Why we need to focus on longevity

Dr Hayley Elsmore, owner of The Courtyard Aesthetic Clinic, on the rising interest in longevity and how salons and clinics can incorporate the principles

The hottest topic in aesthetics right now is longevity. This term has been around for a while but having turned 50 this year, I thought it was the perfect time in my life to embrace this concept and live better. What really got my attention was the incredible fact that science has now shown age can be truly reversed.

Longevity is the science and practice of optimising healthspan and lifespan. We are all living much longer than our bodies are designed to, with 83 years being the current average life expectancy of a woman in the UK. What worries me is that we can only predict 64 of those years to be of good health, and 19 years in poor health.

Ageing is the biggest risk factor of all the major disease we suffer, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and dementia. Research has shown that we can now reverse the ageing process, but how do we do this, and how do we measure it?

There are 12 key cellular processes that cause the ageing process. These are referred to as the “hallmarks of ageing”, and include chronic inflammation and stem cell exhaustion. Chronological age is a steady progression, with every 12 months making us a year older, but biological age is dictated by the health of our cells and can be an entirely different number. If we can reduce these ageing cellular processes, we can literally reduce our biological age.

It is extremely exciting that there are now finger-prick blood tests that can measure biological age.

The test I use is Glycanage, which measures glycans and carbohydrate polymers, which are on the surface of every single cell in our bodies. We can use these tests to see if the changes we make to our lifestyle and other positive interventions have made an impact on our biological age. These tests can be done at home or in clinic and the report provides information about biological age and areas of health to prioritise.

Scientists talk of “the spiral of longevity”, which is essentially eight areas where we can influence our biological age. These are diet, supplements and medication, sleep, exercise, regenerative therapies in clinic and at home, social connection, and recovery.

Embracing regeneration

Regenerative therapies have been embraced by aesthetic clinics since 2023. Polynucleotides, exosomes, PRP and red LED light therapy treatments are on the increase and we have seen fabulous results at The Courtyard Aesthetic Clinic with some of these.

Saunas and ice baths at home have also been shown to have regenerative and longevity benefits. People have busy lives and are looking for an easy fix, so making a small change such as adding a dietary supplement to boost your NAD+ levels is also popular.

I am determined to support and champion my clients to make positive longevity changes, helping them focus on healthier lifestyle habits and providing treatments that allow them to thrive and feel confident and well. We might all be getting older on paper, but look a little deeper and some of us are actually getting younger!

Dr Hayley Elsmore is the owner and medical director of Courtyard Aesthetics in Newport, Isle of Wight, which won Skin Clinic of the Year at the Professional Beauty Awards 2024.