Why does the body need hyaluronic acid hydrogel?

Hyaluronic acid delivers nutrients to the parts of our bodies that do not have a blood supply and carries away toxins from them. Without the presence of hyaluronic acid, our bones and cartilages are bound to start deteriorating and become brittle. Hyaluronic acid prevents diseases and discomfort like joint pain, arthritis, and other issues by keeping the bones well lubricated and cushioned.

Similarly, it also acts as a shock absorber and lubricant for the eyes, thus making it useful in the cases of dry eyes and preventing the damage that can be caused to sensitive eye tissues during surgeries. It is helpful in improving night vision, treatment of glaucoma and detached retina, cataract removal, corneal transplant, injury in the eye, among other such eye issues.

In the skin, it keeps the moisture locked and gives out a younger look. It also leads to a faster healing of the skin, thus reducing the appearance of scars and zits on the face. It keeps the skin moisturized and reduces the appearance of fine lines, along with repairing collagen. It is essential, and mostly the primary step of the skin care routine of various medical experts, makeup bloggers, vloggers and beauty gurus. It is used extensively in plastic surgeries, even as lip fillers. The acid helps in the healing of wounds and burns too.

Hyaluronic acid is also useful for the gums since it keeps the teeth attached to the jaw bone. Its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial nature makes it beneficial in the treatment of various related diseases, like gingivitis and periodontitis. It regulates the formation of White Blood Cells thereby maintaining the body’s immunity.

However, as the human body starts to age, the concentration of hyaluronic acid in their body reduces. But because it is needed for carrying out vital functions of the body, the adequate amount of hyaluronic acid must be supplemented into the body in its purest form. Now it is available in various forms, like injections, oral supplements, and various other skin care products.

What is perhaps a more widespread use of hyaluronic acid hydrogel is its use in injections, which are used for the following two purposes: Skin: As mentioned above, the injections are highly useful when it comes to tackling the visible signs of aging and penetrate right through the layers of skin to fulfill the deficiency created by age. Creams, serums, lotions and oils also use hyaluronic acid hydrogel as their active agent, but due to the size of the molecules, they are unable to penetrate the many layers of skin, which is also the largest organ in our body and needs the hyaluronic acid hydrogel the most.

Joints: when joints become brittle and lose the necessary lubrication in them, they start to wear and tear, as an effect of deteriorating hyaluronic acid in the body. In such cases, people suffering from diseases like Osteoarthritis opt to get hyaluronic acid hydrogel injected in exactly that place that is hurting the most. The patient must sit through this procedure once in a week, for about three to five weeks in order to start seeing results that last for about a year, where not only do they rid the patient of the pain, but also allow them the privilege of moving around a bit. However, the results are hard to predict, in the sense that it may or may not show results on the patient.

Side Effects

Although people who are prescribed hyaluronic acid hydrogel, generally reap its benefits but few unlucky patients have to suffer from its side effects. The injection that is supposed to reduce pain leads to redness and more pain. It may be because the body sometimes takes a while to adjust to a new medicine, no matter how good its effect. If the problems persist, the patients are asked to contact their doctors immediately as each body is different, and the way it reacts to a medicine cannot exactly be predicted. Moreover, hyaluronic acid hydrogel’s side effects have not been extensively studied yet and can lead to unforeseen effects. In the eye, it can cause pressure after surgery, tenderness, itching, and swelling, although it is rare for it to cause any severe allergic reaction. Skin that affects any human's self-respect the most suffers from acne, tissue death, infection, and in a few instances, minor allergic reactions. Moreover, after an injection, anti-inflammatory drugs, aspirin, and Vitamin E supplements are known to cause Bruising and bleeding, so patients are advised to stop taking these medicines more than a week before they go for the hyaluronic acid hydrogel injections. Breastfeeding and pregnant women are strictly prohibited from even considering hyaluronic acid hydrogel injections. A few more people are advised to stay away from these medicines, cancer patients being among them, as it may lead to worsening of their symptoms. Thus, hyaluronic acid hydrogel can be either a boon or a bane for you, so consult your doctor before taking the supplement!