Imagine being so forward-thinking that you pioneer one of the greatest cosmetic innovations since breast implants—something that quite literally changes how people across the world look and age. That’s Dr. Jean Carruthers, the visionary who, along with her husband, Dr. Alastair Carruthers, introduced Botox Cosmetic as an aesthetic treatment in the 1980s, changing the face of cosmetic medicine. When we caught up with Dr. Carruthers at the ASDS conference for a NewBeauty panel, we couldn’t pass up the chance to hear directly from this trailblazer about what’s next for beauty.
1. Earlier Intervention to Stop Aging in Its Tracks
While not quite groundbreaking, Dr. Carruthers has seen aesthetics evolve from simply reversing the signs of aging to staying one step ahead of them. “Botox is a foundational treatment,” she says, especially for patients in their 20s, “when aging truly begins.” By taking a proactive approach, she explains, “We’re reshaping and preserving the youthful structure before those deeper lines even have a chance to set in.” What is notable, she says, is that patients are more open about using neurotoxins to maintain their youthful look long-term and holding onto that fresh-faced look before signs of aging takes hold.
2. The Rise of Elastin, the “Cinderella Protein”
Elastin, Dr. Carruthers believes, is finally getting the attention it deserves. “Elastin is the Cinderella product in skin care,” she says. “It’s less than 2 percent of the protein in the extracellular matrix, but it’s essential to keeping that ‘snap-back’ quality.” Collagen might be the beauty buzzword, but she calls elastin the “neglected sister”—one we only notice once it’s gone. Treatments like Sofwave, which uses ultrasound to stimulate collagen and elastin production, are at the forefront of elastin-focused rejuvenation.
3. Harnessing Your Own Cells for Personalized Beauty
The future of beauty, according to Dr. Carruthers, lies in the power of patients’ own biology. “Everyone should run right now and have their hair follicles pulled because you’ll never be younger than you are right now,” she says, referring to a partnership with Acorn Biolabs, a company leading the way in custom regenerative therapies. With this process, hair follicles are harvested and banked, then transformed into personalized skin and hair care tailored to each patient’s cellular makeup. “It’s like receiving a gift from your own biology,” she adds, as these exosomes can be used for everything from skin rejuvenation to hair regrowth, creating a highly personalized, regenerative treatment plan.
4. Aesthetic Treatments to Improve Mental Health
Millennials and Gen Z are reshaping beauty by integrating cosmetic treatments into their wellness-centered lives, noted Dr. Carruthers. “Millennials believe in prevention and have normalized wellness as a form of self-care,” Dr. Carruthers observes, noting that these generations focus less on “fixing” flaws and more on maintaining and enhancing their natural appearance. Botox, she adds, has “this wonderful side effect that it actually doesn’t stay in the skin. We know now that it goes back into the brain and into the area of the anterior inferior end of the temporal gyrus, which is the area where we deal with pain and discomfort and anxiety.” This blending of aesthetics with mental and physical well-being reflects a new era of holistic self-care.
5. Exosomes and Secretomes to Unlock Skin’s Full Potential
Dr. Carruthers is thrilled about advancements in regenerative medicine, especially around power-packed ingredients like exosomes and secretomes. “Exosomes are like a birthday present for your skin—they’re full of surprises,” she says, noting that these tiny “gift packets” can carry personalized compounds to the skin, triggering collagen production, skin renewal and even hair growth. With companies like Acorn Labs developing custom solutions, Dr. Carruthers believes these innovations will open up entirely new possibilities for highly personalized, regenerative treatments in aesthetics, allowing patients to unlock the full potential of their skin.
