Hyaluronic acid is perhaps one of the most well-known beauty ingredients. Even people far from the beauty industry have heard of it. However, knowledge about hyaluronic acid is often limited to the fact that it reduces wrinkles. In reality, everything is not so simple.
What is hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic acid is the most versatile "beauty molecule". It was discovered in 1934 by Carl Meyer and his assistant John Palmer.
Hyaluronic acid is found in bones, connective tissue, cartilage, hair follicles and skin. At the same time, almost half of hyaluronic acid is present in the skin, where it, acting like a magnet, binds to water, slowing down its rate of evaporation and helping cells retain moisture. Just 1g of hyaluronic acid has the impressive capacity to retain up to 6L of water. Add to that the ability to regulate humidity levels in cells and you have a phenomenal cellular component. It allows the skin to maintain a high level of hydration, remaining elastic and healthy.
Thus, hyaluronic acid has three main effects:
- anti-aging;
- moisturizing;
- wound healing.
Hyaluronic acid can be destroyed by free radicals under the influence of ultraviolet rays, tobacco smoke and a polluted environment.
How to understand that your skin needs hyaluronic acid
After age 25, skin cells produce less hyaluronic acid. This is due to a slowdown in the cells' ability to divide and retain moisture. Dehydrated skin has an uneven structure, is dotted with fine wrinkles and appears dull.
To keep the skin soft, elastic and radiant, from the age of 25 you can include creams and preparations based on hyaluronic acid in your daily care, and after the age of 30 also hyaluronic serum.
Hyaluronic Acid Supplements
In the event of a hyaluronic acid deficiency, taking appropriate food supplements is recommended. Studies have shown that taking 120 to 240 mg of hyaluronic acid daily for at least a month significantly improves skin hydration and reduces dryness. Food supplements based on hyaluronic acid can be taken from the age of 20.
Why don't hyaluronic acid products work?
If the skin is sufficiently hydrated, products containing hyaluronic acid may clump upon application, making the use of this component unnecessary at this time.
If after using a cream or serum containing hyaluronic acid you feel a film feeling on the skin, then the skin does not need hyaluronic acid.
What skin type are hyaluronic acid products suitable for?
There are three main skin types:
- normal;
- dry;
- fat.
Skin, regardless of its type, can experience conditions of dehydration and sensitivity. In other words, oily and normal skin can be dehydrated. It is important not to confuse dehydration with dry skin. The cause of dry skin is a lack of lipids and not water.
What names can hyaluronic acid have on the packaging?
Hyaluronic acid has the following names:
- hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid;
- acetylated hyaluronate;
- sodium hyaluronate;
- sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
What skin care products contain hyaluronic acid
Serums
They have a light texture, minimal composition and are distinguished by the highest concentration of hyaluronic acid. In addition, the texture of the serum allows hyaluronic acid to penetrate the skin more quickly. It is best to use a combination of large and small molecules to provide immediate hydration to the upper layer of skin and longer lasting effects on the lower epidermis.
How to properly use hyaluronic acid serum
It is very important to apply hyaluronic acid serum correctly. The fact is that if you apply hyaluronic acid serum to dry skin in a humid room without subsequent application of cream, the serum will suck moisture from the air and create a feeling of tightness without drying out the face. If the skin is hydrated and the area is dry, the hyaluronic acid present on the surface of the face will draw water from the skin and evaporate it into the air, creating a feeling of dryness.
Therefore, it is important to apply hyaluronic acid serum to slightly damp skin - you can spray your face with thermal water or do not completely dry it with a towel, and after the serum immediately apply amoisturizing cream to "seal" hyaluronic acid in the skin. This way, the moisturizing effect will be maximum. This regimen is suitable for all skin types.
Cleaning products
Syndents containing sodium hyaluronate will help remove makeup, dirt and excess oil. The product is applied to damp skin, then washed.
Sodium hyaluronate lotion
Can be used for both the face and the body.
Sodium hyaluronate gel
The gel should be applied to the skin until completely absorbed.
Face cream
Hyaluronic acid is a "team player" that works best when combined with a cream.
What are the side effects of using hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic acid is perhaps the most harmless ingredient for the skin in terms of side effects. Since hyaluronic acid is a normal component of the skin, an allergic reaction to it is very rare.
The use of this acid, unlike glycolic, salicylic and others, is not aimed at renewing the epidermis, but at hydrating and maintaining the hydrolipidic coat of the skin. Therefore, it does not expose the skin and does not cause redness. Its use in topical application does not stimulate skin exfoliation processes.
