Skin Care Education

Hyaluronic Acid

A naturally occurring substance found throughout the body that attracts and holds onto water, keeping the skin plump, hydrated, and supported. Used in both topical skincare and injectable treatments.

What Is Hyaluronic Acid?

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance found throughout the human body, with high concentrations in the skin, joints, and eyes. Its primary function is to attract and hold onto water. A single molecule of hyaluronic acid can hold many times its own weight in water, making it one of the most effective natural hydrating substances in the body. In the skin, it plays a key role in keeping the tissue plump, hydrated, and structurally supported.

As the body ages, the amount of hyaluronic acid in the skin gradually declines, contributing to the loss of plumpness, firmness, and hydration that characterises ageing skin. This decline is one of the reasons hyaluronic acid has become such a central ingredient in both topical skincare and injectable aesthetic treatments, as replacing or supplementing it in the skin can restore some of the hydration, volume, and quality that has been lost.

In aesthetics, hyaluronic acid is used in two main ways. As a topical ingredient in serums, moisturisers, and treatment products, it works at the skin surface and in the upper layers of the skin to attract moisture and improve the hydrated, plump quality of the complexion. As an injectable product in the form of dermal fillers and skin boosters, it is placed directly into the skin or deeper tissue to add volume, improve structure, or deliver deep hydration from within.

What to Expect

The experience depends on whether hyaluronic acid is being used topically or as an injectable treatment.

Topical hyaluronic acid products are applied to the skin as part of a regular skincare routine and are entirely comfortable. They are well tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive skin, and typically produce a plumping and smoothing effect on the skin surface. Results from topical use are present while the product is being used consistently but do not have a lasting structural effect on the skin.

Injectable hyaluronic acid, whether as a dermal filler or a skin booster, is administered by injection using a fine needle or cannula. A numbing cream is typically applied beforehand and most injectable products also contain a small amount of local anaesthetic. The procedure takes between 15 and 45 minutes depending on the areas treated. Some swelling and occasional bruising after is normal and settles within a few days to a week. Results from injectable hyaluronic acid are visible immediately for fillers and develop gradually over two to four weeks for skin boosters as the product integrates with the tissue.

Who It’s For and Results

Hyaluronic acid in topical form is suitable for virtually all skin types and is particularly beneficial for dehydrated, dry, and ageing skin. It is one of the most universally well-tolerated skincare ingredients and can be used daily without concern about sensitivity or over-use.

Injectable hyaluronic acid treatments are suited to those who want more significant or lasting hydration and volume improvement than topical products can provide. Dermal fillers are used for structural volume restoration and feature enhancement, from cheeks and jawlines to lips and under-eye hollows. Skin boosters deliver a more diffuse, quality-improving hydration throughout the skin rather than structural volume, and are suitable for those who want an improvement in overall skin quality, texture, and glow.

Hyaluronic acid fillers are gradually broken down by the body over a period of months to a couple of years depending on the product and area treated. A significant advantage of injectable hyaluronic acid over other filler materials is that it can be dissolved relatively quickly using an enzyme called hyaluronidase if needed, making it one of the safest and most reversible injectable options available.

Frequently Asked Questions: Hyaluronic Acid

Yes. Hyaluronic acid is one of the most universally well-tolerated skincare ingredients. Because it is a substance that occurs naturally in the body, reactions to it are rare. It is suitable for sensitive, dry, oily, and combination skin types and can be used by people of all ages. In its injectable form, it has an equally strong safety profile, with the added reassurance that it can be dissolved with hyaluronidase if needed.

The ability of topical hyaluronic acid to penetrate the skin depends on the molecular size of the ingredient in the product. Larger hyaluronic acid molecules sit on the skin surface and help prevent moisture loss by forming a protective film. Smaller molecules can penetrate into the upper layers of the skin and attract moisture from within. Many modern formulations combine multiple sizes to work at different levels simultaneously. Topical hyaluronic acid improves the hydrated appearance and feel of the skin, but it does not replicate the volume or deep structural hydration that injectable forms can achieve.

Both are injectable hyaluronic acid products but they are formulated differently and work in different ways. Dermal fillers are thicker, more cohesive gels designed to add structural volume in a specific area, such as the cheeks, lips, or jawline. They stay in the area where they are placed and provide visible lifting and shaping. Skin boosters are thinner, more fluid formulations designed to be injected in small amounts throughout a wider area of skin to improve overall hydration, texture, and glow rather than adding structural volume. They spread through the tissue and improve skin quality diffusely rather than in a targeted structural way.

This varies depending on the product formulation, the area treated, and the individual. Thicker filler products placed in structural areas such as the cheeks or jawline, where there is less movement, tend to last longer, typically twelve to twenty-four months. Products placed in high-movement areas such as the lips break down more quickly, often lasting six to twelve months. Skin boosters, being thinner formulations, generally last six to nine months. Maintenance treatments before the product has fully broken down help sustain a consistent result over time.