6 min. read
Aesthetic medicine & nutrition · Journal
Hyaluronic acid injections, botulinum toxin, peels, laser, PRP, mesotherapy, skin boosters… These treatments are effective. But their result also depends on what you do outside the clinic.
Cellular nutrition before, during and after each procedure concerns the biological ground in which the medical procedure takes place. This protocol runs in three phases: prepare, recover, consolidate.
A medical aesthetic treatment acts on a biological ground: your skin, your tissues, your capacity to regenerate. This ground is not neutral. The dermatology literature describes inflamed, dehydrated or antioxidant-poor skin as a different context from that of balanced skin, and discusses its influence on how a procedure is followed up.
This is why a growing number of aesthetic doctors are taking an interest in nutraceuticals within their treatment protocols. Not to replace the medical procedure, but to take care of the nutritional context: before the treatment, immediately after, and over time.
There are four nutritional areas studied in this context: antioxidants (including vitamin C, which contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress), omega-3 EPA and DHA, oral hyaluronic acid and lactoferrin. The following paragraphs describe the mechanisms reported in published research, without prejudging the individual result.
“The skin you have determines the treatment you receive.”
Nutritional preparation ideally begins 15 days before the treatment. The aim: to take care of the skin's nutritional status beforehand, over the period when the medical procedure is scheduled.
Research on low-grade inflammation describes its role in skin biology, and several teams are looking at it as a parameter of the peri-procedural context. This research is exploratory: it describes mechanisms, it does not guarantee an individual result after an injection, a peel or a laser.
Quercetin (427.5 mg) is the subject of research describing its interaction with skin mast cells and inflammatory reactivity. Setria® glutathione (375 mg) is studied for its role in cellular redox balance. ExceptionHYAL® Star provides 218 mg of bioavailable hyaluronic acid, an ingredient documented by skin hydration studies (see the study below). These three ingredients are not the subject of an authorised health claim. Vitamin C (150 mg) contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin, and to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
EPA (422 mg) and DHA (278 mg) are incorporated into phospholipid membranes: the literature describes their influence on membrane fluidity and on the production of eicosanoids (COX and LOX pathways). This mechanism is described in published research; it does not prejudge the local reaction after a procedure, which depends on the procedure and on each person. EPA and DHA contribute to the normal function of the heart, with a daily intake of 250 mg.
Vitamin D3 contributes to the normal function of the immune system, to the maintenance of normal bones and to the maintenance of normal muscle function. Research is also looking at its role in the skin's immune response and in the expression of antimicrobial peptides (defensins): this field remains descriptive and is not the subject of an authorised claim beyond immunity.
Lactoferrin is studied for its interaction with the epithelial barrier, via the modulation of tight junctions. This is a mechanism described in research: lactoferrin is not the subject of any authorised health claim, and nothing allows us to promise faster recovery after a procedure.
“The procedure belongs to the doctor. The nutritional ground, however, is worked on outside the clinic.”
Clinical study
Daily oral supplementation with collagen peptides combined with vitamins and other bioactive compounds improves skin elasticity and has a beneficial effect on joint and general wellbeing
In this scientific study, the authors report an improvement in skin elasticity and hydration in participants receiving oral supplementation combining collagen peptides and hyaluronic acid.
The 7 days following an aesthetic treatment are the window in which the skin repairs itself. How this phase unfolds is a matter for your doctor's follow-up; your doctor remains your only point of contact on the after-effects of the procedure.
The post-procedure inflammatory cascade is a normal physiological phenomenon: it initiates regeneration. Research describes its resolution as an active process, driven by so-called pro-resolving mediators derived from omega-3s. This is a description of a mechanism: what to do after your treatment is for your practitioner to decide.
Research on glutathione concerns its role in cellular redox balance, and research on quercetin its interaction with mast cells and the release of histamine. Oral hyaluronic acid is studied for skin hydration (see the study cited above). None of these three ingredients has an authorised health claim: these mechanisms are reported in the literature, they are not a promise about your post-procedure recovery.
EPA and DHA are the precursors of resolvins and protectins. The work of Charles Serhan (Harvard Medical School) describes these mediators as the signals of the “active resolution” of inflammation. This is a mechanism documented in fundamental research, with no authorised claim for the skin deriving from it.
Publications on lactoferrin describe a modulation of NF-κB and of cytokines (IL-6, TNF-alpha), as well as an ability to sequester free iron (Fenton reactions). These mechanisms are described in vitro and in experimental models; lactoferrin has no authorised health claim.
