Exclusive Interview with Mr. Zhao Jingdong,
Co-founder of Guangzhou FICOSOS Technology Co., Ltd. (FICOSOS Origin)
The onset of aging is essentially the aging of cells. When it comes to “rejuvenating” cells, replenishing nutrients, boosting vitality, and achieving anti-aging goals, a key factor is the FICOSOS Extracellular Vesicles technology that has entered the public eye in recent years. This technology, which supplements more than 500 protein-related factors, nourishes and repairs skin cells, allowing cells to “rejuvenate” and arguably exhibit “reverse aging” effects.
The product based on FICOSOS Extracellular Vesicles technology is called FICOSOS Cell Revitalizing Essence, which originates from cell laboratory technology and has been developed as a cell-free therapy. Its core technology, similar to the regenerative iterative therapy popular among celebrities in Dubai, Europe, and the United States, is a cell-free therapy and falls under the application category of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicle technology in the field of regeneration.
“This technology utilizes top international 3D suspension culture technology, selecting high-activity, stable, safe, and effective extracellular vesicle technology components to achieve superior cell regeneration effects,” said Mr. Zhao Jingdong, co-founder of Guangzhou FICOSOS Technology Co., Ltd., in an interview with SpaChina.
The term “Extracellular Vesicle Technology” may be unfamiliar to our readers. Please explain it to us in detail.
American top influencer and 42-year-old entertainment icon Kim Kardashian shared her beauty secret to maintain eternal youth on her social media last year, mentioning “extracellular vesicle technology.”
She revealed on her social media that she prefers a combination of laser therapy and extracellular vesicle technology for facial treatments. She also posted a video showing herself undergoing laser treatment by Dr. Ashkan Ghavami, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills. In the video, she explained that the primary purpose of the laser was to remove sun damage and sunspots, with the focus being on the subsequent use of “extracellular vesicle technology” to further restore the normal function of skin cells, reversing the signs of aging. The video showed her face and neck covered with a layer of extracellular vesicle technology product after the laser procedure.
In June 2023, research teams from Campbell University and others published a review report titled “The Potential Role of Exosomes in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery: A Review of Current Literature” in the professional journal Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open (Plastic Surgery). The study report indicated that the continuous desire to combat aging has driven the demand and rapid popularization of non-surgical cosmetic methods. Over the past decade, extracellular vesicle technology, as a local, subcutaneously deliverable solution, has received particular attention because it has been confirmed to have regenerative properties as well as potential positive effects on wound healing, scar modification, and hair growth.
In the section on the application of cosmetic surgery, the research report stated that skin aging is a complex mechanism involving both internal and external processes, clinically manifested by decreased thickness of the epidermis and dermis, deepening wrinkles, pigmentation, enlarged pores, and weakened soft tissue elasticity. Although skin aging is caused by multiple factors, a key factor is cellular aging, such as keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and melanocytes.
Therefore, the mechanism of extracellular vesicle technology, which stimulates the proliferation and migration of fibroblasts, has attracted the interest of research teams. In vitro and in vivo studies of UV-B photoaging models have shown that extracellular vesicle technology can protect cells from UV-B damage by reducing inflammatory markers such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and upregulating transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases. These mechanisms further lead to the reversal of fibroblast aging, upregulation of collagen I, elastin, and fibronectin production, and reduction of collagen III expression.
Moreover, studies evaluating the combination of local extracellular vesicles with non-surgical facial treatments have shown synergistic effects. The research report indicated that compared to using microneedles alone, the combination of local extracellular vesicles and facial microneedles can produce better skin quality, texture, tone, vascular distribution, clarity, and overall satisfaction among patients. Therefore, extracellular vesicle technology has gradually entered the medical aesthetics industry in recent years, and an increasing number of clinical success stories have captivated users and delighted doctors.
Can you describe how extracellular vesicles improve hair loss?
It is well known that hair growth is closely related to the health of hair follicles. Hair follicles are complex tiny organs, and at different stages of the hair follicle growth cycle, dermal papilla (DP) cells located at the base of the hair follicle send signals to keep the hair follicle dormant or initiate growth. However, for the most common type of hair loss, androgenetic alopecia in men, the function of DP cells is abnormal, meaning that dormant hair follicles do not receive signals for extended periods.
In fact, in areas where baldness occurs on the scalp, hair follicles do not disappear but shrink, a process referred to as “follicular miniaturization,” such as the features seen in male pattern baldness where hair follicles shrink at the crown, resulting in thinning hair and eventual diffuse thinning. Therefore, if the vitality of DP cells in these areas can be restored, dormant hair follicles may regain vitality and resume growth. Furthermore, extracellular vesicle technology also plays an important role in restoring the healthy “soil” environment of the scalp, so compared to other therapies, its effects can be sustained for a longer period.
Extracellular vesicle technology is a type of extracellular vesicle rich in various bioactive substances with therapeutic potential. Research has shown that extracellular vesicle technology has demonstrated remarkable potential in the treatment of skin diseases such as hair regeneration, oxidative stress, wound healing, and specific dermatitis and has entered clinical trials in these areas.
A research team from the Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences and the Institute of Comparative Medicine at North Carolina State University published a study entitled “Dermal exosomes containing miR-218-5p promote hair regeneration by regulating β-catenin signaling” in Science Advances, demonstrating that the key to hair regeneration lies in the miRNA of vesicles, which can activate DP cells by regulating the β-catenin signaling pathway, thereby promoting hair regeneration.
