Hyaluronic acid

What is hyaluronic acid and how does it work?

Hyaluronic acid is a glycosaminoglycan, a high molecular weight polysaccharide naturally present and identical in all living organisms without species or tissue specificity. Its chemical structure is invariant, always the same regardless of the source. It is synthesized by fibroblasts and keratinocytes, cells of the human body, particularly of the skin.

56% of hyaluronic acid is in the skin, which contains approximately 7g for a 60kg adult. It has hygroscopic and viscoelastic properties, but these gradually decrease with age, leading to skin dryness, wrinkles and fine lines.

Its half-life is very short, 24 to 48 hours. To ensure a lasting effect of increasing tissue volume, it must be modified by cross-linking or stabilizing it (bonding between two molecules). Hyaluronic acid, with varying degrees of cross-linking, can thus be injected at different dermo-epidermal levels to fill wrinkles and depressions and improve skin quality.

What are the indications for hyaluronic acid injections?

They vary depending on the concentration of hyaluronic acid (from 5 to 24 mg/ml) and the product's cross-linking: low, moderate, or high. This characteristic allows for the treatment of all areas of the face, therefore all wrinkles, fine lines, and depressions.

Injections are therefore performed on wrinkles, fine lines, thick or thin skin, in the lips, forehead, perioral area…

The most cross-linked products allow for facial reshaping with highly cross-linked products (volumizers).

The major advantage of using hyaluronic acid is its extreme safety.

The rate of absorption of the product is inversely proportional to the cross-linking of the product.

What types of hyaluronic acid should be injected?

There are many different products available, given that regulations are simpler for injectable implants than for medications (like botulinum toxin). It is certainly preferable to use well-known and reputable products.

These products are sometimes of animal origin (Hylaform ®, Hylaform plus ®) but most often of genetic origin.

For example:

- Restylane ®, Perlane ®, Touch Lip ®:

- Surgiderm ® 18, 30, 24XP, 30XP

- Juvederm ® 18, 24HV, 30HV

But many other products are available: Hydrafill® 1.2.3. softline, Puragen®, Matridur®, Matrigel®, Téosyal® 27G, 30G, kissEsthelis®, basic® and softCoilingel®…

Other products called volumizers are indicated for deep filling:

- SubQ ®

- Voluma ®

- Ultra Deep® …

What are the recommendations before and after hyaluronic acid injections?

THE 4 DAYS PRECEDING THE INJECTION:

- Do not take any anti-inflammatories or vitamin C.
- Do not apply exfoliating products to the skin (vitamin A acid, retinol, fruit acids…).

THE HOURS BEFORE THE INJECTIONS:

- Do not drink alcohol and do not expose yourself to the sun.

THE 4 HOURS FOLLOWING THE INJECTION:

- Avoid facial expressions: speak little, do not ingest alcohol and do not take any anti-inflammatory drugs.

THE FOLLOWING 2 DAYS:

- Avoid sun exposure, strenuous exercise and limit alcohol consumption.

IMPORTANT

-       Do not go to the dentist for 1 week.

-       Do not do any skin cleansing for 1 week.

-       Do not have laser treatment for 4 to 6 weeks.

As a general rule, it is best not to have an injection during menstruation.