Thymoquinone is the subject of research describing a modulation of the NF-κB and MAPK pathways and of cytokine production (IL-6, TNF-alpha, IL-10). These data come from experimental research: they do not allow any effect after a laser or a peel to be claimed, and black seed has no authorised health claim.
Clinical study
Omega-3 fatty acids and the resolution of inflammation in aesthetic procedures
The authors describe the resolution of inflammation as an active process, driven by specialised pro-resolving mediators (resolvins, protectins) derived from EPA and DHA, and not as a simple passive switching off of the inflammatory reaction.
Most patients stop paying attention to their skin as soon as the post-procedure marks have disappeared. This is precisely where the most strategic phase begins: consolidating the results.
The effects of a filler last 12 to 18 months depending on the product. Those of a peel or laser vary with the depth and the quality of skin regeneration. In all cases, how long the results last depends on the quality of the collagen synthesised during the consolidation phase: a synthesis that requires vitamin C, zinc, silicon and a low-oxidation cellular environment.
Glutathione is studied for its role in cellular redox balance, oral hyaluronic acid for skin hydration, quercetin for its interaction with the enzymes of the extracellular matrix. None of these three ingredients has an authorised health claim. Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin.
EPA and DHA are incorporated into cell membranes, including those of dermal fibroblasts, which synthesise collagen and elastin. This mechanism is described in research, with no authorised claim for the skin.
Vitamin D is studied for its role in the differentiation of skin cells. Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system, to the maintenance of normal bones and to the maintenance of normal muscle function.
Sleep quality is a major factor in skin regeneration: collagen synthesis and the repair of cellular DNA take place mainly at night. Magnesium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
“The real work begins after the clinic.”
Nutrition can help you get the most from your treatments, but a few adjustments are recommended in the days before a procedure that breaks the skin (injection, peel, laser, microneedling).
A coherent programme, from the first appointment to a lasting result. Here is the summary, phase by phase.
| Phase | Protocol |
|---|---|
| D-15 to D-1 · Preparation | Antioxidant Defense (2-3 capsules in the morning) + Omega Active+ (3 capsules with meals) + D3 Active+ (1 softgel per day) + Lactoferrine Active+ (1-2 capsules in the morning on an empty stomach). |
| D0 to D+7 · Recovery | Continue Antioxidant Defense + Omega Active+ + Lactoferrine Active+. Add Nigelle Active+ (2 to 3 capsules per day): black seed (Nigella sativa) is one of the most studied plants, with no authorised health claim to date. |
| D+8 to D+90 · Consolidation | Antioxidant Defense + Omega Active+ + D3 Active+ + Magnesium Active+ (1 stick in the evening). This background protocol is part of a balanced diet, alongside your doctor's instructions. |
| Between two treatments | For patients who have procedures in succession (for example: botulinum toxin every 6 months + fillers every 12 months), a background course of Antioxidant Defense + Omega Active+ between each session is recommended as ongoing maintenance. |
The essentials. Your aesthetic doctor does their job. Nutrition does yours. Preparing the skin 15 days before, supporting recovery in the following week and consolidating the results over 3 months: this is the nutritional guide we suggest around an aesthetic treatment.
Ideally 15 days before the treatment (D-15). This window leaves time to establish a balanced diet and regular intakes before the day of the procedure. Your doctor remains your point of contact for preparing the treatment.
Three points to watch: vitamin E above 400 IU/day (antiplatelet effect), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the 7 days before a procedure with a bleeding risk, and alcohol in the 48 hours before an injection. Paracetamol remains permitted. Always ask your doctor for advice.
No. Oral hyaluronic acid (ExceptionHYAL® Star, 218 mg in Antioxidant Defense) is studied for skin hydration, with no authorised health claim, and does not change the result of the medical procedure. You will find details of the patented ingredients in our active ingredient guides.
90 days. The consolidation phase runs from D+8 to D+90, because how long the result lasts depends on the quality of the collagen synthesised during this period: a synthesis that requires vitamin C, zinc, silicon and a low-oxidation cellular environment.
Preparation (D-15 to D-1): Antioxidant Defense, Omega Active+, D3 Active+, Lactoferrine Active+. Recovery (D0 to D+7): the same, plus Nigelle Active+. Consolidation (D+8 to D+90): Antioxidant Defense, Omega Active+, D3 Active+ and Magnesium Active+. Further analyses are published in the BIOLOGYST Journal.
Precautions. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. This article is for information only and does not replace your doctor's advice: always tell your practitioner which supplements you take before an aesthetic procedure. Not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women without medical advice.
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