Hyaluronic Acid- Improving your skin inside and out
In my quest to always stay on top of the latest advances in anti-aging medicine, I recently attended a great seminar on advances using bio-identical hormones and supplements to maintain a youthful energy and a youthful appearance! While there, one of the guest lecturers talked a bit about his recommendation for patients looking to brighten up and improve their complexions. So I tried his suggestion myself and have seen really wonderful results.
His recommendation: taking hyaluronic acid (HA) supplements by mouth. What is hyaluronic acid? It’s a natural substance found throughout our bodies. The two main areas HA is found are your joints (where HA lubricates the cartilage) and in your skin. HA draws water to itself and keeps your skin nice and plump while also helping to repair your skin from sun damage. Though that tan looks great, those UV rays are destroying your HA levels. Not only as we age, does our skin accumulate sun damage (lowering our HA levels), we produce less and less HA in our bodies. HA has a very short-half life in our skin (which means we need to make a constant supply). Its ability to attract water keeps the areas between our skin cells from the deepest layers of our skin to the very top layers plump and moisturized. Wrinkles are less visible; skin is brighter, softer and fuller.
Many of you may be familiar with Restylane or Juvederm facial fillers. Both these products are injectable HA. HA is also injected into large joints for patients with severe arthritis. Recently there have been a slew of beauty products coming on the market that contain HA for topical use. While HA gives beauty products a nice consistently, the molecule is too big to penetrate the skin. The smooth feeling that these products give to your skin are due to HA sitting on top of your skin creating a barrier. Unfortunately, when you wash the product off, the HA is goes too. The LA Times recently wrote a nice piece on the recent popularity of HA.
READ THE NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE HERE
Unlike many supplements out there, HA does have clinical research showing skin improvement in subjects taking it orally*. Hyaluronic Acid is widely available at health food stores, and pharmacies. The starting dose I use for skin improvement is a 100mg HA capsule a day for one week followed by 50mg of HA a day from that point on. Most people report an improvement in 2-4 weeks!
Better skin the natural way
(As always, you should check with your doctor before starting any medications or supplements, HA should be used with caution in patients with pre-existing liver or kidney problems).
Dr. Pressman is a graduate of Northwestern University Medical School. She went on to train at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Hospitals, and at Hinsdale Hospital in Hinsdale, Illinois. Dr. Pressman is Board-Certified in Family Medicine. Her medical practice experience includes pre-natal care, obstetrics, pediatrics, adult medicine and geriatrics. The scope of Dr. Pressman's medical expertise has given her a comprehensive knowledge of patients' needs throughout their lifespan. In addition, she has taught medical students and residents as a faculty member of the Hinsdale Family Medicine Residency Program, authored a textbook for medical students and residents, and worked at clinics for the uninsured and underserved populations of Los Angeles. Dr. Pressman's credentials also include research in women's health, psychiatry, immunology and endocrinology.
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