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 invariable, always the same whatever the source. It is synthesized by fibroblasts and keratinocytes, the cells of the human body, notably the skin.

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

With a very short half-life of 24 to 48 h, to ensure a lasting effect of tissue volume increase, it must be modified by cross-linking or stabilizing (bonding between 2 molecules). More or less cross-linkedhyaluronic acid can thus be injected at different dermal-epidermal levels, filling in wrinkles and depressions and improving skin quality.

What are the indications for hyaluronic acid injections?

There are a number of options, depending on the HA concentration (from 5 to 24 mg/ml) and the product's degree of cross-linking: low, moderate or high. This particularity enables us to treat all areas of the face, including 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 are used to reshape the face with highly cross-linked (volumizing) products.

The great advantage of usinghyaluronic acid is its extreme safety.

Product resorption speed is inversely proportional to product cross-linking.

What types of hyaluronic acid are injected?

There are many different products available, as legislation is simpler for injectable implant-type products than for drugs (botulinum toxin). It is certainly preferable to use well-known and recognized products.

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

For example:

- Restylane ®, Perlane ®, Touch Lip ®:

- Surgiderm ® 18, 30, 24XP, 30XP

- Juvederm ® 18, 24HV, 30HV

- But many other products are also 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?

4 DAYS PRIOR TO INJECTION:

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

HOURS BEFORE INJECTIONS:

- Do not drink alcohol or expose to sunlight.

4 HOURS AFTER INJECTION:

- Don't make faces: don't talk much, don't drink alcohol and don't take any anti-inflammatory drugs.

THE FOLLOWING 2 DAYS :

- Avoid exposure to the sun, sport and alcohol.

IMPORTANT

- Do not go to the dentist for 1 week.

- Do not cleanse skin for 1 week.

- Do not laser for 4 to 6 weeks.

As a general rule, it is preferable not toinject at the time of menstruation.