A technology based on electrical pulses, which may rejuvenate aged skin and regenerate damaged skin

Researchers from Tel Aviv University and Harvard University found that exposure to very short high-voltage pulses stimulates regeneration processes in the skin - such as increased cell proliferation, blood capillary growth and collagen secretion, without causing warming or leaving scars. The study was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports

Dr. Alexander Gulberg from the Porter School of Environmental Studies at Tel Aviv University, in collaboration with colleagues from Harvard Medical School and the 'Shriners' Burn Hospital in Boston, developed a procedure to regenerate skin tissue: exposure to electrical pulses. The researchers found that exposure to very short high-voltage pulses stimulates regeneration processes in the skin - such as increased cell proliferation, blood capillary growth and collagen secretion, without causing warming or leaving scars. The method, which was originally developed as an answer to a variety of degenerative skin diseases, has great potential in the field of aesthetic medicine as well. The study was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.

The skin wakes up

"The modern era is characterized by the aging of the population, and increasing exposure to ultraviolet radiation due to climate change," says Dr. Gulberg. "As a result, many people suffer from skin problems, starting with natural aging, and ending with a variety of injuries and degenerative diseases such as: atrophy of the skin - when the skin becomes thin and fragile, the characteristic condition
About 30% of the population is over the age of 60; Burns; And chronic diseases such as diabetes, which damage the color, texture and function of the skin."

In search of a solution, the researchers decided to examine the effect of electrical pulses - a technology that has already been proven to be effective in other medical applications, such as disinfecting wounds and removing tumors. As part of the study, they exposed healthy laboratory rats to very short electrical pulses - only tens of microseconds long, at high voltage, and then looked for changes in the rats' skin.

"We conducted many different tests, and the result was unequivocal: the electrical pulses caused an increase in metabolism in the rats' skin," says Dr. Gulberg. "The skin 'woke up', increased the production of cells in the epidermis, grew new blood capillaries, and increased collagen secretion. The meaning of all this is younger and healthier skin."

Dr. Gulberg explains the interesting phenomenon: "We hypothesize that the electrical pulses create tiny injuries, in nanometer dimensions, in the cell membrane of some of the cells in the skin, and the system wakes up to heal and repair the damage. The growth factors that are released in this situation accelerate the metabolism, and this is how new tissues are formed."

In light of the success of the research, the researchers are now awaiting approval to conduct clinical trials, which will test the effectiveness of the method in humans. "This is an innovative, effective and non-invasive treatment that may cure many skin diseases, prevent suffering, and improve the quality of life of millions of people all over the world," concludes Dr. Gulberg.