Do you think it is possible to travel back in time and rejuvenate your skin? Hyaluronic Acid (HA) molecules might have the answer for you. Surely you have heard about HA and its benefits on the skin. It has unique moisturizing, anti-wrinkle, filling, and especially rejuvenation properties.
HA is a polysaccharide whose most important physical property is to attract water molecules and store them. HA can hold up 50 times its weight in water, which gives it the ability to provide volume, elasticity, and significant hydration to the skin [1][2].
Unfortunately, over the years, enzymatic processes and the exposure to external factors such as UV rays and pollutants can cause the degradation of this molecule [3]. The progressive reduction of HA concentration is the cause of a minor skin ability to bind and retain water molecules thus determing a loss of skin moisture and elasticity. One of the most critical intermediaries in the degradation of HA is the well-known free radicals’ species that will cause oxidative stress in the skin; therefore, antioxidant agents such as Vitamin E or Vitamin C can slow down this degradation process [3]. However, this solution is not entirely convincing, and even more, for those skins that no longer have HA molecules to maintain. Hence, an excellent proposal for this type of coat is the use of external sources of this substance.
It has been demonstrated by Julian Poetscke, et al. that HA-based products are very effective; after a trial of 20 patients with different HA creams, they concluded that after the regular use (during 30 days) of this type of creams, the presence of wrinkles could be reduced between a 10% to 20% [4]. Currently, there are countless products on the market for esthetic use at the epidermal and dermal level. Nonetheless, it is crucial to know available product's differences and its usefulness at the skin level. Since topical products have low absorption their field of action is located in the epidermal layer, which provides luminosity to the skin [5]. However, it is a short-term effect, and it has to be continuously used. The use of nanoparticles has become a trending topic because of its absorption improvement and the increase of effectiveness. HA is not the exception. The reduction of the size molecule increases penetration of HA into deeper layers of the dermis, and consequently, a positive treatment result will be achieved [6].
Figure 1. Nano Hyaluronic acid skin absorption
On the other hand, for eliminating more significant problems such as wrinkles and lines of expression, injectable techniques such as dermal fillers may be one solution [5][7]. They are perfect for correcting volume deficiencies and loss of hydration from the dermis skin layer. It is also a minimally invasive procedure, but there is a critical doubt about the time that these fillers will remain. A video discussion shows that dermal fillers stay longer in the skin but migrating to other positions and changing the static results [8]; this makes you wonder, are the benefits more important than possible consequences?
We can say that HA is directly responsible for maintaining excellent skin hydration and elasticity, translating into youthful skin having the trip to the past that all of us wanted. However, the reality is not as magic as it sounds: many aspects have to be considered and many questions still need more answers.
Key Words: Hyaluronic Acid, Skin Hidratation, Dermal Fillers, Antioxidants, Rejuvenation
Bibliography
[1] R. C. Gupta, R. Lall, A. Srivastava, and A. Sinha, “Hyaluronic Acid: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Trajectory,” Front. Vet. Sci., vol. 6, Jun. 2019, doi: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00192.
[2] D. Corte, B. Yáñez, and C. Esquivel, “Use of hyaluronic acid as an alternative for the reconstruction of the interdental paipllaUso de ácido hialurónico como alternativa para la reconstrucción de la papila interdental,” Scielo, vol. 21, Mexico Distrito Federal, 2017.
[3] E. Papakonstantinou, M. Roth, and G. Karakiulakis, “Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging,” Dermatoendocrinol., vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 253–258, Jul. 2012, doi: 10.4161/derm.21923.
[4] J. Poetschke, H. Schwaiger, S. Steckmeier, T. Ruzicka, and G. G. Gauglitz, “[Anti-wrinkle creams with hyaluronic acid: how effective are they?].,” MMW Fortschr. Med., vol. 158 Suppl, pp. 1–6, May 2016, doi: 10.1007/s15006-016-8302-1.
[5] S. N. A. Bukhari et al., “Hyaluronic acid, a promising skin rejuvenating biomedicine: A review of recent updates and pre-clinical and clinical investigations on cosmetic and nutricosmetic effects,” Int. J. Biol. Macromol., vol. 120, pp. 1682–1695, Dec. 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.09.188.
[6] S. M. Jegasothy, V. Zabolotniaia, and S. Bielfeldt, “Efficacy of a New Topical Nano-hyaluronic Acid in Humans.,” J. Clin. Aesthet. Dermatol., vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 27–9, Mar. 2014, [Online]. Available: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24688623.
[7] V. Garcia and B. Miller, “Benefits and mechanism od action of the hyaluronic acid on aged skinBeneficios y mecanismo de accion del acido hialuronico sobre la piel envejecida,” Acta Bioclinica, vol. 8, 2018.
[8] G. Chan, “How long do dermal fillers really last? MRI scans provide evidence.,” 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoF_Ez27-L0&t=681s&ab_channel=VictorianCosmeticInstitute (accessed Dec. 03, 2020).