AVIVA SKN METHOD 

💧 STABILIZE

The skin barrier a/k/a the stratum corneum is made of lipids (fats and oils), natural moisturizing factors (NMF) such as amino acids and hyaluronic acid, and other components that work together to regulate the body.

One of the ways we assess barrier function is through transepidermal water loss (TEWL)—the passive movement of water from within the skin through the epidermis and into the surrounding environment.

When barrier function is compromised, TEWL can increase. The result may be dehydration, tightness, roughness, increased sensitivity, irritation, altered reactivity, or difficulty tolerating products and treatments that were previously comfortable.

Figure 1: Mechanism of Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL) in healthy vs. compromised skin barriers.

Barrier disruption can happen for many reasons:

• excessive exfoliation 

• overuse or inappropriate sequencing of acids or retinoids

• repeated procedures without adequate recovery

• environmental extremes such as cold, dry air or excessive heat

• inflammation or certain skin conditions

The epidermis communicates with immune cells, sensory nerves, and the deeper dermal environment. When it's barrier is compromised, the skin’s relationship with its environment changes.

Stabilize is an active process of restoring function through a process known as corneotherapy.  It means designing carefully thought out treatments that support, strengthen, and nourish the skin's barrier. Sometimes that means simplifying a home routine while we rebuild both hydration and lipid support.  It involves reducing inflammation and giving the skin enough time to recover or heal using deeply calming and hydrating ingredients, antioxidants, neuropeptides, signaling peptides, exosomes.  Often these are combined with microcurrent, cryotherapy, blue led light, hydrafacial and other modalities that are designed to assist in product penetration and anti-inflammatory results.

The ultimate goal is to ensure a resilient biological foundation and enhancing your skin’s capacity to respond positively to treatment.

✨ KICKSTART

Once the skin is stable, we can begin applying more targeted stimuli.

This is where corrective treatments come into play—treatments designed to influence processes such as collagen remodeling, cellular turnover, and tissue regeneration.

Collagen serves as a vital component of the dermal extracellular matrix (ECM) - the structural and signaling network in the middle layer of the skin (the dermis) that gives skin its strength, flexibility, and support. It establishes much of the structural integrity of the skin. 

Fibroblasts operate as the primary cellular drivers tasked with synthesizing collagen.

As we age, fibroblast signaling and the skin’s ability to maintain and remodel its extracellular matrix (ECM) decline . In addition, environmental stressors, particularly UV exposure combined with lifestyle factors can significantly accelerate collagen degradation.

And that brings us to the concept of collagen banking. Collagen banking is a proactive approach to dermal health, using appropriate stimuli to continuously support collagen synthesis and remodeling over time.

Microneedling, for example, creates microscopic injuries and triggers a surge in Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-β) that initiates our body’s natural wound-healing mechanisms. That response involves far more than fibroblasts alone. Platelets, keratinocytes, immune cells, cytokines, growth factors, and other signaling molecules participate in the sequence of inflammation, proliferation, and tissue remodeling. Fibroblasts are subsequently recruited and activated to produce extracellular matrix components, including collagen.

A 2021 study of subjects who received 4 monthly microneedling treatments showed the following results:

• facial dermal and epidermal density increased 101.86% and 19.28%, respectively, from baseline at 3 months posttreatment. 

• Facial elasticity increased 28.2% from baseline at 3 months posttreatment

• Relative collagen type III and elastin gene expression was statistically higher 3 months posttreatment.

• Dermal muscle formation was observed in 58% of biopsies extracted 3 months post-treatment compared with 15.3% at baseline. (NLM)

Figure 2: Biological stimulation and tissue remodeling during the Kickstart phase.

Put simply, the treatment stimulates a biological healing response that creates more collagen and tissue density, resulting in thicker skin and increased facial elasticity. 

This structural integrity helps the skin resist creasing and collapsing under repeated muscle contractions (e.g., smiling, frowning, eyebrow furrowing), directly mitigating the development and depth of fine lines and deeper wrinkles.

By focusing on targeted, effective treatments tailored to your unique needs, Kickstart gives your skin a meaningful, supportive reason to change.

🌱 NURTURE

Nurture is active refinement.

In this phase, we can continue our approach to collagen banking. Instead of repeatedly asking the skin to undergo a major remodeling event, we can choose treatments that support skin quality, cellular activity, circulation, collagen remodeling, and overall tissue function with lower-disruption stimuli.

Depending on the skin and the treatment plan, that might include modalities such as red or near-infrared photobiomodulation, microcurrent, superficial resurfacing, targeted exfoliation, nanochanneling, or other lower-disruption treatments.

Photobiomodulation is particularly interesting because it doesn’t rely on creating a visible injury. Red and near-infrared wavelengths have been studied for their effects on cellular metabolism, mitochondrial activity, fibroblast behavior, extracellular matrix signaling, and wound-healing pathways.