
Podcast: Open-Minded Healing
March 18, 2026 · 59 min
Listen to Dusan Sajic on Open-Minded Healing.
Listen

Dermatologist & Longevity Physician Advancing Evidence-Based Skin Aging
22+ years Clinical dermatology experienceTEDx SpeakerCDF Grant Principal Investigator Research Grant recipientBoard-certified Medical & cosmetic dermatologist
Dr. Dusan Sajic is a board-certified medical and cosmetic dermatologist and a certified physician in anti-aging and precision medicine. His work sits at the intersection of clinical dermatology, longevity science, and real-world living — shaped not only by two decades of research and practice, but by a personal history that forced him to rethink everything he thought he knew about prevention.
Dusan grew up on the Adriatic coast and spent his youth rowing competitively, training outdoors through long hours of sun, heat, and open water. Even as a dermatologist, he believed he was doing everything “right”, until he developed skin cancer. That moment changed his understanding of what skin remembers, and how much damage accumulates long before it becomes visible. It also pushed him into a full 180: searching for solutions that didn’t yet exist for people who love the outdoors, want to stay active in the world, and don’t want to hide from the elements just to stay safe.
His journey led him deeper into longevity medicine, exploring how sun exposure, inflammation, metabolism, and mitochondrial health converge in the skin. Today he approaches skin not as a cosmetic category but as a living organ that mirrors cardiovascular health, cognitive aging, immune resilience, and emotional wellbeing.
Your skin is an organ that takes hits all day long, and not just from sunlight. We sit down with dermatologist and former molecular immunologist Dr.Dusan Sajicto unpack what actually drives skin aging at the cellular level: DNA damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress from UV exposure and pollution. Along the way, he shares the personal turning point that changed his career, becoming a skin cancer patient and refusing to accept that sun damage is always permanent.
We talk about the surprising research trail connecting heavy sun exposure to senescent “zombie cells” and why those signals may matter for more than wrinkles, including possible links to dementia and heart disease in large datasets. Then we get practical: how to think about mineral sunscreen, why SPF does not scale the way most people assume, how much sunscreen you really need for the face and neck, and what to do when you feel stuck between sunscreen fears and the real risk of UV damage.
The most actionable takeaway is accountability. Dr. Saeic explains emerging diagnostics like redox and antioxidant testing (including the PAOT test), high-resolution skin imaging that reveals hidden sun damage, and why personalized skincare can hinge on your individual receptors for ingredients like vitamin C and retinoids. We also dig into longevity-focused treatments such as fractional CO2 laser resurfacing, what “600 microns” means, what downtime actually looks like, and how evidence is evolving on reducing future skin cancers.
If you care about healthy aging, skin barrier function, and evidence-based skincare that goes beyond marketing, this conversation will help you build a plan you can measure. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves the sun, and leave a review with your biggest skin health question.
You find Dr. Dusan Sajic at:
Derma Skin Institute - https://dermaskininstitute.com/improve-your-skinspan-approaching-skincare-with-a-longevity-lens/
Skincare - https://sajicskin.com/
Send us your desired health topic or guest suggestions
Please Follow and Review this podcast if you would like to support the growth of this show. Thank You! :)
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with two people you know that might benefit from the information. The more knowledge that people have in their hands, the healthier we can all become. If you would like to see a particular health issue discussed, or know someone who would be a great guest, contact the Open-Minded Healing podcast at marla@openmindedhealing.com.
Note: By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others, including but not limited to patients that you are treating. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This entire disclaimer also applies to any guests or contributors to the podcast. Under no circumstances shall Marla Miller, Open-Minded Healing Podcast, any guests or contributors to the podcast, be responsible for damages arising from use of the podcast.
Guest: Dusan Sajic
1+ podcast & stage appearances. Remote or in studio, broadcast-grade audio.