If you keep a tab on the latest trends in the skincare industry, you would have certainly heard about hyaluronic acid — the skincare ingredient that has taken the skincare industry by storm in recent years. From moisturising creams to night serums to injectable procedures, hyaluronic acid is today a staple ingredient of multiple skincare products. Its popularity though is not without reason!
Hyaluronic acid is naturally found in abundance in human bodies, particularly in eyes, in connective tissues as well as the skin. The natural substance plays multiple roles in the body including the critical roles of keeping the joints lubricated and the skin healthy and firm.
Being a hydrophilic substance, hyaluronic acid can hold water multiple times its weight – the main reason for its lubrication properties. When it comes to the skin, hyaluronic acid helps retain moisture and keep the skin plump and supple. However, its role goes much beyond hydration and moisturisation.
HYALURONIC ACID AND ITS ANTI-AGEING ROLE
Let’s begin by understanding exactly what hyaluronic acid (HA) is. HA is a naturally found saccharide or sugar that performs the critical function of strengthening the skin’s extracellular matrix. This is why an abundance of HA is crucial for youthful and resilient skin. Hyaluronic acid also plays a vital role in stimulating the generation of collagen and elastin – two essential proteins that provide support and firmness to the skin’s scaffolding structure.
As we age, the skin gradually loses its natural reserves of hyaluronic acid. This has a series of effects on the skin’s health. Firstly, a reduction in HA reserves increases the appearance of dullness and dryness and may even cause the skin to lose some volume. Secondly, loss of HA also impacts the generation of collagen and elastin that are central to youthful, firm and tight skin.
The skin’s resilience, its firmness and tightness as well as its volume all depend on the strength of the skin’s extracellular matrix and HA plays a central role in strengthening it. This is why a series of skincare products and procedures are today focusing on replenishing the skin’s lost HA reserves to provide plumper and more hydrated appearance while also regenerating the overall health of the skin’s extracellular matrix.
HYALURONIC ACID PRODUCTS: WHICH ONE TO CHOOSE
As discussed above, hyaluronic acid plays a versatile role in maintaining skin health and vitality. This is why HA-based skincare products offer multiple skin care benefits such as hydration, suppleness, radiance, and anti-ageing benefits. There is no dearth of HA-based skincare products in the market today. So much so that consumers are often confused as to which kind of product they must choose to gain the maximum benefit. Will an HA-based night cream sufficient to do the job? Or should I go for a filler of injectable treatment for better results? Consumers often ask these questions as they struggle to make sense of the different offerings on the market shelves.
Actually, the choice of product depends on your requirement from it! If your primary need from an HA product is to address dullness, dryness and signs of dehydration on your skin, an HA-based moisturising cream or night serum will work well for you. HA-based serums help give the skin a soft, smooth and supple texture as they work as humectants. Regular use will result in smooth and plumper looking skin as the presence of HA allows it to attract and retain moisture and abundant hydration from the environment. If dehydration and dryness have resulted in the appearance of fine lines on your skin, regular use of HA-based creams may also help fill up some of these signs.
On the other hand, if you need an HA-based product to fill up the depleted volume of your cheeks or reshape your facial features such as plumping up the lips and restructuring the jawline, dermal fillers are what you need.
Lastly, if you are seeking deeper anti-ageing benefits for mature skin, you can try a new HA-based product Profhilo. It is an HA-based anti-ageing procedure that achieves skin bio-remodelling by administering a highly concentrated and pure form of HA into multiple strategic sites on the face. When injected uniformly, HA achieves widespread diffusion in multiple layers of the skin and has a series of beneficial effects. On the one hand, it brings hydration and radiance to the skin. On the other hand, it plays a vital role in stimulating fibroblast cells which in turn induce the generation of collagen and elastin proteins on completion of successive sessions. The result is an overall anti-ageing benefit that addresses the process of ageing at its roots.
The writer is a Leading New Delhi -based Dermatologist and Skin Specialist.