Because extracellular vesicle technology projects have many advantages such as non-drug dependence, high biocompatibility, and minimal side effects, they are expected to become a new and effective treatment for hair loss in the foeseeable future.
So can women also improve the condition of scalp cells through extracellular vesicles?
Certainly. Currently, with the global economic downturn and increasing social competition pressure, hair loss is on the rise for both men and women. Therefore, Ocellus, the representative of regenerative medicine with extracellular vesicle technology as the core, offers Ocellus Hair Follicle Cell/Hair Regeneration Comprehensive Solution, which can repair and regenerate cells at the cellular level for both men and women, achieving the goal of scalp anti-aging.
We can see from various data that there is a trend of younger hair loss population globally, and even women are not spared. Among those affected by hair loss, the proportion of women has reached 35%, indicating that hair loss is no longer just a concern for men. Hair loss has a greater impact on women’s appearance, so it is necessary to understand the reasons for severe hair loss and prepare in advance. From my perspective, the reasons include, but are not limited to:
Excessive dieting: If dieting is not accompanied by balanced nutrition, it can lead to nutrient deficiencies in the body, resulting in hair loss.
Menopause: The decline in physical function during menopause accelerates, and at the same time, metabolic capacity also declines rapidly, resulting in hormonal imbalances and many cases of severe hair loss.
Frequent hair dyeing and perming: Both hair dyes and perms contain chemical ingredients. When these ingredients come into contact with the scalp, they directly damage hair follicle cells, leading to hair loss.
Stress: The “involution” of modern society is particularly severe, with competition everywhere. Long-term exposure to environments with high mental stress and tension can result in a large amount of hair loss for both men and women.
Staying up late: Long-term staying up late affects the body’s biological clock, leading to hormone and endocrine disorders, and hair loss follows suit.
Pregnancy and postpartum: Pregnancy and postpartum periods are high-risk periods for female hair loss because hormone levels in the body undergo drastic changes, especially a significant increase in estrogen levels, which can shorten the hair growth cycle, lengthen the dormant period, and increase the probability of hair loss.
Past methods for preventing hair loss and promoting hair growth often have various limitations, poor user experience, long recovery periods, slow efficacy, and significant side effects, so the “head-top major event” of hair loss has not been well resolved even in modern times. Both hair loss sufferers and the hair loss prevention and treatment industry urgently need a breakthrough solution.
The Hair Follicle Cell/Hair Regeneration Comprehensive Solution starts from the root cause of hair loss, innovates the treatment principle, focuses on scalp whole-cell “regeneration” as the core, and simultaneously addresses the problems of hair loss regeneration, hair retention and prevention, sparse softening and thickening, and scalp environment improvement, tackling both the symptoms and the root causes. It truly innovates in terms of efficacy, treatment methods, and user experience, breaking through the limitations of all current therapies and guiding the mainstream trend of future hair loss prevention and treatment.
Is FICOSOS extracellular vesicle technology safe?
Yes, it is safe. Because the effective ingredients of Ocellus “extracellular vesicle technology” are humanized, there is no risk of rejection, and the safety factor is extremely high. Only clinical treatments with mid-germ layer techniques are needed, using minimally invasive and non-invasive techniques such as rolling needles and nano-crystals for the implementation of cell-free therapy projects.
For the skin, this therapy has key effects of “three anti and three improvements”: anti-inflammatory, anti-glycation, anti-oxidant, cell improvement, blood vessel improvement, and collagen improvement. It can alleviate symptoms such as fine lines, spots, sensitivity, dullness, and enlarged pores, making the skin appear rejuvenated. For the scalp, once the scalp skin and hair follicles are regenerated, they can simultaneously promote hair growth, retain hair, improve hair quality, and scalp environment. For private areas, it can efficiently repair the health and moisture of mucous membranes and has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. These principles are the same.
How does FICOSOS Extracellular Vesicle technology cooperate with medical spas with qualifications? What kind of treatment plans can be recommended?
For medical aesthetic spas, FICOSOS projects have stable customer retention, customer growth, and high repurchase rates, and they are also perennial projects with high investment returns and long profit lifecycles. If these institutions need to develop or upgrade regenerative medical projects in the high-end anti-aging field, such as skin anti-aging, private customization, hair follicle regeneration (hair loss), and eye age management, FICOSOS provides product + technical solutions and collaborates with professional teams to customize project development plans and empower projects throughout the entire cycle, including training.
In addition, we value the mutual growth along with customers. Based on the current cooperation with customers, generally after six months of cooperation, the overall quality and capabilities of the institution’s team can be doubled. This can be seen from three key dimensions: professional promotion, sales force, and customer satisfaction.
In terms of project treatment plans, considering the blue ocean market, growth rate, and average customer spending, it is recommended to first promote hair follicle regeneration and private customization; eye age management can be upgraded differentially. The purpose of the project is to “solve problems for customers and provide a higher quality of life,” so it should be divided according to different needs and stages. For example, in the treatment phase, the goal is to solve the problem, so it is recommended to have 3-6 sessions, at least once a month. After that, it is the continuous maintenance phase, with the aim of maintaining the status quo, with a recommended frequency of once every 3 to 6 months, completing the customer’s treatment to follow-up management. In terms of service process and package design, taking hair follicle regeneration as an example, it is recommended to start with scientific testing, using the American hair detection instrument D200, followed by FICOSOS regenerative medicine, and then follow-up with existing maintenance projects in the store, designing a full three-step set. In combination with our market operation experience and customer management experience, there are usually different personalized adjustments.