Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is a type of glycosaminoglycan (sugar molecule) that is distributed widely throughout the connective, epithelial and neural tissues responsible for giving support to the structures that surrounds it.

In a very simplified way, Hyaluronic Acid is a jelly substance naturally produced inside our bodies being one of the most important components of the cellular matrix responsible significantly to cell proliferation and migration.

HA is found an important component of articular cartilage, where it is present as a coat around each cell. It is a major component of the synovial fluid that reduces friction between the articular cartilage of synovial joints during movements and so much more.

As a type of sugar molecule, Hyaluronic Acid also counts on the fact that Sodium hyaluronate which is the salt form of HA is a water-soluble salt that holds 1000 times its weight in water gives support and sustenance to the skin, being a major component of skin, where it is involved in tissue repair.

Ageing process naturally depletes Hyaluronic Acid, however, lack of the right amount of raw food rich in vegetables and grennstuff, bad habits such smoke, excessive alcohol, lack of sleep, lack of water and when skin is exposed to excessive UVB rays, HA becomes inflamed and the cells in the dermis stop producing as much of this substance, and increase the rate of its degradation.

As Hyaluronic Acid is what gives the support to the skin tissues and its structure, when it starts to diminish in the cellular matrix, Elastin and Collagen start to loose their strength of making the skin thicker and elastic becoming saggy and wrinkled so there we go, we start not being happy with our outside skin shape and it can also means that joints, muscles and tendons problems may appear.

Hyaluronic Acid molecule and the skin

As a simple representation we can have a look on the picture above and visualize those blue rounded shaped figures just like being the HA molecule and it will be easier to understand how wrinkles happen to us.

As we can see, the skin suffers with wrinkles as there are not much more Hyaluronic Acid left to keep the support that there used to be as a result of ageing or bad habits.

How to get Hyaluronic Acid back to our bodies and avoid the consequences of its lacking?

Can we stop ageing?

Definitely we cannot stop getting older but we can and we should fight against the signs of ageing as it normally comes and leads to sickness, not talking only about the skin outside point of view but the hundred of problems that our bodies suffer when any crucial substance is needing.

Mostly present on the Basal layer in higher concentrations but not limited to that layer as it is present in many other parts of our body structures, HA maintain the extracellular space and provide an open, as well as hydrated, structure for the passage of nutrients from the Dermis. Hyaluronic Acid also has been linked to the collagen syntheses which means that it collaborates for the collagen formation.

In a previous post I had brought to your attention the importance of Vitamin A on our diet as this vitamin type plays a direct whole in the skin cells DNA repair which nowadays is the top most ingredient that is being used against ageing, hyper-pigmentation among other skin issues.

New researches has showing that Retinol, which is the strongest form of Vitamin A, helps to build up Hyaluronic Acid in the Epidermal layer which increases the infra cellular hydration, keeping the skin healthier and plumped for longer.

How can we keep HA in our bodies?

Habits coming first: If we want to help our bodies we can start by drinking at least 2 and 1/2 to 3 litters of water daily in small doses, not all at once. By keeping our bodies hydrated in the correct level of water intake makes the whole body works functionally and prevent diseases and other damages caused by bad lifestyle.

Our bodies loses half of a litter of water every day just by promoting the internal perspiration in between our organs. Water is everywhere in the body. Up to 60% of the human adult body is water.

According to H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, the brain and the heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery: 31%.

Overall, an adult male would need to drink about 3 liters per day while an adult female would needs about 2.2 liters per day in order to keep the body’s functionality all normalized.

If we are speaking about Hyaluronic Acid related to the skin, considering its ability of holding 1000 of its own weight in water, there we have why we should be drinking water every day.

Food rich in Hyaluronic Acid, like potatoes and other root vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes, and rich in vitamin A, D and C will help us to get some HA from its intake. Also leafy green vegetables such as kale and spinach, and if the portions that you are eating are not enough then you can also make use of nutrition tablet with higher quality to give you that necessary boost.

