Hyaluronic acid is a type of sugar that occurs naturally in your body, and it’s also an ingredient in many cosmetic products. When used in injectable dermal fillers, it helps to lessen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and to restore lost volume.
At the Osteopathic Center for Healing, our providers, Neil Spiegel, DO, and Jennifer Gularson, PA-C, believe that feeling great about how you look is an important part of living a full, healthy life.
If you’re concerned about fine lines and wrinkles, or if you want the way you look on the outside to match how you feel inside, you may want to discuss the anti-aging services we offer, including injectables.
We’re going to address two questions about hyaluronic acid, a common ingredient in dermal fillers, in this post: What is hyaluronic acid? How does it work?
Your body produces hyaluronic acid, which is a form of sugar. It’s found in the greatest concentration in your joints, eyes, and skin. Its most impressive quality is that it attracts water and improves hydration.
One of the signs of aging many people find objectionable is the loss of volume. Your cheeks may look sunken, you may have circles under your eyes, and the backs of your hands may look bonier. All of those changes are related to losing volume under your skin.
When you combine the loss of volume with less of two proteins that help your skin remain elastic and strong, elastin and collagen, you may see wrinkles, folds, and sagging in surprising places.
Hyaluronic acid restores volume and helps give your features the structure and smoothness you’ve lost.
When used as an injectable, hyaluronic acid is usually combined with lidocaine to help you stay comfortable during the treatment. The substance that we inject is soft and gel-like in consistency.
Our highly trained experts precisely inject the filler exactly where you need it to help you achieve the appearance you want. Dermal fillers can smooth crow’s feet and marionette lines, plump lips and hands, and add volume to your cheeks or beneath your eyes.
Dermal fillers with hyaluronic acid aren’t for everyone. In order to be a good candidate, you shouldn’t have an active infection, uncontrolled diabetes, blood-clotting problems, allergies to the ingredients in the filler, or be pregnant or breastfeeding.
Recent research suggests people who are using immunosuppressive therapy to treat conditions such as lupus should be cautious in using products containing hyaluronic acid.
If you’d like to learn more and find out if hyaluronic acid injections could be right for you, schedule an appointment with us at the Osteopathic Center for Healing in Rockville, Maryland. We’re always happy to help you reach your health goals and live an optimal lifestyle.
