HYALURONIC ACID: AN ALTERNATIVE TO COSMETIC SURGERY
What is hyaluronic acid ?
Hyaluronic acid is a component of the skin, contributing to hydration and skin density.
It is a biodegradable gel, with a lifespan of between six and twelve months, depending on the area injected and the product used.
It is biocompatible (identical to the one we have), which is a guarantee of safety and absence of rejection.
It has become the leading product in aesthetic medicine.
Hyaluronic acid on video
When you should hyaluronic acid injections be used ?
Hyaluronic acid injections are a common aesthetic medicine treatment for wrinkles, volume remodelling, face lifts and skin treatment. It is used for the following purposes :
Skin hydration and revitalisation
All types of hyaluronic acid contribute to skin hydration, but skinbooster is a hyaluronic acid designed exclusively for this indication. The product’s particles are very small (so as not to add volume) and have very high hydrophilic properties.
The result is a healthy glow, more hydrated, toned skin and the disappearance of any wrinkled appearance.
Wrinkle filling
Depending on the type of wrinkle, in particular its location and depth, different types of acid will be used. However, I never choose high-volume products, which can swell the face and create unsightly bulges.
It is important to note that wrinkles that are accompanied by a marked break in the epidermis will be improved but not erased.
Expression lines are treated with injections of botulique toxine.
Intimacy
The treatment of changes affecting the intimate sphere is becoming an increasingly frequent demand in aesthetic medicine. Hyaluronic acid is used to augment the G-spot, labia majora, and to treat vaginal dryness.
Results are immediate and last for a year. The injections are painless and the after-effects are minimal.
Restoring or creating volume on the face and hands
To create volume, we use a volumising hyaluronic acid: a product whose particles are fairly large and more or less hydrophilic. My choice is for gels that are not very hydrophilic to avoid the puffy effect and temporary swelling (following an excess of salt, for example, or a plane journey).
For young people, it is often a question of creating volume: lips, cheekbones, chin, nose…
After the age of thirty, it is important to perform medical lift techniques to reposition volumes that have shifted over time and then to increase them.
Hyaluronic acid procedure
The hyaluronic acid injection is carried out at the surgery after photographs have been taken.
The procedure is fairly quick, lasting around twenty minutes, and no anaesthetic is required.
The result proposed and recommended is a natural one, but patients’ wishes and desires are respected.
Analysis of the face requires an experienced eye that knows the rules of harmony and beauty.
On disinfected skin, several choices of injections are possible:
♦ The technique used: bolus, fan, topping, retro-trace.
♦ The product used: products differ in their viscosity, firmness, volumising properties and hydrophilicity.
♦ The depth of injection: mid dermis, superficial dermis, deep dermis, superficial subcutaneous, deep subcutaneous, deep fat, bone contact.
♦ The amount of product used for each point.
♦ Tool used: needle or cannula (needle with a round tip). Personally, I use the cannula in places where there is a vascular danger (nasolabial fold, dark circles…).
Contraindications
There are not many contraindications but they must be respected:
♦ Infection at the injection points.
♦ Pregnancy and breastfeeding.
♦ Hepatitis C.
♦ Autoimmune diseases.
♦ Presence of non-absorbable product in the injected area.
♦ Taking anti-coagulants.
Side effects of hyaluronic acid
The after-effects of the injection are slight and no social eviction is necessary.
We ask that you avoid very intense heat (sauna, hammam, UV cabin, facial steam), facial massages for a week and sport for two days for certain indications.
Oedema (swelling) is rare and transient, and its disappearance can be accelerated by taking extranase tablets.
Small haematomas may occur, in which case Arnica granules should be prescribed.
At what age can you start injections start?
There is no minimum age. From now on, even minors (accompanied by at least one parent and in possession of a written agreement from both parents) can have these injections.
The ages vary depending on the indication:
♦ For intimate injections, this is throughout sexual life.
♦ For facial sublimations and certain morphological changes, such as lips, women often start in their twenties.
♦ For wrinkles and skin revitalisation, it’s around the thirties. Starting treatment as soon as the first signs of ageing appear gives the best results.
♦ For certain late changes, ageing of the hands or neck, this is around the age of fifty.
Results of hyaluronic acid injections
The result is immediate. Depending on the cross-linking and firmness of the product, the area injected and the quantity used, the result lasts between six and twelve months.
In certain indications, such as the lips or upper eyelids, oedema is present after the injection, and you will need to wait a week before obtaining the definitive result.
The skin is more hydrated and plumped up, volumes restored and the face sublimated.
Prices
Type of consultation
Prices generally charged
Hyaluronic acid
600 CHF per syringe for most indications. For some indications the the price per syringe varies between 650 and 750CHF .