Innovative anti-aging treatments: 3 key trends observed at IMCAS 2020

International Master Course on Aging Science (IMCAS) is THE international congress that brings together all anti-aging specialists: from dermatologists to surgeons but also aesthetic doctors and equipment suppliers. This is a unique opportunity for these health professionals to share and update their practices and knowledge on innovative anti-aging treatments. This congress was held in January 2020 in Paris and hosted about 345 high-level trainings and 819 speakers. In this article, Alcimed reviews the 3 major trends in innovative anti-aging treatments that have emerged during this event.

1. New effective alternatives for dermatology and plastic surgery

Nowadays, mature injection techniques exist in anti-aging treatments, such as SVF (Stromal Vascular Fraction) which is a fat transplant procedure to restore volume and rejuvenate the face. However, like any surgical intervention, they present risks of complications and provide no guarantee in terms of results. This congress was an opportunity to present two potentially more effective and less risky alternatives:

PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) injection, a regenerative medicine, which involves injecting plasma rich in platelets to help heal wounds. This method is already widespread in sports medicine and is now spreading into cosmetic procedures. It targets the first signs of aging such as the appearance of wrinkles.

Treatments based on amino acids, consisting of injecting a cocktail of amino acids (glycine, L-proline, L-lysine and L-leucine for example), allowing skin rejuvenation by maximizing synergy with other aesthetic procedures

2. Artificial intelligence: a must have for the future of anti-aging treatments

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be an effective management tool to optimize anti-aging treatment and patient follow-up, especially in clinical dermatology, regarding for example the duration, cost, or quality of care. An illustration of this concept is the digital solution offered by Urgo Medical, currently being tested in France and across Europe in 2020. This application makes it possible to coordinate care teams thanks to recommendations based on the diagnosis made by an AI. Indeed, the AI gathers data in order to design a predictive model (duration of healing, protocol adapted in real time…) and emits an automatic alert if the treatment is not going in the right direction.

Another example involves the German brand FotoFinder®, a specialist in skin imaging, which offers a skin cancer detection system based on AI. Fotofinder can learn from numerous examples and diagnoses made by experienced dermatologists. The system is then able to determine the benign or malignant nature of a lesion. For dermatologists, this application would provide the equivalent of a second opinion given by several international experts in one snapshot.

3. Safety of care in anti-aging treatments: new approaches for dermatologists and surgeons

Whatever the type of anti-aging treatment considered (action on the skin microbiome, environmental factors, surgery, etc.), intrinsic risks exist and cannot be ignored. Thus, the safety of care is an area of ​​permanent improvement.

For example, the “S³Inject” product from Blossom Innovations won the title of “Innovation of the Year”. This product focuses on improving surgical care by making it safer. Its principle: an intelligent needle capable of warning the surgeon when it enters a blood vessel. This alert limits the risks of intra-arterial injections and thus the risks of necrosis or even blindness. With the growing number of patients using invasive aesthetic medicine, this product could become a must have for professionals.

Thus, innovations in anti-aging treatments span both analytical methods and technologies potentially augmented by artificial intelligence. Technology will increasingly support the aesthetic medicine and dermatology sector, without replacing doctors. All this progress will enable a reduction in the risks associated with treatments and surgical procedures in order to reassure and reach as many people as possible.

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About the author

Tak Wai, Consultant in Alcimed’s Healthcare team in France
Yun Yong, Consultant in Alcimed’s Cosmetics & Luxury team in France