HELIOCARE^® PRESENTS:

DIALOGUES IN DERMATOLOGY: PART I

Subject: Intrinsic Skin Damage – How Deep Does It Go?

Noted Dermatologists Explore Aging Skin from Inside Out

Noted dermatologists, Darrell Rigel, MD, Clinical Professor of Dermatology, New York University School Of Medicine MD, MS and Neil Sadick, MD, Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College, recently spoke about how our skin ages, looking at the process from deep within the skin. There is a lot of conversation about skin and aging, but it is usually addressed from the outside in. “But what would happen if we were in a little mini submarine inside the body and you could look from inside out. What would you see?” asked Dr. Rigel.

“There’s been a lot of emphasis on the dermis and epidermis, but now we know the aging process involves the deeper dermis down to fat, muscle and bone,” said Dr. Sadick. “At the lowest layers you see changes in terms of loss of volume, irregular cell replication, and breakdown of tissue that occurs in other organs of the body as well. So I think there’s a lot of emphasis now on inside/outside approaches to sun protection and anti-aging. The ability to understand that approach is apparent in the way we are viewing fillers for example. We’re leaning towards volume fillers, rather than superficial line fillers and radio frequency, ultrasound light source technologies that target deeper tissues as well. We’re understanding that the aging process involves deeper tissues, not just the skin.”

“We always think of the skin being on the surface,” said Dr. Rigel, “But the reality is that the skin is more than skin deep. There are a lot of issues that are deeper than the surface, so when you see people whose skin doesn’t glow or they have a little visible sun damage, that’s what you see on the surface, but if you did a biopsy in that area, you can see this goes much further down, even to the levels of your connective tissue and elastic tissue. If you look at a baby’s skin on biopsy, you would see that the elastic fibers look perfectly interweaved. If you look at somebody who’s had a lot of sun damage instead what you see is what we call “silver spaghetti.” Under the microscope it looks like a ball of spaghetti, all those fibers are pulling in different directions. If you go inside and see the skin from the other side, you would see the effects of ultra-violet damage.”

“What I do in my practice,” said Dr. Sadick, “is try to educate my patients when they come in for an anti-aging treatment or skin cancer prevention checks. I tell them that a key tenet to skin health and anti-aging is protection, an inside/outside approach. Agents like the Heliocare daily dietary supplement have been playing an increasing role. Protection is key, so we use all the combinations of fillers and skin care products and protectants. Sunscreen is of course the most important.”

“One million Americans go to a tanning bed every day,” commented Dr. Rigel. “One million Americans. 28 million Americans go to the tanning salon at least once a year. And if you look at 17 and 18 year olds, the prevalence is incredibly high; it’s like 35-40% of tanning bed use multiple times a year in that age group. And that’s when they’re really susceptible to the damage. But some things are changing. If you look on a Monday in the summer, you see people less tan than they used to be. It used to be they’d be coming out with this great tan, now it’s probably not too tan, but we’re not there yet.”

“What do you think of this concept of inside/outside approach for proto-protection?” asked Dr. Sadick. “How can we get people to use sunscreen all year round? How can we get children to start on sunscreen or internal types of protection? I think education is key,” he explains. “I think the concept of an internal/external approach has a lot of merit. It is important to be aware of a product like Heliocare. It’s an anti-oxidant type of supplement and there’s a lot of buzz about it among dermatologists. I think that it’s really important to suppress free radicals which actually damage cells and cause irregular cell replication and cause cells to break down. This anti-oxidant is derived from a fern and I think there are over 25 studies that show you can also decrease redness from either ultraviolet exposure outside or even indoors. Changes happen from fluorescent lighting indoors. So I think anti-oxidants, such as Heliocare, are an important part of skin health now.

“I have to say I think it’s an exciting product,” says Dr. Rigel. “It’s easy to use, it’s safe, and it has been extensively studied for safety.” “When you look at this product, which I also take,” says Dr. Sadick, “it probably decreases redness from ultraviolet exposure. I think many anti-oxidants have been shown in studies to have an anti-inflammatory effect also. We know that inflammation is a major cause of many diseases in the body. So, do you think, Dr. Rigel that this product may also have some anti-inflammatory capabilities to stop aging and sunburned reactions as well?”

“Well it clearly cuts down on the risk of sunburn. And sunburn is related to inflammation. We don’t know all there is to know about anti-oxidants yet. We just know that overall they’re good. It is important for botanical extracts to be studied carefully since the safety and efficacy of each product can depend on which part of the plant is used and how it is extracted.  Heliocare has been studied for well over two decades and I like that the research is ongoing.”  

“I think this sort of approach really is state of the art in skin health. I take Heliocare myself and I took it even before everyone started to talk about it, because I thought it was a good protectant for myself, internally and externally, and part of a good long range skincare regimen and overall body health type of program that everyone should partake in.”

About HELIOCARE^®:

The powerful antioxidant formula in each capsule of HELIOCARE^® is derived from the extract of Polypodium leucotomos (PLE), a fern native to Central and South America that has been used for centuries as a remedy for skin related conditions. This fern, which was once an aquatic plant, adapted to life on land and created its own protection from exposure to harsh UV rays. By utilizing the extract of this organically grown plant, HELIOCARE^® delivers antioxidants that help the skin protect itself from the first day of use*.

About Ferndale Healthcare^®, Inc.:

Ferndale Healthcare^®, Inc. is an affiliate of Ferndale Pharma Group Inc., a fully integrated holding company. Ferndale Healthcare^® targets several key specialty markets which encompass disease states that range from benign anorectal disorders to various skin conditions. The company’s mission is to provide high-quality, value-added products that help patients get back to what matters most in their lives—living well. Many of Ferndale Healthcare’s products are leaders in their respective categories.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.