L

ooking good is expensive‭. ‬A shirt from Chanel’s spring/summer 2026‭ ‬collection‭, ‬its first under the new creative direction of Matthieu Blazy‭, ‬co-created with 187-year-old heritage brand Charvet‭, ‬costs‭ $‬4,350‭ (‬Dh15,975‭). ‬Kris Jenner’s gravity-defying facelift‭? ‬Between‭ $‬100,000‭ ‬and‭ $‬150,000‭ (‬Dh367,250-Dh550,875‭). ‬Put the two together and you’ll look a million dollars‭. ‬But what’s the use of looking a million dollars if your telomeres are shortening faster than Kim Kardashian’s chances of passing the bar exam‭? ‬The star’s recent attempt to qualify as a lawyer didn’t make the grade‭, ‬but we’ll forgive her‭, ‬since her shapewear brand Skims was valued at‭ $‬5‭ ‬billion‭ (‬Dh18.4bn‭) ‬last week‭. ‬Don’t know your telomeres from your Tom Ford‭? ‬You clearly weren’t among the world’s top longevity experts gathered in Riyadh recently for the Middle East’s first biohacking conference‭, ‬The Zenos Health Summit‭. ‬Telomeres protect us from age-related disease‭, ‬and preserving them is a‭ ‬key tenet of many a longevity guru‭. ‬But‭, ‬unlike Jenner’s facelift‭, ‬that Chanel shirt or a Tom Ford evening gown‭, ‬you can’t simply buy longer telomeres‭. ‬Or can you‭? ‬While sleep‭, ‬movement‭, ‬nutrition and nature will always be the best‭ ‬–‭ ‬and cheapest‭ ‬–‭ ‬tools in the anti-ageing armoury‭, ‬there are countless interventions that promise to preserve healthspan‭, ‬at a cost‭. ‬Just as former Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said that the streaming giant’s biggest competition is sleep‭, ‬aesthetically-leaning longevity protocols are tempting luxury fashion consumers‭, ‬and their Dubai‭ ‬First Royale credit cards‭, ‬out of stores and into clinics‭.‬

So‭, ‬what’s worth paying for‭? ‬And can the lure of living longer‭ (‬and looking better‭), ‬tempt you to switch discretionary spend from designer handbags to DEXA scans‭? ‬Speaking at the Zenos Summit‭, ‬Dr Jessica Shepherd said‭, ‬“Think in your head‭: ‬I am my best investment‭. ‬How do I make that choice to be worth what I know I’m worth‭?‬”‭ ‬When weighing up how to spend your time‭, ‬money‭, ‬and energy‭, ‬Dr Shepherd says we should ask ourselves‭: ‬“What is this investment going to do for me as a return in aging when I get to my 70s‭, ‬80s and 90s‭? ‬What am I doing right now in‭ ‬middle-age that’s going to give me that bang for a buck when I’m older‭?‬”‭ ‬It’s a question worth considering when you are tempted by the sale rails in the forthcoming White Friday promotions at the end of the month‭. ‬Will 80-year-old you appreciate that sequin mini you found at 60%‭ ‬off in Harvey Nics‭, ‬or might your money be better invested in the latest longevity protocols that promise to have you living and looking better‭? ‬Here‭, ‬I break down two buzzy longevity treatments that cross-over into looking good‭. ‬Longevity treatment‭, ‬or fashion treat‭? ‬You decide‭. ‬

Peptide Therapy‭ (‬or a new handbag‭?)‬

Don’t call yourself a bona fide bio-hacker unless you can immediately reel off an incomprehensible combination of letters and numbers in response to the question‭: ‬“What’s your favourite peptide‭?‬”‭ ‬For most of us‭, ‬it’s a question of reeling it back and asking‭, ‬what is a peptide‭? ‬In short‭, ‬it’s a mini-protein‭, ‬or chain of amino acids‭, ‬that can tell cells what to do‭, ‬and there are about 7,000‭ ‬of them‭. ‬The US Food and Drug Administration has approved over 100‭, ‬including GLP-1‭, ‬or glucagon-like peptides‭, ‬the basis for weight-loss drugs such as Mounjaro and Ozempic‭. ‬Zenos speaker Dr Shawana Vali‭, ‬specialist in cosmetic dermatology and medical wellness‭, ‬says‭, ‬“Peptides are naturally found in your body‭. ‬By the time you hit 40‭, ‬you have about 50-60%‭ ‬left‭. ‬By the time you hit 60‭, ‬you have‭ ‬about 20-30%‭ ‬left‭.‬”