Protecting your skin from the outside with SPF creams reapplying every 3 hours when outside activities or every 5 when doing inside doors activities is summarily important as it will protect the Hyaluronic Acid that is present in the epidermis against the sun damage which breaks HA molecule too.

By having health habits, great diet, good skin care routine with serums and creams based on vitamine A, C, D and HA, all of that will help us to keep HA molecule avoiding tissue damage and repairing some of those signs that is already there. Being healthier in our habits by not smoking, avoiding pollutants, doing exercises which help the lymphatic system work better and removing toxins from our bodies.

What to do when the levels of Hyaluronic Acid are already too much depleted and we have got deep wrinkles and dull?

For men and women

Having prominent expression lines and wrinkles does not bother only one gender as we all age within the years of our lives. Most men still very prejudice about looking after themselves as aesthetic treatments are still seen and stereotyped as ladies things only when it shouldn’t be.

When treating those signs that bother us most, Hyaluronic Acid is the best actual solution that we can find for ourselves as it is a natural collagen replacement.

We already know that the stomach acids destroy most of the vitamins, mineral and enzymes injected through food and that is why supplementation can plays a good rule when trying to transport the vitamins to where we want they to be deposited as intake of vitamin micro-encapsulated give us more change of deliver the whole amount of vitamin that is normally break down throughout the digestion.

However, there are no better way than when the method to be chosen than the injections.

I’d like to introduce and bring to you the two powerful methods of delivering substances into an specific part of our bodies.

Mesotherapy Injections

Using a very high quality of non cross-linked FDA approved HA and vitamin cocktails, Mesotherapy is a non-surgical procedure in which multiple tiny injections of pharmaceuticals, vitamins, minerals, plant extracts etc. are delivered into the mesodermal layer of tissue under the skin, to promote the loss of fat or cellulite, skin saggy, stretch scars and rejuvenation, talking from the aesthetic point of view.

Mesotherapy was found accidentally and then posteriorly developed in 1952 by the renowned French Physician Dr. Michel Pistor for the management of pain and vascular disorders. After that so many researches was performed and nowadays mesotherapy can be used when treating pain and loss of hair also.

The non cross-linked pure Hyaluronic Acid manufactured in the industry using the finest higher quality ingredients biosynthetic used in mesotherapy allow us to replace the HA that was depleted by ageing or lifestyle.

As the molecule of HA is water based, it also allow us to introduce water soluble vitamins and mineral essential for specific concerns and when regarding to ageing it can softens the wrinkles and bring so much health to our skin.

But what about loss of volume on lips, cheeks…? what about those very deep lines/wrinkles? Can we have any benefit on them from mesotherapy?

When injecting natural substances that were once naturally produced by the body, we definitely can note some considerable improvement over the course which in general goes around 4 to 8 sessions per year, once every week or two depending on the ageing and what we want to achieve.

Dermal Fillers Injections

Talking about getting the volume back to lips, cheeks or any other part without surgical procedure, Dermal fillers (DF) comes first in the scene when restoring a smoother appearance.

The best type of Dermal fillers are those ones FDA approved called Stabilized Non-Animal Hyaluronic Acid gel (NASHA). As it is biodegradable substance the body will absorb naturally over 9 months up to a year, sometimes less in cases like lips as we use the lips every time we are speaking, drinking or eating something when it normally is absorbed in between 3 to 7 months.

DF are the best solution for those who want visible results straight away after the procedure that even taking up to 14 days to see the final result the client can leave the clinic already knowing what to expect.

DF (NASHA) is a soft tissue and it is non permanent completely re-absorbed after time.

While in mesotherapy a few sessions are needed in order to restore the skin natural precursors of collagen, and ellastin, DF is normally result achieved in just one session. Some people may need more than one injection to achieve the wrinkle-smoothing effect depending in how deep the wrinkle is or how big the augmentation is needed too.

Dermal fillers has been used for the past few years and in many different countries worldwide. As mesotherapy injectables, it is not a promise of stopping the ageing process, neither to restore completely the damage caused but what is already down, however, day by day more and more people are getting fascinated by the results that they can achieve.