If side effects occur after using a product containing hyaluronic acid, you should pay attention to the composition of the product - allergies may occur to other ingredients. This reaction can result from using too high a concentration of hyaluronic acid. Therefore, to avoid irritation or dryness, it is recommended to avoid hyaluronic acid concentrations above 2%.
It's also a good idea to do a preliminary "skin test": apply a small amount of any new product to the back of your wrist and evaluate the side effects for 24 hours. If you experience any side effects after using hyaluronic acid, you should consult a dermatologist.
During pregnancy or breastfeeding, the use of external preparations containing hyaluronic acid is safe.
What should hyaluronic acid be?
The benefits of hyaluronic acid directly depend on its molecular weight and concentration. The diameter of the hyaluronic acid is also important because it determines the ability of the ingredient to penetrate the skin.
Molecular weight is measured in atomic mass units, daltons or kDa. Hyaluronic acid weighing 50 to 1000 kDa is most beneficial for the skin; a weight of around 130 kDa is considered optimal. Exceeding this indicator has no qualitative significance.
Why does the weight of 130 kDa have the maximum effect?
In one study, researchers evaluated the skin effects of hyaluronic acid with different molecular weights, including 50, 130, 300, 800, and 2, 000 kDa. A month after starting to use topical preparations containing different weights of acid, experts found that using 130 kDa was the most effective: skin elasticity increased by 20%. Both the 50 kDa group and the 130 kDa group experienced a significant reduction in wrinkle depth and skin roughness after 60 days. All other molecular weights also increased skin elasticity and hydration, but to a lesser extent.
With which components does hyaluronic acid combine well?
If you are looking for a pair of ingredients for optimal skin care, choose hyaluronic acid and vitamin C. They complement each other and promote maximum hydration, protection and restoration of the skin.
There's another reason why these ingredients work well together: too much vitamin C can cause irritation, dry skin, and even acne, and hyaluronic acid not only soothes and repairs the skin, helping to create a barrierof hydration, but also acts as an excellent messenger, delivering vitamin C to cells.
Other Medical Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid
In addition to its excellent cosmetic effect in skin care, sodium hyaluronate has other medical indications for use.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint
Hyaluronic acid is found in joint fluid and cartilage. However, in cases of osteoarthritis, sodium hyaluronate levels in the joints become low. A sodium hyaluronate injection can help fight osteoarthritis of the knee. The medication is injected directly into the knee and helps reduce pain in that area.
Eye surgery
Sodium hyaluronate drops are useful in procedures such as:
- corneal transplant surgery;
- correction of glaucoma;
- secondary implantation of an intraocular lens;
- cataract surgery.
Thanks to its anti-inflammatory and hydrating effects, sodium hyaluronate reduces dry eyes that can occur after surgery.
Sodium hyaluronate nasal spray
This product is effective in hydrating and regenerating the sinus mucosa.
Hyaluronic acid injections
Injectable wrinkle fillers can make the skin look lifted in a gentler manner than a traditional facelift. Most fillers or fillers fill in hollows, lines and wrinkles in less than 30 minutes and provide results that can last from 4 months to a year.
What effect do the injections have?
The scope of application of hyaluronic acid gel is wide:
- smoothing of wrinkles
- lip augmentation
- facial contour modeling
- intensive hydration of the skin
The most popular category of wrinkle fillers is hyaluronic acid. Each type of medication works differently and produces different results.
Side effects
Side effects of these injections are rare, but may include:
- redness;
- edema;
- bruising at the injection site.
The filler may also appear under the skin as tiny bumps, but this will disappear within a day.
If you take blood thinners, the injection site will bleed longer and may cause slight bruising.
What you need to know before hyaluronic acid injection
- You should not let yourself be guided solely by the price of the intervention.
- If you are offered wrinkle correction at a significantly lower price, it is possible that the craftsmanship or quality of the product leaves much to be desired.
- The procedure must be carried out exclusively in a medical center.
- Interventions must be performed exclusively in a medical setting, regardless of who performs them.
- Always ask the name of the medicine.
- Before the injection, the specialist must announce the name of the drug and show how he opens the new package. If the specialist does not provide this information, it is better to refuse the procedure.
Use sunscreen daily. This will help prolong the effect of the filler and protect against post-inflammatory pigmentary changes that may occur at the injection site.
Special precautions when performing hyaluronic acid injections
Pregnancy
There is no data supporting the safety of hyaluronic acid injections during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding
There is also no data on the safety of hyaluronic acid injections during breastfeeding and their effects on the child.
Associated visible skin diseases
The application of hyaluronic acid can worsen the skin condition of people with scleroderma. With this pathology, topical use of products containing hyaluronic acid is inappropriate.