We’ve seen peptides bandied around as skincare ingredients and in supplement form‭, ‬but hardcore bio-hackers inject them subcutaneously with an insulin syringe‭, ‬with jackhammer-like effectiveness‭, ‬for purported benefits ranging from muscle growth to improved immune response to deep sleep to hair growth‭. ‬I’ve seen them marketed for increased melatonin production for a natural tan‭. ‬Cutely‭, ‬there’s one called Kisspeptin‭ (‬seriously‭) ‬that promises to boost libido‭.‬

But what do the insider’s take‭? ‬Speaking at Zenos‭, ‬Dr Ryan Neinstein‭, ‬a New York plastic surgeon known for the‭ ‬‘Birkin Body’‭ (‬timeless‭, ‬classy‭, ‬exclusive‭), ‬cites BPC-157‭, ‬aka the‭ ‬‘wolverine’‭, ‬as his top peptide‭, ‬one that promotes faster recovery and healing and is often used by athletes or post-surgery‭. ‬Dr Vali’s a huge fan‭. ‬“I love peptides‭, ‬they are about to become a billion-dollar industry‭,‬”‭ ‬she says‭. ‬“I combine them with subcutaneous‭ [‬co-enzyme‭] ‬NAD and then I take Delta sleep-inducing peptide for when I cannot fall asleep‭. ‬I’m perimenopausal so I take CJC-1295‭ ‬to maintain my fat burning mode‭, ‬because whatever I look at right now‭, ‬I put on weight immediately without even eating it‭.  ‬And then also I take Ipamorelin to maintain my muscle mass and improve my bone density because I‭ ‬want to be protective of myself through my perimenopause‭.‬”

Price‭:‬‭ ‬Varies depending on peptides used‭, ‬clinic‭, ‬and cycle length‭, ‬but can be around Dh6,000‭ ‬for a six week cycle‭, ‬the equivalent to‭ ‬a Saint Laurent leather‭ ‬‘Shopping’‭ ‬bag

Exosomes‭ (‬or an emerging designer gown‭?)‬

Expect to hear a lot more about exosomes in the coming years‭. ‬Like a designer fashion label about to explode‭ (‬my money’s on Nafsika Skourti‭), ‬exosomes are on the fast track to the mainstream‭. ‬Tiny sacs or bubbles that act as messengers between cells‭, ‬exosomes carry molecules and influence behaviour of recipient cells‭. ‬“They are basically like fertiliser‭,‬”‭ ‬says Dr Vali‭, ‬“microscopic couriers‭. ‬They transport growth factors and mRNA between cells‭ ‬–‭ ‬reprogramming how your skin behaves‭, ‬repairs‭, ‬and ages‭.‬”

Exosome-based skincare formulations are derived from plant‭, ‬animal‭, ‬or human stem cells‭, ‬and applied topically to help skin regeneration‭. ‬Or‭, ‬like peptides‭, ‬they can be injected under the skin‭. ‬Some practitioners mix them with facial fillers‭. ‬Dr Vali uses‭ ‬them for hair growth‭, ‬saying‭, ‬“I inject exosomes into my scalp to extend the anagen phase and thicken my hair‭, ‬and undertake intravenous exosomes with stem cells bi-annually for cellular regeneration‭. ‬I undertake hyaluronic acid and biostimulators once every 18-24‭ ‬months for scaffolding‭ ‬support in my face‭.‬”

Price‭:‬‭ ‬from around Dh1,500‭ ‬a session depending on clinic‭. ‬Up to six sessions may be required for hair loss treatment‭, ‬equivalent to a‭ ‬Nafsika Skourti gown