What if the future of anti-aging was already within you? Acorn Biolabs, a regenerative medicine company, is leading the change in aesthetics with new personalized treatments derived from hair follicle stem cells. These treatments harness your own body’s biology to rejuvenate your skin and hair, making anti-aging as unique as your DNA.
featured experts
Dr. Drew Taylor is the CEO of Acorn Labs. Dr. Doris Day is a board-certified dermatologist in New York. Dr. Heide Harmand is a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York. Dr. Gene Carruthers is a Vancouver ophthalmologist and facial aesthetic specialist. B.C.
natural enhancement
At the heart of Acorn’s innovation is the concept of a secretome. Growth factors are widely used in cosmetic treatments, but Secretome goes further. These include exosomes, proteins, and structural molecules such as collagen and elastin that promote cell repair and enhance cell-to-cell communication.
“Growth factors are only part of the equation,” explains Dr. Drew Taylor, CEO of Acorn Biolabs. “The secretome also contains other substances that benefit nearby cells, such as exosomes that carry growth factors, mRNA, and even DNA segments.”
Think of it this way. While growth factors are single ingredients in a dish, the secretome is a complete recipe, a combination of all essential ingredients that work together to help cells repair and regenerate more effectively. “Our preclinical studies showed that the hair follicle-derived secretome contains much higher levels of skin- and hair-specific growth factors compared to PRP,” said Dr. Taylor. says. “This means more accurate and effective results.”
Collection and use of cells
Treatment begins with a quick, non-invasive procedure in which several hair follicles are harvested from the scalp. “The harvested hair follicles regrow and there is no scarring or long-term effects on the scalp. It is virtually painless and can be done in the office,” says New York dermatologist Doris Day, MD. He himself recently underwent this surgery.
The collected hair follicles are transported to Acorn’s cryogenic facility, where the cells are preserved and turned into personalized serum. These preserved cells retain their youthful properties and the resulting serum is rich in bioactive substances for skin and hair rejuvenation.
How to use personalized serum
Patients enrolled in Acorn’s early access program will receive 12 vials of individual serum. It can be applied topically after in-office treatments such as microneedling or laser resurfacing, or used daily at home.
New York plastic surgeon Heide Harmand, M.D., emphasizes the safety and consistency of using a patient’s own cells instead of PRP or exosomes. “This is a product that is concentrated, consistently manufactured, and contains the same elements as PRP, but is cultured and therefore more reliable. The growth factors are 2 to 34 times higher than those in PRP. It’s powerful, but we don’t know if that means it’s 2 to 34 times more effective. It also contains self-exosomes, which are powerful, preventive and regenerative message molecules.”
Dr. Harmand says the program’s price is comparable to PRP, which pleasantly surprised many patients who thought it would cost hundreds of thousands. “I think this is a disruptive technology. What’s interesting is that you can take young cells, freeze them, and use them 10, 20 years later.”
new frontier
Dr. Gene Carruthers, an ophthalmologist in Vancouver, British Columbia, widely credited with the visionary development of botulinum toxin for cosmetic use, calls the treatment an important modern advance. “True innovations don’t often make it to market,” she says. “Acorn’s unique approach to preserving a patient’s healthiest, youngest cells and creating custom products from them brings exciting new frontiers to our field.”
“This is a personal serum derived from stem cells that is stored from a young age to enhance long-term skin and hair health,” says Dr. Taylor. “This is a new era in aesthetics, where regenerative medicine allows patients to age gracefully with solutions tailored to their biology.”