Hyaluronic acid fillers are often used to reduce the visibility of wrinkles, remove acne scars and add volume to depressions that can develop in the facial skin. Several preparations of hyaluronic acid are available for many FDA-approved indications. The most common application indications are for cosmetics and intra-articular use, although many other ophthalmic and topical forms are also available. They also showed milder wrinkles, with a reduction in wrinkle depth of up to 40 percent, as well as improvements in skin hydration and firmness. Oral Hyaluronic Acid Supplements A facial serum is the most potent way to give your skin a concentrated burst of any skincare ingredient, and a serum primarily containing hyaluronic acid is an efficient way to infuse the skin with this plumping and hydrating wonder-stuff. If your goal is softer, firmer, fresher skin, adding a layer of HA serum to your skincare routine can really make a difference to your skin’s hydration levels and overall texture. Others are downright misleading, or in some cases, completely disproven by real scientific evidence.

Hyaluronic acid therapy is generally very well tolerated. At the time of treatments, most patients report minor discomfort. This is minimised by the use of a local anaesthetic. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Al-Niaimi F, et al. (2017). Topical vitamin C and the skin: Mechanisms of action and clinical applications. When it comes to your skin health, hyaluronic acid brings a face-full of benefits: 1. Hyaluronic acid attracts moisture Over the last few decades, hyaluronic acid has grown from a popular substance used mainly in cosmetic treatments to the latest, greatest ingredient in consumer skin care.

Sign up to the newsletter

Children: Studies have been performed to evaluate the efficacy of HA inhalation in the treatment of the upper and lower airways in children, but evidence of such efficacy is limited. Moreover, topical HA gel has been studied in children to treat mouth ulcers. Despite the use of HA in children, the safety of the consumption of HA by mouth in children is yet to be known. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that’s naturally present in high levels in the skin. It helps protect the skin from ultraviolet (UV) sun and other environmental damage. Like with many naturally-occurring substances that maintain your skin, the amount of hyaluronic acid that’s produced by your body declines as you get older. Witting M, et al. (2015). Interactions of hyaluronicacid with the skin and implications for the dermal delivery of biomacromolecules.DOI:

Abdulkareem AA, Al Marah ZA, Abdulbaqi HR, Alshaeli AJ, Milward MR. A randomized double‐blind clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of chlorhexidine, antioxidant, and hyaluronic acid mouthwashes in the management of biofilm‐induced gingivitis. International Journal of Dental Hygiene. 2020;18(3):268-277. doi:10.1111/idh.12432 Trinh LN, Gupta A. Hyaluronic acid fillers for Midface augmentation: A systematic review. Facial Plastic Surgery. 2021;37(05):576-584. doi:10.1055/s-0041-1724122Skin health (especially dryness, scarring, stiffness and skin diseases like scleroderma and actinic keratosis).

Yao ZY, Qin J, Gong JS, et al. Versatile strategies for bioproduction of hyaluronic acid driven by synthetic biology. Carbohydrate Polymers. 2021;264:118015. doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118015 Osteoarthritis: In a randomized study comparing the effect of intra-articular (within the joint) HA injection to betamethasone injection, people with osteoarthritis of the thumb underwent one cycle of three injections (one per week) of 0.5 cubic centimeters (cm 3) of HA 5 milligrams (mg). Intra-articular HA injection requires a prescription and is given as a shot to your knee joint by a trained healthcare professional. By mouth: Hyaluronic acid comes in dietary supplements and pills. There’s even a liquid form that you can mix with water and drink. Injection methods include serial intradermal punctures (series of small injections with a very fine needle [27–30 gauge]), tunnel, linear threading technique (the needle is withdrawn as the hyaluronic acid is injected), or fanning with retrograde injection. Artzi O, Cohen S, Koren A, Niv R, Friedman O. Dual‐plane hyaluronic acid treatment for atrophic acne scars. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2019;19(1):69-74. doi:10.1111/jocd.12991

Over the course of eight weeks of treatment with the hyaluronic acid products, the women that took part in the study developed finer and more elastic skin. As for hyaluronic acid, a 2021 study of 40 women with a wider range of skin tones measured the effectiveness of a hyaluronic acid serum to improve hydration, smoothness, plumping, fine lines, wrinkles, and overall appearance issues using high-frequency ultrasound. A few of the different ways (available over-the-counter) that you can take hyaluronic acid include: Hyaluronic acid injections improve the skin contour and reduce depressions in the skin due to scars, injury or lines, for example :

Oe M, Sakai S, Yoshida H, et al. Oral hyaluronan relieves wrinkles: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study over a 12-week period. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology. 2017;10:267-273. doi:10.2147/CCID.S141845 Biologically, hyaluronic acid plays a key role in helping your skin retain moisture, making it vital for keeping your skin moisturized, strong, and capable of shielding your body’s organs from the outside world. This is why many people opt to use a hyaluronic acid moisturizer. Oe M, Tashiro T, Yoshida H, et al. Oral hyaluronan relieves knee pain: a review. Nutrition Journal. 2015;15(1). doi:10.1186/s12937-016-0128-2 Gross C, Dhawan A, Harwood D, Gochanour E, Romeo A. Glenohumeral joint injections. Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach. 2012;5(2):153-159. doi:10.1177/1941738112459706 Hyaluronic acid, a chief component of the extracellular matrix, is found throughout various human tissues such as the skin, eyes, connective tissue, and synovium. Due to hyaluronic acid's highly anionic proprieties, it can attract water to swell and create volume and provide structural support. Aging leads to decreased production of hyaluronic acid and collagen in the skin. Once the skin has lost its viscoelastic properties, overlying wrinkles begin to form. Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers work to counteract aging by replacing lost volume. In addition to this, hyaluronic acid fillers have also been shown to increase collagen production and affect fibroblast morphology.Over the last decade, it’s made its way from cosmetic clinics into the world of mainstream skincare, becoming a popular ingredient in everything from masks and serums to moisturizers.