Stem Cells: Cosmetic Promise and Possibility

January 8, 2007
Wouldn't it be nice to achieve a more youthful and beautiful appearance without ever having to go under the knife? What once seemed outside of the realm of possibility is now on the horizon with stem cell research.

Stem cells can be grown and developed into specialized cells. Current stem cell research is primarily aimed at treating debilitating and/or terminal illnesses for which there is no cure. However, experts say that stems cells may also have aesthetic applications.

“Stem cell research appears promising for medicine and particularly for plastic surgery,” said Texas plastic surgeon, Dr. Ronald Friedman.

Reconstructive Applications

According to Dr. Denis English, editor in chief of the journal Stem Cells and Development, stem cells can be used to “restore hair in a bald man, teeth to those in need and skin to scarred patients.”

Recent research has even shown the promise of stem cells for mastectomy patients, who may one day be able to undergo breast reconstruction using stem cells derived from their own fat tissue.

Cosmetic Applications Still Far Off

Even though stem cell research shows promise for reconstructive applications, it is unlikely that cosmetic applications will be available any time soon. Thoru Pederson of the University of Massachusetts Medical School said that cosmetic applications are at least “25 to 30 years away.”

Because life-saving applications of stem cells take precedence of cosmetic ones, most experts agree.

“Applications to rejuvenation or enhanced personal appearance are much harder to justify at this point and will be driven more by market forces in affluent countries – not just the U.S. certainly – rather than by science,” said Dr. Daniel Salomon at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California.

“This is still very far in the future, except for tabloid speculation. By the time it becomes practical – and affordable – I suspect it will be beyond our lifetimes,” said Dr. Garry Brody at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine.

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“Stem cells do have the potential to revolutionize things, but it is not ‘just around the corner,'” said Dr. Peter Constantino, director of the Center for Facial Reconstruction and Restoration at Roosevelt Hospital in New York.

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