Hyaluronic acid is perhaps one of the most famous beauty ingredients. Even people far from the beauty industry have heard about 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 in the skin, where it acts like a magnet, binding with water, slowing the rate of evaporation and helping cells retain moisture. Just 1g of hyaluronic acid is capable of holding up to an impressive 6L of water. Add to that the ability to regulate moisture in cells and you have a great cellular component. It allows the skin to maintain high moisture levels, remain elastic and healthy.
Thus, hyaluronic acid has 3 main effects:
- against aging;
- moisturizing;
- healing.
Hyaluronic acid can be destroyed by free radicals under the influence of ultraviolet rays, cigarette smoke and polluted environments.
How to understand that your skin needs hyaluronic acid
After 25 years, skin cells produce less hyaluronic acid. This occurs because the cell's ability to divide and retain moisture is slowed. Dehydrated skin has an uneven texture, is speckled with fine wrinkles, and looks dull.
To keep your skin soft, elastic and bright, starting from the age of 25, you can use creams and preparations containing hyaluronic acid in your daily care, and after 30 years, also hyaluronic serum. .
Supplement Hyaluronic acid
If hyaluronic acid is deficient, appropriate supplements should be used. Studies have shown that taking 120-240 mg of hyaluronic acid daily for at least a month significantly improves skin moisture and reduces dryness. Dietary supplementation with hyaluronic acid can be carried out from the age of 20.
Why don't hyaluronic acid products work?
If the skin is hydrated, products containing hyaluronic acid may clump when applied, meaning there is no need to use this ingredient at this time.
If after using a cream or serum with hyaluronic acid, you feel like there is a film on your skin, then your skin does not need hyaluronic acid.
What skin types are products containing hyaluronic acid suitable for?
There are three main types of skin:
- Normal;
- dried;
- fat.
Any skin type can experience dehydration and sensitivity. That is, both oily and normal skin can become dehydrated. It's important not to confuse dehydration with dry skin. The cause of dry skin is due to lack of lipids, not water.
What name might 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
Serous
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 provide immediate hydration to the top layer of the skin and a more lasting effect in the lower epidermis.
How to use hyaluronic acid serum properly
It is very important to use hyaluronic acid serum correctly. In fact, if you apply a serum with hyaluronic acid to dry skin in a humid room without applying cream afterward, the serum will absorb moisture from the air and create a plumping feeling without drying out your face. If the skin is moisturized and prevented from drying out, the hyaluronic acid present on the surface of the facial skin will absorb water from the skin and evaporate into the air, creating a feeling of dryness.
Therefore, it is important to apply the hyaluronic acid serum to slightly damp skin - you can spray your face with hot water or not dry it completely with a towel, and after applying the serum, immediately apply a moisturizerto "seal" hyaluronic acid into the skin. skin. This way the moisturizing effect will be maximized. This option is suitable for all skin types.
Cleaning products
Syndents with sodium hyaluronate will help remove makeup, dirt and excess sebum. The product is applied to damp skin, then rinsed off.
The lotion has sodium hyaluronate
Can be used for both face and body.
The gel contains sodium hyaluronate
The gel should be applied to the skin until completely absorbed.
Lotion
Hyaluronic acid is a "comrade warrior" that works best when combined with cream.
What are the side effects of using hyaluronic acid?
Hyaluronic acid is probably the most harmless ingredient to the skin in terms of side effects. Because hyaluronic acid is a normal part of the skin, allergic reactions to it are 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 coating of the skin. Therefore, it does not "reveal" the skin and does not cause redness. Its use when applied topically does not stimulate the exfoliation process.
If side effects occur after using products containing hyaluronic acid, you should pay attention to the composition of the product - allergies can occur to other ingredients. This reaction can occur due to using too high a concentration of hyaluronic acid. Therefore, to avoid skin irritation or dryness, hyaluronic acid concentrations above 2% should be avoided.
You should also perform a preliminary "patch test" - apply a small amount of any new product to the back of your wrist and evaluate side effects over 24 hours. If you experience any side effects after using hyaluronic acid, you should consult a dermatologist.
During pregnancy or breastfeeding, the use of topical preparations containing hyaluronic acid is safe.
What should hyaluronic acid be?
The benefits of hyaluronic acid depend directly 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 weighing between 50 and 1000 kDa is most beneficial for the skin; a weight of about 130 kDa is considered optimal. Exceeding this index has no qualitative meaning.
Why does a 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 2000 kDa. One month after starting to use topical preparations of different acid weights, 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 significantly reduced wrinkle depth and skin roughness after 60 days. All other molecular weights also increase skin elasticity and hydration, but to a lesser extent.
What ingredients 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 skin hydration, protection, and repair.
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, it helps createmoisture barrier but also acts as an excellent carrier, leaving skin smooth. vitamin C into cells.
Other Medical Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid
In addition to its excellent cosmetic effects in skin care, sodium hyaluronate also has other medical indications for use.
Knee osteoarthritis
Hyaluronic acid is found in joint fluid and cartilage. However, with osteoarthritis, sodium hyaluronate levels in the joints become low. Sodium hyaluronate injections can help treat osteoarthritis in the knee. The medicine is injected directly into the knee and helps relieve pain in this 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 moisturizing effects, sodium hyaluronate reduces dry eyes that can occur after surgery.
Sodium hyaluronate nasal spray
This product effectively moisturizes and regenerates the mucous membrane of the sinuses.
hyaluronic acid injections
Injectable wrinkle fillers can give the skin a firmer appearance in a gentler way than a traditional facelift. Most fillers or fillers fill in sunken areas, fine lines and wrinkles in less than 30 minutes and provide results that can last from 4 months to a year.
