Free Advice: Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic Acid

The use of hyaluronic acid in both the cosmetic and medical industry is gaining momentum as its properties of scar reduction and aiding wound and ulcer healing are becoming well known. Cosmetic products containing hyaluronic acid hydrate the skin allowing it to appear smoother and more radiant.

Hyaluronic Acid Cosmetic Products

Hyaluronic Acid Wound Care Products

Product background and chemistry: Hyaluronic acid (HA) was discovered by Meyer and Palmer in 1934. It is a linear polysaccharide in the glycosamino glycan family. It is composed of repeating disaccharide (sugar) units of N-acetyl-glucosamine and D-glucoronic acid. Unlike other glycosamino glycans such as condroitin or condroitin sulfate it has no covalent bonds to proteins or sulfates, thus it has very low anti-genicity (the body does not mount an immune response against it).

Molecule of (HA) hyaluronic acid

HA products are commercially available and safely used in eye surgery, joint surgery, and rheumatoid arthritis patients by ophthalmologists, orthopedics, and rheumatologists. It is extensively used by the cosmetic industry and by dermatologists in anti-aging and moisturizing products as HA is very hydroscopic (absorbs and retains water).

Hydration of the Skin

Hyaluronic acid (HA) can absorb over 1000 times it weight in water allowing it to hydrate to skin and other areas that it contacts.

High concentrations of HA, Particularly in fetal skin, have long been noted to be associated with rapid healing with little scarring. It is postulated that HA is the extra cellular matrix (fluid between skin cells) that is the natural transportation system for the events of wound healing (inflammatory cell migration, fibroblast cell migration, cytokine migration and epithelial cell migration) to smoothly occur.

Skin Care Glossary A-M
Skin Care Glossary N-Z