Can You Get A Facelift From A Bottle?

A facelift is a surgery that costs a patient both time and money. The patient has to pay for the surgery itself and also has to spend the time it takes for any bruising and swelling to go down after the procedure. The amount of recovery time and money involved with a facelift prevents many people from having the surgery. That might change in the future as researchers at MIT have developed what they are calling a facelift in a bottle.

MIT’s XTL Technology, also known as Second Skin, is a cream application that only takes two steps and could provide a solution to wrinkles and baggy eyes. The team of researchers, led by Robert Langer, spent nine years developing the system which is being called a “miracle cream” as well as “too good to be true”.

One of the major differences between the facelift in a bottle and a traditional facelift is the length of the results. The facelift in a bottle results are temporary. However, it can also be used to treat skin conditions such as eczema. The product has been tested on 170 subjects and none of the test subjects reported any kind of allergic reaction or irritation from the product.

While other companies have attempted to develop a similar product for years, the MIT team is the first to create technology that is non-irritating and strong enough to be on the market. Daniel Anderson, an MIT associate professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, recently said in a press release that they “started thinking about how we might be able to control the properties of skin by coating it with polymers that would impart beneficial effects.” Anderson went on to say that the team also “wanted it to be invisible and comfortable.”

The process starts with applying the cream by rubbing it in. The next (simple) step is to apply the second cream. The siloxane polymers then interact and assemble themselves into a cross-linked polymer layer that looks like healthy and smooth skin. The product can be removed by simply peeling it off or removing it with a makeup remover. There has been no price announced yet for the system so, until then, it is best for patients to stick with their moisturizer of choice. While Second Skin seems like it will be a good alternative to costly plastic surgery, it is too soon to tell if the product will catch on with the public. If it does catch on with the majority of the population, it stands to be a game-changing moment for the plastic surgery industry and for doctors who perform facelifts on a regular basis.

- MA