Hyaluronic Acid

We have known for many years that the aging process of the face is not limited to mere tissue ptosis. It is associated with a loss of fat and bone tissues. Therefore we strive to restore this volume loss either by injecting fillers in aesthetic medicine or by injecting fat (lipofilling) in aesthetic surgery.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a constituent element of the skin but its concentration tends to decrease from the twenties, producing skin dehydration.

The product we use in aesthetic medicine is 100% synthetic, therefore with no risk of transmission of pathogens. It is injected in the hollows of the face as well as in regions where a volume loss has been observed. The highly hydrophilic nature of HA allows it to attract water and thus to have a volumizing capacity.

The rate of degradation and therefore the disappearance of the volumizing effect depends on the injection area. The closer the injection is to a mobile area (mouth, etc.) the faster the product is degraded. Thus we can anticipate a persistence of three to four years for the temples and the nose, two years for the under-eye area, the cheekbones and the oval of the face, one and a half years for the nasolabial folds, one year for the lines of bitterness and six months for the lips.

When leaving the clinic you will still have a sensation of "not enough". Indeed we must "undercorrect" the areas to be treated in view of the gradual filling that will take place during the four to five days that follow.

The injection must be performed under strict aseptic conditions and with a perfectly mastered technique. Indeed, many long-term complications originate from not respecting the two previous rules.

An injection that is too superficial can cause the appearance of a bluish line, "the Tyndall effect" due to a difference in light refraction.

An injection performed under poor hygienic conditions leads in the long term to the occurrence of a mass (granuloma) indicating a reaction to a foreign body. The explanation comes from what we call the "biofilm" that surrounds the injected product and represents a culture medium for the growth of germs.

WARNING: an injection made in a bad plane with a bad technique can cause necrosis, skin necrosis of the glabellar region or the tip of the nose

Latest message from Dr. Zirak:

"do not let anyone inject definitive products into the body; this is a heresy. How can one inject into an ever-evolving environment such as the face a product that does not degrade?". In addition, it should be noted that all "definitive" products cause major complications sooner or later.

Finally, hyaluronic acid injections should not be performed, as I see too often, solely to fill a line. They should serve to soften a negative image or expression (fatigue, sadness, severity, illness or aging) into a positive expression (fresh-looking, rested, cheerful, in good health and rejuvenated).