Skin health: Fundamental for patient well-being

Skin health is increasingly taking the center stage as consumers prioritize looking healthy over merely appearing younger.¹ For aesthetic professionals, this shift has moved patient conversations from reversing aging to restoring healthy skin, ultimately empowering patients to change the way they age.

Healthy skin instead of reversing skin aging

Medical aesthetic trends are changing. A study from Boston Consulting Group¹ has identified the following trends among aesthetic patients: 

• Looking healthy has become a priority: 75% of aesthetic patients focus more on looking healthy than looking young.

• Regenerative treatments are becoming more sought-after: 60% used regenerative products in addition to traditional fillers in the last 24 months.

• The segment skin quality injectables is projected to grow fast.

Shifting the focus to skin health encourages positive, well-being–centered conversations, moving beyond the idea of aging as an inevitable battle.

What is skin health?

Having a dialogue with patients about skin health can prove challenging, owing to the lack of a universally accepted definition. Strictly speaking, skin health can be considered as the absence of disease, damage, or common issues such as dryness. In practice, however, it encompasses a much broader spectrum that centers around skin quality. Just like skin health, skin quality does not have a precise definition. To help aesthetic professionals assess patients’ skin, a panel of experienced aesthetic physicians has identified four key categories² that define good skin quality:

Skin firmness—Determined by elasticity, tautness/tightness, and hydration.

Skin surface evenness—Determined by pores, crepiness, wrinkles and lines, scars, hair, and clarity (clear skin without black and white heads, pimples, and spots).

Skin tone evenness—Determined by pigmentation, erythema/redness, and coloration/discoloration.

Skin glow—Also described by synonyms such as radiance, luminosity, brightness, vibrancy, and complexion.

These four categories can be used across all ethnicities, age groups, and genders.²

Lifestyle habits and treatments to improve skin quality

1. Diet, sleep, and smoking

As patient dialogues increasingly center on skin health, various lifestyle factors that impact the skin may come to the forefront. Many of these factors are intimately intertwined with general well-being and overall health, such as a balanced diet, sufficient sleep, avoiding smoking, and proper hydration.

2. Sun exposure

Moderate sun exposure has been linked to lower overall mortality, partly by reducing cardiovascular risk.³ While prolonged UV exposure can increase skin damage and cancer risk, spending time in the sun may provide important health benefits.³ A balanced approach is to enjoy time outdoors while avoiding excessive sun exposure, wearing protective clothing when necessary, and applying sunscreen to highly exposed areas.

3. Aesthetic treatments

There are aesthetic treatments that improve skin quality and appearance without increasing photosensitivity.⁴ For example, injectable collagen stimulators can be administered year-round, including during the summer months, as they work beneath the skin surface to stimulate collagen production.⁵ These treatments also respond to the consumer trend focusing on a healthy appearance, and the increased demand for regenerative treatments.

Bio-regeneration—the natural evolution of aesthetics

At Nordberg Medical, we see bio-regeneration as a natural evolution of aesthetic medicine, where science and biology work in harmony to support authentic, long-lasting results. With our unique biomaterial technology, we can meet the growing demand for improved skin quality and a healthy appearance. Our collagen biostimulator, JULÄINE™, offers aesthetic professionals a chance to broaden their clinic services with advanced regenerative treatments. For more details, visit the JULÄINE™ section on our website.