What effect does the injection have?
The range of applications of hyaluronic acid gel is very wide:
- smooth wrinkles
- lip lift
- facial contour model
- Intensive skin moisturizing
The most common type of wrinkle filler is hyaluronic acid. Each medicine has different effects and gives different results.
Side Effects
Side effects from these injections are rare but may include:
- red;
- edema;
- bruising at the injection site.
Fillers may also appear under the skin as small bumps, but this will disappear within a day.
If you take blood thinners, the injection site will bleed longer and may cause mild bruising.
Things you should know before hyaluronic acid injections
- You should not be guided only by the price of the procedure.
- If you are offered wrinkle correction at a significantly lower price, it is possible that the quality or workmanship of the product is not up to par.
- The procedure must be performed exclusively at a medical center.
- Procedures must be performed exclusively in a medical setting, regardless of who performs them.
- Always ask for the name of the medicine.
- Before injecting, the specialist must announce 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 effects of the filler and protect against post-inflammatory pigmentary changes that can occur at the injection site.
Special notes when performing hyaluronic acid injections
Pregnancy
There are no data confirming the safety of hyaluronic acid injections during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding
There is also no data on the safety of hyaluronic acid injections while breastfeeding and their effects on the baby.
Associated visible skin diseases
Using hyaluronic acid might worsen skin conditions in people with scleroderma. With this pathology, the topical use of products containing hyaluronic acid is inappropriate.
How are hyaluronic acid injections performed?
Hyaluronic acid is injected under the skin with a thin needle in small volumes. Depending on pain sensitivity and injection site, anesthetic cream or local anesthesia in the form of injection of anesthetic into the skin may be applied beforehand. When using local anesthetics, the anesthetic effect occurs within 2-3 minutes.
In what areas of the face should hyaluronic acid be injected?
- glabellar strains associated with botulinum toxin;
- nasolabial lines and "marionette lines";
- Small wrinkles around the mouth and lips.
It is important to remember that shallow or very deep wrinkles are difficult to treat. In these cases, your doctor may recommend combining hyaluronic acid gel with another medication and skin care options afterward.
How long does the hyaluronic acid injection procedure take?
The procedure takes 15–60 minutes. But because the lip area is much smaller than other injection areas, the procedure time is also shorter.
How long do hyaluronic acid treatment effects last?
Duration of effect varies from patient to patient and depends on many factors, including lifestyle, skin type, age and injection technique. For example, after lip augmentation, it takes at least six months before the next injection.
What skin care treatments can hyaluronic acid be combined with?
Hyaluronic acid combines with most other ingredients, including peels, retinol, vitamins, and other acids. The only exception is low pH acids, 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 treatment area for the first 48 hours after treatment.
- For the first eight hours after the procedure, you should not touch the treatment area on your face unnecessarily. After that, you can wash your face with soap and apply light makeup.
- Until the initial redness and swelling of the skin has subsided, excessive skin heating (tanning beds and tanning beds) and hypothermia should be avoided.
Can hyaluronic acid be removed after treatment?
ARE NOT. If you are not satisfied with the results, you can gradually progress the treatment until you achieve the desired effect.
What is biorevitalization?
Biorevitalization is a form of therapy that uses higher concentrations of hyaluronic acid. It should not be confused with fillers, which act as wrinkle fillers and do not provide nutrients to the skin.
Biorevitalization can be used on the neck, chest, arms, hands, and areas around the knees.
The main goal of the therapy is to provide the skin with hyaluronic acid, stimulating the production of collagen, natural hyaluronic acid and active metabolism under the skin, contributing to skin rejuvenation.
To do this, purified hyaluronic acid of non-animal origin is injected into the skin. This means that it is synthesized from strains of streptococcus bacteria, is completely organic to the human body and does not cause adverse reactions. This skin rejuvenation method is considered easier than other cosmetic methods but no less effective.
Biorestoration is recommended after 25–30 years, when the amount of natural hyaluronic acid begins to decrease significantly and the skin loses a lot of moisture. This leads to loss of tone and elasticity, increased dryness and a tendency to inflammation. Results are visible after the first treatment, but to achieve ideal results, you need to undergo a course of 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, the process goes deeper and more intense than using creams and masks. Depending on the goals of correction, the doctor chooses a ready-made solution or prepares it individually, taking into account the characteristics of the patient's body.
The components of mesotherapy can be:
- hyaluronic acid;
- vitamin and mineral complex;
- amino acids, antioxidants;
- peptides;
- plant extracts.
The procedure is performed with very thin needles. Mesotherapy has a lasting effect after the first injection and allows you to solve the entire problem. It is aimed at improving the general condition of the skin, normalizing microcirculation in cells and intercellular spaces, increasing tissue elasticity and eliminating various cosmetic defects. The youthfulness and freshness of the skin lasts up to ten months and can be maintained with repeated injections.
Which to choose - mesotherapy or biorevitalization
There is no clear answer. Injections for biological restoration contain only hyaluronic acid, which is necessary first of all to moisturize and restore damaged tissues.
Mesotherapy cocktail is a complex of biologically active ingredients that have a complex effect on tissues and can solve several cosmetic problems at once.
Mesotherapy will also help when there is a specific problem, such as:
- dark circles and bags under the eyes;
- cellulite;
- hair loss;
- scar.
Mes Therapy includes both superficial injection to a depth of 2 mm and deep puncture.
Therefore, for patients 30 years of age and older, mesotherapy is optimal, especially suitable when solving cosmetic problems related to acne and scars, and biological regeneration would be a good choice. especially for patients over 25 years old.