What Is Exosome Therapy, and Why Is Everyone Talking About It?
What is exosome therapy, how does it help the skin renew itself, and who is it for? Dr. Sinan Akyürek explains why it is talked about so much.
For a few years now, at congresses abroad and in Türkiye alike, the exosome sessions have been among the most crowded halls. I see the same change in my consultations. Patients have become afraid of excessive filler and overdone toxin injections. They no longer come in saying “fix my face.” They say, “I want my skin renewed from within, I want it to look natural and I want it to last.” Exosome treatments are one of the methods that answer this wish.
I want to explain, without exaggeration, what an exosome is, why it is talked about so much, in which situations it gives good results and where the science stands today.
What is an exosome, and how does it work?
Exosomes are tiny vesicles, 30–150 nanometres in size, that cells send to one another. Inside them are growth factors, proteins and regulatory molecules called miRNA. In other words, they carry an instruction that tells the cell what to do.
Now, think of the stem cell as a commander. It sends its orders to the cells around it through exosomes. When an order reaches the target cell, it speeds up or stops the work that cell is doing, depending on the situation, a bit like switching a light on and off. In the skin, our aim is to stimulate the fibroblasts that produce collagen, support collagen and elastin production, calm inflammation and help tissue repair.
The logic of filler and botox is to replace what is missing from the outside. With exosomes, we are trying to remind the skin of its own production.
Why is it talked about so much?
Two currents met at the same point. The first is filler fatigue. After years of seeing exaggerated, overfilled faces, patients and physicians alike turned towards simpler results in the style of quiet aesthetics. People want to look good for their age: the age can show a little, as long as they look livelier and more dynamic. The second is the maturing of regenerative medicine. Trying to repair tissue, instead of masking it, is now technically possible.
With exosomes we aim to tighten the appearance of pores, soften fine lines and even out differences in tone. The smooth glow my patients call “glass skin” is part of this too. When I apply it together with microneedling, I get good results in under-eye dark circles and in dull, tired skin. There is a practical side as well. Side effects are few and recovery is quick; most patients are back to their social life within 1–2 days.
It works better in combination
In the clinic I rarely use exosomes on their own. When we apply them together with PRP, the aim is for the growth factors obtained from your own blood to support the exosome’s signal.
Laser, HIFU or RF create a controlled need for repair in the skin. When we give exosomes right afterwards, we aim to calm the inflammation and support collagen renewal. There are also clinical studies reporting that they shorten recovery after fractional laser. In acne scars and old scars, too, we support the repair with this combination.
In male-pattern hair loss I observe thicker strands and stronger roots within a few sessions. It does little for a root that has already shed and died, though; you need to start early. Years after my own hair transplant, when my crown began to thin, I had two sessions on my own hair as well.
Which combination suits you depends on your skin type, your expectations and your time. We decide this together during the examination.
What does the science say?
I need to be honest here. The field is growing fast, and current studies are promising. Meta-analyses report improvement in skin elasticity and in the appearance of wrinkles. Exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) appear to be effective in photoaging. Outside aesthetics, they are also being researched in rosacea, diabetic wounds and some skin diseases.
On the other hand, this is still a young field, the standards are only now settling, and I keep my distance from exaggerated promises. There are many products on the market whose contents are unclear. I use certified, purity-tested products with a transparent source. With exosomes, the quality of the product is one of the main things that decides the result.
How do I use it in my clinic?
The appeal of exosomes is that they speak the body’s own language and aim for renewal slowly, from within the tissue itself. The MCT Exo-Tech autologous exosome bio-implant I use in my clinic is one example of this approach. Which protocol suits you, though, is not something I decide without looking at your skin.