Bioactive silicium for stretch mark treatment

The results showed that MHA did not demonstrate any mutagenic activity. Another clinical study on volunteers showed that MHA did not induce any process of cutaneous irritation or sensitisation. It did not cause phototoxicity nor photoallergy during the study period. Therefore, MHA is considered approved for topical use. Some teratology studies on animals (mouse, rat and rabbit) proved that the silicium derivative, methylsilanetriol, has no significant toxicity effect on the animal mother and embryo growth. It was proved experimentally on keratinocytes-fibroblasts interactions that MHA could increase secretion of soluble factors of keratinocytes to indirectly stimulate fibroblast proliferation, a key factor for collagen production. In the test on 23 pregnant women (volunteers), MHA proved to be efficient against the development and the worsening of stretch marks, whatever the type of body morphology treated (from thin to obese). It may be noted that among primiparas with normal morphology, no appearance of stretch marks was observed on 13 women among 15. This clinical test confirmed the MHA’s efficiency on cell stimulation and reconstruction. The combination of silicium and collagen (silanetriol and hydrolysed collagen, MS HC) is also considered as a good solution for prevention of stretch marks. Its concentrated silicium content enhances restructuring effect, while marine collagen will offer an additional immediate tensing effect.

Silicium emerges

Silicium remained virtually unknown in biology until 1970 because no method can reliably assay it in animal tissues. However, from 1952, Charnot1,2 and Austin3 had presented the importance of the silicium element in biology and were the first to mention “organic silicium”. Since then, work has been made in the US by Carlisle4 and Schwarz,5 and in France by Loeper,6,7 Charnot,8,9,10 Peres, Gendre,11,12,13 then Eisinger,14 Levrier15 and Nenrotte,16 Brown,17 Frefert.18 In the living organism, silicium is probably in the form of silicic acid Si(OH)4. It has been proved that silicium is essential for normal development of a living being and that its reduction leads to destruction of tissue. Consequently, a supply of this element can regenerate those disrupted tissues. It has been proved by experiments that silicium mostly exists in the extracellular matrix (ECM). Silicium is further shown to be an integral component of mucopolysaccharide-protein complexes of connective tissue. An effect of silicium on ageing is probably related to mucopolysaccharide changes. Acting as an anti-crosslinking agent, silicium may contribute to structural integrity of connective tissue.4 However, for the further direct use of the exogenous silicium which is close to the body’s natural form, it is necessary to conduct strict tests and evaluations with the silicium. All kinds of essential in vitro and in vivo tests have been conducted, then a clinical evaluation made. All the results proved that silicium (in the form of silanol) is active and safe to humans. The role of silicium (silanol) is important in the ECM – restructuring the disrupted connective tissue. We found that a kind of derivative of silicium (methylsilanol hydroxyproline aspartate, MHA) had a significant effect in the clinical test on prevention of stretch marks. Stretch marks or striae, as they are sometimes called in dermatology, are a form of scarring on the skin with an uneven colouration. They firstly look like scars, are red, and then pearl white, permanent tissue is progressively constituted. Stretch marks are the result of the rapid stretching of the skin associated with rapid growth (common in puberty) or weight gain (e.g. in pregnancy) that overcomes the dermis elasticity. The skin’s constitutive structure proteins (e.g. collagen, elastin) are ruptured and this process is mostly irreversible. As a scar, the concerned skin has neither hair nor elements of secretion.19 The stretch marks evolve in two stages:
w A forming stage indicated by slightly raised reddish striae.
 w A stage in which the striae become white and slightly depressed. They will form parallel tension lines in the skin. Their aspects are different depending on the area: on the abdomen they are arranged in a circle around the navel; on the breasts they are circular around the areola; and on the thigh they are slanted and bilateral.