In the last article on Hyaluronic Acid, we learned about the vital role Hyaluronic Acid plays in the dermis and epidermis layers of the skin. In part II we will discover what happens to our skin as the production of Hyaluronic acid begins to slow down as we age.
<< Go Back to Part I: Hyaluronic Acid: The Miracle Moisturizer
Part III: The Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid Serum >>
Water is the foundation of healthy skin
In the scientific article “Rejuvenating Hydrator: Restoring Epidermal Hyaluronic Acid Homeostasis With Instant Benefits,” published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, researchers plainly state, “One of the main characteristics of youthful skin is its large capacity to retain water, and this decreases significantly as we age.”¹
Scientists believe that age related hormonal changes might be one cause that our skin loses its moisture as we grow older. For example, in women, estrogen is linked with the production of Hyaluronic acid, which is “a key molecule involved in maintaining skin hydration,”² say the authors of “Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging” a clinical study published in the Journal of Dermato-endocrinology.
The Effect of Decreasing Hyaluronic Levels in the Skin
As described in the first part of SKINNEY Medspa’s series on Hyaluronic acid, HA is a Glycosaminoglycan, or GAG, found in both the sub dermis and dermis, responsible for binding water to proteins. When estrogen levels decline in women entering their 30’s, hyaluronic acid levels decrease in the sub dermis. While many vital components of skin health decrease and break down as we age, the loss of Hyaluronic acid is especially prominent. The previously mentioned authors of “Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging” report “the most dramatic histochemical change observed in senescent skin [aging skin] is the marked disappearance of epidermal HA.”² They further explain that with this decrease in Hyaluronic acid “the epidermis loses the principle molecule responsible for binding and retaining water molecules, resulting in loss of skin moisture.”
And it’s this “loss of the principal molecule, responsible for binding and retaining water molecules,” say the authors of “Anti-wrinkle creams with hyaluronic acid: how effective are they?” that accounts for “some of the most striking alterations of the aged skin.”
These alterations include
- Dry, dehydrated skin
- decreased turgidity [fluid tension that allows young skin to look and fill plump and snap back into place]
- wrinkling,
- altered elasticity
- loss of face volumes.
In addition, dryness of the stratum corneum plays “an important role in fine wrinkle formation [fine lines.]”³
Because all of these signs of aging are linked to age related water loss, it makes sense that the researchers in the study “Anti-aging cosmetics and its efficacy assessment methods” conclude that replacing “moisture is an essential part of anti-aging.”⁴
Read on to Part III of SKINNEY Medspa’s series to discover how work to replenish aging skin.
Part III: The Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid Serum >>
<< Go Back to Part I: Hyaluronic Acid: The Miracle Moisturizer
Sources:
¹“Rejuvenating Hydrator: Restoring Epidermal Hyaluronic Acid Homeostasis With Instant Benefits”
²“Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging”
³ “Anti-wrinkle creams with hyaluronic acid: how effective are they?”
⁴ “Anti-aging cosmetics and its efficacy assessment methods”
