Hyaluronic acid is perhaps one of the most popular beauty ingredients. Even people far from the beauty industry have heard about it. However, knowledge about hyaluronic acid is often limited to its wrinkle reduction. In fact, 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. Meanwhile, almost half of hyaluronic acid is found in the skin, where it acts like a magnet to bind to water, slowing its rate of evaporation and helping cells retain moisture. Only 1 g of hyaluronic acid can hold up to 6 liters of water. Add in the ability to regulate moisture levels in the cells and you have a phenomenal cellular component. It allows the skin to maintain a high level of moisture, remain elastic and healthy.
Thus, hyaluronic acid has three main effects:
- anti aging;
- moisturizer;
- wound healing.
Hyaluronic acid can be destroyed by free radicals under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, tobacco smoke and polluted environment.
How to understand that your skin needs hyaluronic acid
After 25 years, skin cells produce less hyaluronic acid. This happens because the cells divide and their ability to retain moisture slows down. Dehydrated skin has an uneven structure, is stained with fine wrinkles and looks dull.
In order for your skin to remain soft, elastic and shiny, you can include hyaluronic acid creams and preparations in your daily care starting from the age of 25, and hyaluronic serum after the age of 30.
Hyaluronic acid supplements
If there is a lack of hyaluronic acid, it is recommended to take appropriate supplements. Studies show that taking 120-240 mg of hyaluronic acid per day for at least a month significantly improves skin hydration and reduces dryness. Food supplements containing hyaluronic acid can be taken from the age of 20.
Why Hyaluronic Acid Products Don't Work?
If the skin is sufficiently hydrated, products containing hyaluronic acid can accumulate when applied, which means that there is no need to use this component at this time.
If the skin feels like a veil after using a cream or serum with hyaluronic acid, 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;
- oily
All skin types can experience conditions of dehydration and sensitivity. That is, both oily and normal skin can be dehydrated. It is important not to confuse dehydration with dry skin type. The cause of dry skin is not water, but a lack of lipids.
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.
Which 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 faster. It is best to use a combination of large and small molecules to immediately hydrate the top layer of the skin and have a longer lasting effect on the lower epidermis.
How to use hyaluronic acid serum correctly
It is very important to apply the hyaluronic acid serum correctly. The thing is, if you apply hyaluronic acid serum to dry skin in a humid room, without applying cream afterwards, the serum will draw moisture from the air and create a feeling of tightness without drying out the face. If the skin is moisturized and the room is dry, the hyaluronic acid present on the surface of the face draws water from the skin and evaporates it into the air, creating a feeling of dryness.
Therefore, it is important to apply the hyaluronic acid serum to slightly damp skin - you can sprinkle your face with thermal water or dry it completely with a towel, and after the serum, immediately apply a moisturizer to "seal" the hyaluronic acid into the skin. skin. In this way, the moisturizing effect will be maximum. This scheme is suitable for any skin type.
Cleaning products
Syndents containing sodium hyaluronate will help remove makeup, dirt and excess sebum. The product is applied to wet skin, then washed off.
Lotion with sodium hyaluronate
It can be used for both face and body.
Gel with sodium hyaluronate
The gel should be applied to the skin until it is 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 least harmful ingredient for the skin in terms of side effects. Since hyaluronic acid is a normal part 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 moisturizing and maintaining the hydrolipid mantle of the skin. Therefore, it does not "expose" the skin and does not cause redness. When applied locally, its use does not stimulate skin peeling processes.
If side effects occur after using a product containing hyaluronic acid, you should pay attention to the composition of the product - you may be allergic to other ingredients. This reaction can be caused by the use of very high concentrations of hyaluronic acid. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid concentrations of hyaluronic acid above 2% to avoid irritation or dryness.
It's also wise to do an initial "patch test"—apply a small amount of any new product to the back of your wrist and assess for side effects within 24 hours. If you notice any side effects after using hyaluronic acid, you should consult a dermatologist.
It is safe to use external preparations containing hyaluronic acid during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
What should hyaluronic acid be?
The benefits of hyaluronic acid directly depend on its molecular weight and concentration. The diameter of hyaluronic acid is also important because it determines the ability of the ingredient to penetrate the skin.
Molecular weight is measured in so-called atomic mass units - daltons or kDa. Hyaluronic acid between 50 and 1000 kDa is most beneficial for the skin; a weight of about 130 kDa is considered optimal. Exceeding this indicator has no qualitative significance.
Why does the weight of 130 kDa give the maximum effect?
In one study, researchers evaluated the skin effects of hyaluronic acid with different molecular weights, including 50, 130, 300, 800, and 2000 kDa. A month after starting to use local preparations with different weights of acid, experts found that the use of 130 kDa was the most effective - the elasticity of the skin increased by 20%. Both the 50 kDa and 130 kDa groups experienced significant reductions in wrinkle depth and skin roughness after 60 days. All other molecular weights also increased skin elasticity and hydration, but to a lesser extent.
What components does hyaluronic acid combine well with?
If you're 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 regeneration of the skin.
There's another reason these ingredients work so well together—too much vitamin C can cause irritation, dry skin, and even acne, and hyaluronic acid not only soothes and restores skin, helps create a moisture barrier, but also acts as an excellent carrier. 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, sodium hyaluronate levels are low in joints with osteoarthritis. Sodium hyaluronate injection can help with osteoarthritis in the knee. The drug is injected directly into the knee and helps reduce pain in this area.
Eye surgery
Sodium hyaluronate drops are useful in procedures such as:
- corneal transplant surgery;
- glaucoma correction;
- secondary intraocular lens implantation;
- cataract surgery.
