3D bioprinting-a model for skin aging

Human lifespan continues to extend as an unprecedented number of people reach their seventh and eighth decades of life, unveiling chronic conditions that affect the older adult. Age-related skin conditions include senile purpura, seborrheic keratoses, pemphigus vulgaris, bullous pemphigoid, diabetic foot wounds and skin cancer. Current methods of drug testing prior to clinical trials require the use of pre-clinical animal models, which are often unable to adequately replicate human skin response. Therefore, a reliable model for aged human skin is needed. The current challenges in developing an aged human skin model include the intrinsic variability in skin architecture from person to person. An ideal skin model would incorporate innate functionality such as sensation, vascularization and regeneration. The advent of 3D bioprinting allows us to create human skin equivalent for use as clinical-grade surgical graft, for drug testing and other needs. In this review, we describe the process of human skin aging and outline the steps to create an aged skin model with 3D bioprinting using skin cells (i.e. keratinocytes, fibroblasts and melanocytes). We also provide an overview of current bioprinted skin models, associated limitations and direction for future research.

Invited Discussion on: A 7-Step Guide to High-Definition Liposuction

Athanasiou et al. present a 7-step guide to high-definition (HD) liposuction in the current issue of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. [1] The guide was based on the authors vast experience in HD-liposuction performed in 568 patients (247 males and 321 females) with a mean age of 43 years (range, 22-64) and a mean BMI of 25.6 (range 21-29 kg/m²) over a 6-year time-period. The authors provide detailed information on their approach regarding pre-operative markings, methods of anesthesia and composition of tumescence solution, incision points and access, surgical technique, and fat transfer. In addition, they performed a time-dependent analysis of the type and quantity of observed complications over the study-period, as well as the mean surgical operative time. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors http://www.springer.com/00266 .

Vascular Safe Zones for Facial Soft Tissue Filler Injections

The number of soft tissue filler injections performed by aesthetic injectors has continued to increase over the last few years. To provide a high standard of safety and achieve individualized, reproducible, and long-lasting outcomes, aesthetic injectors must have a solid foundation in anatomy, facial biomechanics, rheology, and injection biomechanics. Adverse events associated with soft tissue filler injections can be severe, especially if the aesthetic injector unintentionally injects the soft tissue filler into the patient's arterial vascular circulation and the administered product reaches the arterial bloodstream. Although the face has a rich arterial vascular supply that may seem overwhelmingly complex, it can be broken down systematically according to its internal and external vascular territories. To provide guidance for aesthetic practitioners performing minimally invasive facial injections for aesthetic purposes, this narrative article will discuss the course, depth, and branching pattern of the facial arteries based on the most frequently injected anatomical regions. In this article, we focus on vascular safe zones rather than danger zones .

Vascular Safe Zones for Facial Soft Tissue Filler Injections

The number of soft tissue filler injections performed by aesthetic injectors has continued to increase over the last few years. To provide a high standard of safety and achieve individualized, reproducible, and long-lasting outcomes, aesthetic injectors must have a solid foundation in anatomy, facial biomechanics, rheology, and injection biomechanics. Adverse events associated with soft tissue filler injections can be severe, especially if the aesthetic injector unintentionally injects the soft tissue filler into the patient's arterial vascular circulation and the administered product reaches the arterial bloodstream. Although the face has a rich arterial vascular supply that may seem overwhelmingly complex, it can be broken down systematically according to its internal and external vascular territories. To provide guidance for aesthetic practitioners performing minimally invasive facial injections for aesthetic purposes, this narrative article will discuss the course, depth, and branching pattern of the facial arteries based on the most frequently injected anatomical regions. In this article, we focus on vascular safe zones rather than danger zones.