Wrinkle Erasers

By Andrea Moret

When used in professional skin care, peptides can obliterate fine lines, dark spots and other signs of aging.

What if clients no longer needed needles to relax deep wrinkles, but could smooth on a cream instead? What if scientists could treat antibiotic-resistant acne, enhance hair growth or fill in lines over the long term with mineral-based makeup?

That day has finally arrived. The latest advanced peptides may be small in stature, but they're capable of producing big changes in clients' skin.

Peptides 101

Found in nature but enhanced in the lab, peptides are small protein fragments formed by joining two or more amino acids. The shorter the chain, the greater potential these molecules have to penetrate the dermal-epidermal junction and go to work on synthesizing collagen and elastin, repairing damaged DNA, easing fine lines and lightening the appearance of pigmentation.

"When skin is damaged, the bad connection between the epidermis and dermis can affect the flow of nutrition and water, and make it look dull," says Karoline Kanani, marketing director for G.M. Collin.

Enter peptides. They act as messengers, transporting vital data to skin cells and sending signals to ensure their proper nourishment and repair. When collagen is in short supply, these couriers detect and stimulate its synthesis. If elastin is weak or damaged, peptides send the message to repair the protein and help restore elasticity to the skin.

"By targeting the junction between the epidermis and dermis, we can address one of the first layers of the skin that flattens and degrades with aging," Kanani says.

Topical application of peptides, such as those found in professional skin care, produce results in a less invasive manner than injectables. In addition, they're nonirritating and can have profound longterm effects. "That's what I like about peptides. They don't aggravate the skin; they restore it," Kanani says.

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See previous article, Red Menace