Due to its anti-inflammatory and moisturizing effect, sodium hyaluronate reduces dry eyes that may occur after surgery.
Nasal spray with sodium hyaluronate
This product is effective for moisturizing and restoring the mucous membrane of the sinuses.
Hyaluronic acid injections
Injectable wrinkle fillers can provide a more gently lifted appearance to the skin 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 injections have?
The field of application of hyaluronic acid gel is wide:
- smoothing out wrinkles
- lip augmentation
- facial contour modeling
- intensive skin hydration
The most popular category of wrinkle fillers is hyaluronic acid. Each type of medicine 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 as a small bump under the skin, but this will disappear within a day.
If you take blood thinners, the injection site will bleed longer and may cause light bruising.
What you need to know before injections with hyaluronic acid
- You should not be guided only by the cost of the procedure.
- If you are offered a wrinkle repair at a significantly lower price, the craftsmanship or quality of the product may leave much to be desired.
- The procedure should be performed only in a medical center.
- Procedures should be performed only under medical conditions, regardless of who performs them.
- Always ask for the name of the medicine.
- Before the injection, the specialist must reveal the name of the drug and show how to open 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 pigment changes that may occur at the injection site.
Special precautions when performing hyaluronic acid injections
Pregnancy
There is no data confirming the safety of hyaluronic acid injection during pregnancy.
Breast feeding
There is still no information about the safety of injections with hyaluronic acid during breastfeeding and their effect on the child.
Skin diseases that appear to be associated
Hyaluronic acid application may worsen the condition of the skin in people with scleroderma. With this pathology, the local use of products containing hyaluronic acid is not suitable.
How is hyaluronic acid injection performed?
Hyaluronic acid is injected under the skin with a small needle. Depending on the sensitivity to pain and the injection site, it is possible to use local anesthesia in the form of pre-applying anesthetic cream or injecting it into the skin with anesthesia. When using a topical anesthetic, the anesthetic effect occurs within 2-3 minutes.
What areas of the face are hyaluronic acid injections applied to?
- glabellar lines with botulinum toxin;
- nasolabial lines and "marionette lines";
- fine lines around the mouth and lips.
It should be remembered that it is difficult to treat superficial or very deep wrinkles. In these cases, the doctor may recommend the combination of hyaluronic acid gel with another drug and a subsequent skin care option.
How long does the hyaluronic acid injection procedure take?
The procedure takes 15-60 minutes. But since the lip area is very small compared to other injection areas, the duration of the work on it is also shorter.
How long does the effect of hyaluronic acid treatment last?
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.
What skin care products can hyaluronic acid be combined with?
Hyaluronic acid combines with most other ingredients, including peels, retinols, vitamins and other acids. The only exception is acids with a low pH level, such as 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 the first 48 hours after treatment.
- During the first eight hours after the procedure, you should not touch the treated areas of your face unnecessarily. Then you can wash your face with soap and apply light makeup.
- Overheating of the skin (sols and sunbathing) and hypothermia should be avoided until the initial redness and swelling of the skin subsides.
Is it possible to remove hyaluronic acid after treatment?
Nope. If you are not satisfied with the result, you can gradually carry out the treatment until the desired effect is achieved.
What is biorevitalization?
Biorevitalization is a form of mesotherapy using high concentrations of hyaluronic acid. It should not be confused with a filler that acts as a filler for wrinkles and does not provide nutrients to the skin.
Biorevitalization can be applied to the neck, décolleté, arms, hands, and 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.
For this, purified hyaluronic acid of animal origin is injected into the skin. This means that it is synthesized from bacteriological strains of streptococci, is completely organic for the human body and does not cause adverse reactions. This method of skin rejuvenation is considered easier than other cosmetic procedures, but it is no less effective.
Biorevitalization is recommended after 25-30 years, when the amount of local hyaluronic acid begins to decrease significantly and the skin intensively loses moisture. This leads to loss of tone and elasticity, increased dryness and a tendency to inflammation. The result is visible after the first procedure, but for an ideal effect, you need to undergo a course of treatment.
What is mesotherapy?
Mesotherapy is the rejuvenation of tired tissues. The main purpose of the technique is to enrich the skin with useful substances and nutrients. Thanks to injections, this process goes deeper and more intensively than with the use of creams and masks. Depending on the goals of the correction, the doctor chooses a ready-made solution or formulates it individually, taking into account the characteristics of the patient's body.
Components of mesotherapy can be:
- hyaluronic acid;
- vitamin and mineral complexes;
- amino acids, antioxidants;
- peptides;
- phytoextracts.
The procedure is performed with very thin needles. Mesotherapy gives a long-term effect after the first injection session and allows solving all problems. It aims to improve the general condition of the skin, normalize microcirculation in cells and intercellular space, increase tissue elasticity and eliminate various aesthetic defects. The youth and freshness of the skin lasts up to ten months and can be maintained with repeated injections.
What to choose - mesotherapy or biorevitalization
There is no clear answer. Injections for biorevitalization contain only hyaluronic acid, which is primarily necessary to moisturize and restore damaged tissues.
Mesotherapy cocktails are a whole complex of biologically active components that have a complex effect on tissues and can solve several aesthetic problems at the same time.
Mesotherapy will also help where there are specific problems, such as:
- dark circles and bags under the eyes;
- cellulite;
- hair loss;
- scar.
Mesotherapy includes both superficial injections of drugs to a depth of 2 mm and deep punctures.
Thus, mesotherapy is optimal for patients over 30 years old, it is especially relevant when solving cosmetic problems associated with acne and scars, and biorevitalization will be the best option for patients over 25 years old.