How is the hyaluronic acid injection carried out?
Hyaluronic acid is injected under the skin with a fine needle in small volumes. Depending on pain sensitivity and the injection site, it is possible to pre-apply an anesthetic cream or to use local anesthesia in the form of a skin injection of an anesthetic. When using a topical anesthetic, the anesthetic effect occurs within 2-3 minutes.
In which areas of the face are hyaluronic acid injections used?
- glabellar lines associated with botulinum toxin;
- nasolabial wrinkles and "marionette lines";
- fine wrinkles around the mouth and lips.
It should be remembered that superficial or very deep wrinkles are difficult to treat. In these cases, the doctor may recommend a combination of hyaluronic acid gel with another medication and subsequent skin care selection.
How long does the hyaluronic acid injection procedure take?
The procedure takes 15 to 60 minutes. But since the lip area is much smaller than other injection areas, the duration of the work is also shorter.
How long does the effect of hyaluronic acid treatment last?
The duration of action varies from patient to patient and depends on many factors, including lifestyle, skin type, age and injection technique. For example, after lip augmentation, at least six months should pass before the next injection of the drug.
With what skin care products can hyaluronic acid be combined?
Hyaluronic acid combines with most other ingredients, including peels, retinols, vitamins and other acids. The only exception is low pH acids, like glycolic acid, as they can inhibit the action of hyaluronic acid and significantly reduce its effectiveness.
What to do after injecting fillers at home
- Avoid massaging or rubbing the treated areas for 48 hours following treatment.
- During the first eight hours following the procedure, you should not touch the treated areas of your face unnecessarily. Later, you can wash your face with soap and apply light makeup.
- Until the initial redness and swelling of the skin subsides, extreme overheating of the skin (tanning beds and sunbathing) and hypothermia should be avoided.
Is it possible to remove hyaluronic acid after treatment?
No. If you are not satisfied with the result, you can gradually carry out the treatment until you achieve the desired effect.
What is biorevitalization
Biorevitalization is a form of mesotherapy using higher concentrations of hyaluronic acid. It should not be confused with filler, which acts as a wrinkle filler and does not provide nutrients to the skin.
Biorevitalization can be used on the neck, décolleté, arms, hands and areas around the knees.
The main goal of the therapy is to fill the skin with hyaluronic acid, which stimulates the natural production of collagen, hyaluronic acid and active metabolism under the skin, which contributes to its rejuvenation.
To do this, purified hyaluronic acid of non-animal origin is injected into the skin. This means that it is synthesized from bacteriological strains of streptococcus, is completely organic for the human body and does not cause adverse effects. This method of skin rejuvenation is considered simpler than other cosmetic procedures, but no less effective.
Biorevitalization is recommended after 25-30 years, when the amount of native hyaluronic acid begins to significantly decrease and the skin intensively loses moisture. This leads to a loss of tone and elasticity, increased dryness and a tendency to inflammation. The result is visible after the first procedure, but to achieve the ideal effect, you need to undergo treatment.
What is mesotherapy
Mesotherapy is the rejuvenation of tired tissues. The main goal of the technique is to enrich the skin with beneficial substances and nutrients. Thanks to injections, this process is deeper and more intense than with the use of creams and masks. Depending on the goals of the correction, the doctor selects a ready-made solution or composes it individually, taking into account the characteristics of the patient's body.
The components of mesotherapy can be:
- hyaluronic acid;
- vitamin and mineral complexes;
- amino acids, antioxidants;
- peptides;
- phytoextracts.
The procedure is performed with very fine needles. Mesotherapy has a lasting effect from the first injection session and can solve a whole series of problems. It is aimed at improving the general condition of the skin, normalizing microcirculation in cells and intercellular space, increasing tissue elasticity and eliminating various aesthetic defects. The youthfulness and freshness of the skin lasts up to ten months and can be maintained through repeated injections.
What to choose - mesotherapy or biorevitalization
There is no clear answer. Biorevitalization injections contain only hyaluronic acid, necessary primarily to moisturize and restore damaged tissues.
Mesotherapy cocktails are a complex set of biologically active components that have a complex effect on tissues and can solve several aesthetic problems at once.
Mesotherapy will also be useful in case of specific problems, such as:
- dark circles and bags under the eyes;
- cellulite;
- hair loss;
- scars.
Mesotherapy includes both superficial injection of drugs to a depth of 2 mm and deep punctures.
So, for patients aged 30 and over, mesotherapy is optimal, which is especially relevant for solving aesthetic problems associated with acne and scars, and biorevitalization will be the best option for patients over25 years.