DMAE is a component of cell membranes and is also one of the substances used by the body to make the cell-signalling molecule
acetylcholine.
It has been used as a supplement for several decades for a variety of
reasons, most of them related to its effects on acetylcholine
production in the nervous system or other tissues. (See the discussion
on the DMAE page of this website.)
Thanks
in part to the efforts of Nicholas Perricone at Michigan State
University, DMAE has become well-known as an agent for preventing or
reversing age-related wrinkling and creasing of the skin. As result of
the popularity of Perricone’s books and his appearances on television,
we now have very large numbers of anecdotal reports attesting to the
effectiveness of DMAE for reducing these symptoms of skin aging.
Fortunately, the evidence does not stop there — at least two convincing
clinical studies also support these claims.1,2
DMAE’s
anti-wrinkle effects are thought to involve cell signalling within the
skin. Acetylcholine is one of the skin’s signalling molecules, and DMAE
may affect its production or its usage.2
Another connection between DMAE and the aging process is suggested by DMAE’s ability to remove deposits of an age-related
substance called ‘lipofuscin’.3,4
Lipofuscin is a brownish conglomerate of fats, metals, and other
material that result from an incomplete recycling of biomolecules. It
accumulates both inside and outside of cells throughout the body and is
considered to be an indicator of age-related damage to cells, or
perhaps even a cause of it.5,6
For use on the skin, DMAE is formulated as a lotion.
DMAE supplements should never be used during pregnancy.
