Biohacking with Rachel Varga

Biohacking–the practice of using food, exercise, supplementation, hormonal management, and other health-boosting practices to enhance overall well-being–has been getting a lot more attention over the past years. 

 

These self-regulation mechanisms include skincare habits, allowing us to mitigate the body’s aging processes with a bit of external help. Throughout our chat on the SKNKRE Podcast with Rachel Varga–double-board certified aesthetic nurse specialist–we unveiled some important points about biohacking for starters as well as how to prevent unnecessary skin aging through skincare. 

 

Read on below to learn more!

 

WHAT IS BIOHACKING, ANYWAY?

 

Biohacking draws on principles from various fields, including biology, neuroscience, genetics, nutrition, and more. “Biohackers”, or biohacking enthusiasts, will experiment with different diets, exercise routines, sleep patterns, supplements, skincare products, and various other lifestyle habits in order to achieve desired results.

 

HOW DO YOU USE BIOHACKING IN SKINCARE?

 

The goal of biohacking skincare is to optimize the skin’s health, appearance, and improve its cellular health to slow premature skin aging. And yes, professional skincare helps you do exactly that!

 

For example, the more professional your skincare is, the better your skin visibly rejuvenates post-treatments, explains Dr. Vargas. 

 

Here are three examples of skincare biohacks:

 

• MICRONEEDLING

 

Microneedling is a popular biohacking technique. It is used to improve skin texture, reduce the appearance of scars and fine lines, as well as promote collagen production. 

 

Essentially, the goal is to cause “trauma” to the skin by creating tiny micro-channels, which signal to the skin it needs to initiate a wound healing cascade. This will help to boost collagen, produce growth factors, and trigger angiogenesis (AKA building new vascular networks).  

 

Microneedling can be performed by a skincare professional in a medispa with deeper needles, or at home with a dermaroller. By gently rolling or pressing a dermaroller onto the skin, microscopic punctures are created thus stimulating the skin's natural healing response. 

 

In turn, these treatments also improve the skin’s absorption capacity of skincare products.

 

• COLD THERAPY 

 

Another biohacking technique is cold therapy, which is also known as cryotherapy. This technique involves exposing the skin to extremely cold temperatures for various benefits, using methods such as cold therapy devices or ice rollers––like the Skinny Confidential Hot Mess Ice Roller—onto the skin.

 

Cryotherapy both increases collagen production and slows the breakdown of collagen at the same time. The cold blasts inhibit the release of the enzymes and hormones that destroy your collagen.

 

Cold water plunges are also an example of cold therapy treatments. However, it is important for women to note that ‘cold plunging may be a bit too overreactive to the central nervous system, and should not be done on an excessive basis’, advises Rachel. 

 

• ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD AWARENESS

 

What do microwaves, Bluetooth headphones, and household lightbulbs all share? They each emit EMFs: an invisible cloud of electricity that surrounds electrically charged particles. 

 

We have far more EMFs coursing through our atmosphere than 10 years ago, and there’s evidence that this flood of magnetic fields can cause unnecessary damage to our DNA and gene codes. This damage can manifest itself through visible signs of skin aging.

 

An example of biohacking against EMFs is opting for:

 

• Using EMF-protective phone cases and not resting your phone or computer on your body;
• Ditching the microwave and using an oven instead;
• Using old-school cables instead of Bluetooth technology;
• Switching from LED to halogen lightbulbs and facing natural sunlight, especially in the morning (and with SPF!).

 

To learn more about all things biohacking and Rachel’s take on how to tackle skin aging and rejuvenation, make sure to check out the Essentials for Healthy, Radiant Skin episode on the SKNKRE podcast.

 

Until next time,

 

The BSE Team