishing antioxidants (Vitamins & Minerals), peptides, and hyaluronic acid, all of which help to plump and hydrate the skin. This treatment also includes suction and anti-bacterial blue light.
Each skin care brand has a specific science behind it e.g. ZO Skin health products contain retinols (vitamin A derivatives). If your profile show that the vitamin A route is best for you then ZO skin health protocols would be a good choice.
Treatments in clinic such as the Cleopatra treatments use serums which include Zinc and vitamin C.