Most of us spend a lot on anti-aging products and do not realize their harmful effects on our skin. We not only affect our body in this process but end up spending quite a lot too. This problem can be solved with the use of hyaluronic acid, which will not only keep the effects of harmful skin products away but also benefit your skin and joints extensively.
Hyaluronic acid is present in the human body already. It is a clear substance, lubricating in nature, and is found in the highest concentrations in the skin, inside joints, in the eye sockets and other numerous tissues. Hyaluronic acid helps in increasing moisture, retaining collagen, and providing elasticity and flexibility. This wonder acid is often recommended highly by dermatologists to prevent anti-aging symptoms not only for the skin but also to reduce joint pain.
How Does Hyaluronic Acid Work?
Hyaluronic acid has the ability to improve the texture of the skin and its appearance. This acid also helps in reducing joint pain, a common anti-aging factor. Nowadays, hyaluronic acid is included in costly anti-aging lotions, creams, serums, and supplements, joint-supporting formulas, eye drops, lip balms, and many cold sore treatments. There are dermatologists who also administer hyaluronic acid in the form of injections.
The Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid
1. Helps In Hydrating Dry, Aged Skin
As we get older, our skin loses the ability to bind and retain water. The common symptoms of aging are dryness of the skin, dandruff in the scalp, sagging and drooping of eyes and lips, etc. These happen because as we get older, the molecules in our skin lose some of their hydrating abilities. Aging of the skin happens in two ways: intrinsic and extrinsic. This means that aging of the human body not only happens with the normal process of aging, but also due to extrinsic factors such as daily exposure to pollutants and UV rays. It has been found that hyaluronic acid decreases the “epidermal water loss”, which is associated with exposure to the sun and dryness of the skin. It has been noticed that serums containing hyaluronic acid make the skin feel smoother and more moisturized, and the eye bags become lighter. Hyaluronic acid reduces water loss and in hormone replacement treatments, the skin’s hyaluronic acid concentration is increased, resulting in youthful looking skin.
2. Helps In Reducing Wrinkles
It has been observed that anti-wrinkle serums and eye creams that contain hyaluronic acid reduce wrinkles and eye bags noticeably. For better results, dermatologists nowadays prescribe injections or formulas that contain hyaluronic acid to reduce sagging of lips and eyes. The results of a study from a 2014 double-blind, randomized clinical trial that appeared in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology showed that the appearance of wrinkles and sagging of the skin can effectively decrease within 30 days of daily use of hyaluronic acid. The participants were divided into two groups: the active treatment group using a product called Fillerina (contains 6 forms of hyaluronic acid) and the placebo group using a placebo product. While the active treatment group experienced reductions in sagging of the face, improvement in the lip volume, and decrease in the wrinkle depth, the placebo group did not see any such improvement.
3. Helps In Treating Sores, Burns, and Wounds
Apart from benefiting in lowering the appearance of wrinkles and reducing the dryness of the skin, hyaluronic acid is known to treat cold sores, wounds, bites, burns, and mouth sores and ulcers. Since it keeps damaged tissue moist, it also provides relief from sunburn. Hyaluronic acid gel present in cold sore treatments for the lips and the mouth speeds up the healing process and prevent cracking or bleeding. Hyaluronic acid’s hydrating ability tightens skin junctions, provides nutrients to damaged tissues, controls inflammation of the skin and carries out the waste.
4. Helps In Reducing Joint Pain
Hyaluronic acid is present in high concentrations in the synovial fluid in the joints. An aging factor is the loss of water from the skin and joints, and hyaluronic acid helps in retaining water as well as provide nutrients and remove the waste from the cells that do not have a direct blood supply. Hyaluronic acid is also helpful in treating osteoarthritis and is directly injected into the synovial fluid in the knees.
With age, the hyaluronic acid concentrations in the human body go low, leading to wrinkles in the skin, sagging of eyes and lips, and also, joint pain. With adequate amount of hyaluronic acid taken through serums, creams, supplements, and injections, one can easily retain the youthful vigor and stay beautifully young.
