REGENERATIVE MEDICINE

1. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is the foundation of regenerative medicine. Hormone levels drop with age. By age 55, testosterone is about half what is was in men in their 20’s; it’s worse in women - 80% lower than young normal levels! These low levels have major health consequences. Over 75% the improvement listed above can be achieved just with BHRT. 

2. NAD+, a crucial coenzyme for energy production in our cells, also drops by 50% in middle age. With less NAD+, there is simply less fuel available to burn, so our bodies slow down. I liken it to a car that has 8 cylinders when it’s 20 years old, but by the time it’s 50, it’s running on 4 cylinders - the engine is weak, it has a hard time going uphill, and passing is sometimes impossible. NAD+ opens up those other 4 cylinders, making more energy by burning more fuel. That V-8 is great for our bodies because we want to burn more fuel to get rid of excess calories and fat. More than that, NAD+ supplementation is proven to rev up fading function in the liver, muscle, and your brain - who going to say no to that?

3. PRF injections for joint regeneration is one of the most well-studied regenerative treatments available, with research consistently showing 75% response rate in osteoarthritis with this simple, in-office procedure. It’s called the “poor man’s stem cells” because it’s simpler and much less costly than stem cell treatment with nearly the same success rate. In my practice, it’s the most effective non-surgical treatment for arthritis I’ve ever used, and that includes steroids or cortisone shots.

4. Vaginal rejuvenation and bladder control are frustrating issues - virtually every woman can benefit from these treatments at some point, but nobody ever wants to talk about them! Well, welcome to RegenCen, where we talk about them A LOT. Vaginal and pelvic tissues have many different functions, but everything from childbirth to birth control pills to menopause gets in the way of normal function. Women put up with dryness, irritation, pain, they let their sexuality fade away, they plan their day based on the chain of restrooms they have to visit… all because they don’t know effective treatment is available for all these problems. Most of the time, their doctors don’t know either. But at RegenCen, we do know - and we actually want to talk with you about it.  

5. Prescription treatments for circulatory issues - this is probably the only category that we can say helps patients liver longer. Whether non-prescription supplements or widely used prescription circulation enhancers like tadalafil (Cialis) or ARB-inhibitors (valsartan, telmisartan, or anything else ending with -sartan), any treatment that improves blood flow to our tissues also lowers blood pressure and wear and tear on our circulatory system, lowering risks of heart attack and stroke. We don’t prescribe these specifically to treat high blood pressure, but it’s a nice benefit.

6. Weight loss treatments go hand-in-hand with many regenerative therapies. Most of our bioidentical hormone replacement patients lose weight (or lose fat and gain muscle). But for patients whose main goal is weight loss, we offer a weight loss program that we can tell you about at your complimentary consultation. Our program includes multiple treatments to help you lose weight and manage your weight as time goes on.

Regenerative medicine is a medical specialty focused on healing conditions that occur mainly from aging, but there is crossover with health problems from lifestyle or injury. Regenerative medical treatments promote new tissue growth, blood flow, nerve function, and general sense of vitality and energy. Regenerative practices employ a variety of proven therapies such as platelet-rich plasma, platelet-rich fibrin, radiofrequency devices, EMS, and hormone replacement therapy to achieve these results. By stimulating your body to grow new cells or reactivate dormant ones, regenerative medicine can help you regain lost physical functions.

• Your joints moved easily enough that you could walk up and down stairs, or write and text without pain.
• You could be active with tennis or golf one day and have no pain the next.
• Ladies – if your overactive bladder would calm down and you could sleep for more than a couple hours.
• … Or you could sneeze, laugh, and exercise without leaking.
• Sex just worked like it used to (yes, for both of you!).

Sometimes. Many of our patients proudly tell us they no longer have to rely on medicine for joint pain and stiffness, or are happy to be rid of side effects from bladder control drugs they no longer need. But it depends on the condition, whether it’s new or long-term, and how well your body heals itself in response to regenerative treatment.

• “My prescription medication and cortisone shots help but I still couldn’t stand for a long time or give a good handshake without pain. And my doctor said I shouldn’t do anymore cortisone. After three PRF shots at RegenCen, I can move around like I’m 10 years younger and they last way longer than 2 months.”
• “I tried medication for my bladder but it didn’t do anything. I did this MorpheusV thinking what do I have to lose and it worked! I really can’t believe it.”
• “I was making the sex work because I love my husband but now I’m actually enjoying it again. FormaV made my vaginal dryness so much better. It’s more comfortable to start and I have good orgasms again.”
• “The blue pill helps my erections but the PRF erection shot (the advanced P-shot or Priapus shot) made my erections more frequent, harder and longer lasting. It’s such a relief. I even get a morning woody.”
• “I had breast cancer and went through immediate menopause. After I knew I was going to live, I wanted to feel better and hormones weren’t an option for me. RegenCen in Petoskey got everything working and feeling good down there -so grateful for modern medicine.”
• “I’m 75 and I’m ok with some wrinkles and as a woman, I’m just not ok with all of this hair thinning. Thanks to RegenCen in Traverse City, I have better hair and more confidence.”

No. Surprised? And we will spare you all the reasons.

• Erectile dysfunction
• Osteoarthritis
• Tendinitis, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis
• Urge incontinence
• Stress incontinence
• Overactive bladder
• Vaginal atrophy
• Menopausal dryness
• Sexual dysfunction
• Thinning hair
• Dry eye

Most treatments last for about a year and then maintenance treatments for osteoarthritis, sexual function, bladder control, vaginal atrophy, and hair loss are scheduled in either our Traverse City, Petoskey, or Naples office annually.

Easy question. Dr. Gustav Lo is passionate about being ahead of the curve but most importantly helping people feel better. This was a natural progression. We’ve been offering feminine rejuvenation and PRF in Petoskey and Traverse City at Cosmetic Skin & Laser Center since 2017 and opened our Naples office in 2022. As regenerative treatments have evolved so has our practice. It made sense to create a separate division.