Everything You Need To Know About Hyaluronic Acid

Who does not want a glowing and youthful skin? Hyaluronic Acid is a magic ingredient to plump the fine lines and regain the glow and youthfulness of your face.
From sheet masks to serums it can be found anywhere and everywhere. But what exactly is Hyaluronic Acid? Let’s understand.

What is Hyaluronic Acid (HA)?

HA or Hyaluronic acid is a kind of sugar found in the skin naturally. This holds water in the skin and assists in keeping it plump and hydrated. Doctors opine that the HA in the body holds about a thousand times its weight in water. This does not just help you to retain the moisture in the skin and joints. It also prevents the moisture from being evaporated.
Though the name includes the word “acid”, Hyaluronic acid is not an acid actually. Instead, it is a sugar type known as glycosaminoglycan. Within the body, HA binds with the water for creating a jelly-like substance. This substance enacts like a moisturizing lubricant and forms a cushioning impact between the skin fibers, the elastin and collagen and the lungs, muscles and tendons.
50% of the Hyaluronic Acid of the body can be found within the deeper dermis layers in the skin. HA can maintain a great balance of moisture in the skin which is one of the main components for the growth of the cells. It also assists in making the skin look healthy. Thus high levels of Hyaluronic Acid must always be retained within the skin.
When the skin lacks HA it leads to loss of elasticity and drying up of the skin which enhances the appearance of the wrinkles.

Production of Hyaluronic Acid

The production of HA today is synthetic through a bacterial method of production known as bacterial fermentation. The production cost of Hyaluronic Acid is quite high. That is why it comes with an expensive price tag. As said earlier HA has exclusive quality of binding moisture and that is why it is often added to skin-care products in low doses. This can assist in improving the moisture-locking abilities of the skin. 99% of water can be bound by just 1% concentration of HA. It is an extremely non-toxic and mild substance that does not cause any allergic reaction.

When to Use Hyaluronic Acid?

Some skincare ingredients like vitamin C work in the daytime while retinol is best used at night. Depending on the needs of your skin you should use HA serum twice daily. Masks can also be used intermittently when you want to include them in the boosting treatment especially before bedtime.

What are HA Injectables?

The injectables usually use a gel form of HA to add volume to the skin’s dermal layer. It just needs a few pricks and it smoothens the fine lines, plumps up the sunken areas and reduces the shadows. Then it dissolves over a year. This HA is bound in a gel carrier, in the case of fillers, that holds it in the place of injection. The HA creates the volume as it draws in water to the area that creates an effect of filling.
The side-effects are minimum. There are chances of experiencing some kind of bruising or swelling which can last for just a couple of days. The injectables are not without risks. They can be, in worst cases, injected into blood vessels or injected too superficially.
That is why the most vital thing to keep in mind when you are opting for any kind of fillers or injectables is to go to an experienced and certified professional or an aesthetic hospital of repute.
HA is considered to be safe in all types of injectables as it is produced in our bodies already. Hyaluronic Acid is used to treat multiple areas of the body from the nose to the feet. You can opt for it to even out nasal bumps and achieve the desired shape. It is also used to heal foot pain amongst the patients who have lost their heels’ cushioning. It can also be injected into the feet to enhance the bone padding and decrease the pain.
HA can easily be called the “Skin Saviour” for its beneficial effects on the skin. But ensure that you have it administered only by professionals in case of injectables. This is because if you get the quantity wrong it can have the opposite impact of drawing the moisture away instead of replenishing the skin.