Facelifts, Breast Implants, and the REAL Fix for Wrinkles

Dave Asprey

Jul 10, 2025

Episode description

Wrinkles are just the surface. This episode reveals what’s really happening beneath your skin and how to reverse it using stem cells, regenerative medicine, and the most advanced techniques in plastic surgery and aging. You’ll learn how to improve facial skin tightening, reduce inflammation, and trigger deep skin rejuvenation with stem cells, red light therapy, and targeted procedures that actually work.

Watch this episode on YouTube for the full video experience:

https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR

Host Dave Asprey shares his personal journey through weight loss and skin excess, including why he had 28 inches of skin removed and how he rebuilt facial structure using stem cells and longevity protocols. He’s joined by Dr. Victor Urzola, a globally recognized expert in plastic surgery and aging, known for pioneering biohacking skin health techniques, cutting-edge facial reconstruction, and legalizing therapeutic stem cell use in Costa Rica.

Together, they expose the hidden causes of wrinkles and aging, from mitochondrial slowdown to ligament laxity and collagen depletion. They also unpack the science behind breast implant health risks, silicone toxicity syndrome, and why thousands of women experience hormonal, neurological, and metabolic symptoms related to their implants. Dr. Urzola explains how explant surgery can improve hormone balance, sleep, HRV, metabolism, and even libido. You’ll also hear how cosmetic procedures interact with HPA axis function and how skin and brain health are more connected than you think.

This episode is a must for anyone serious about biohacking, skin optimization, stem cells and longevity, and functional medicine. Dave also breaks down his recovery stack, including exosomes, red light therapy, collagen cycling, nootropics, and how cosmetic procedures can be used to enhance—not just appearance—but total human performance.

You’ll learn:

• The real root causes of wrinkles and sagging skin

• How to use skin rejuvenation with stem cells for long-term results

• Signs of silicone toxicity syndrome and what to do about it

• Why cosmetic procedures impact hormone health and libido

• The most effective strategies for facial skin tightening and recovery

• How to approach breast implant health risks with functional medicine thinking

Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade is the top podcast for people who want to take control of their biology, extend their longevity, and optimize every system in the body and mind. Each episode features cutting-edge insights in health, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nut

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Understand neck muscle changes to combat aging effects

The platysma muscles in the neck can separate over time as a normal part of aging, contributing to sagging and the formation of vertical bands.

#aging

#muscle

Treat skin like a muscle with controlled trauma treatments

To keep skin healthy, you need to work it out by inducing small, controlled traumas with treatments like lasers or microneedling with radio frequency.

#laser

#skin

Stimulate collagen production every 21 days with soft peels

Since fibroblasts have a 21-day cycle to produce collagen, applying a stimulus like a soft peel every three weeks can keep them actively working.

#collagen

#skin

Understand silicone's bio-tolerance and scar tissue formation

The body tolerates silicone but recognizes it as a foreign body, always forming a biological capsule of scar tissue around an implant.

#implant

#regeneration

Replace breast implants every decade to prevent silicone leakage

Even without symptoms, breast implants should be replaced every 10 years because the shell deteriorates like car tires, potentially leaking silicone molecules.

#implant

#safety

Avoid silicone implants to prevent aging markers

Silicone molecules can interfere with mitochondrial function and upregulate pro-aging inflammatory markers like MMP9 and interleukins 17A, 13, and 22.

#aging

#implant

Consider biological breast augmentation with U flap technique

A procedure called a 'U flap' uses a flap of the upper abdominal wall to reconstruct breast volume after implant removal, avoiding foreign materials.

#regeneration

Combine umbilical cord stem cells with microneedling for enhanced skin healing

Injecting umbilical cord stem cells into the dermis after microneedling radio frequency dramatically improves skin quality and healing compared to microneedling alone.