Injections with "dermal fillers" containing hyaluronic acid appear to stimulate production of collagen, a primary protein in the skin.

This means that dermal fillers may actually restore the structure of sun-damaged skin, according to an article in the February issue of Archives of Dermatology.

Injectable skin fillers have become increasingly popular for correcting the lines and wrinkles associated with aging, as well as acne scars and other skin conditions.

Hyaluronic acid, a compound that occurs naturally in the skin and connective tissue, is among the most widely used fillers in the United States. Its molecules bind to water in the skin, hydrating and firming its structure, and the loss of hyaluronic acid with aging is associated with skin dehydration and wrinkling.

 

Because hyaluronic acid degrades rapidly in the skin, the commercially available version is cross-linked, or bound to itself chemically to increase stabilization.

Frank Wang, M.D., and colleagues at the University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, injected non-animal stabilized hyaluronic acid (NASHA), one of the most commonly used forms, into the forearms of 11 healthy volunteers (average age of 74 years).

It is commonly assumed that fillers achieve their effects by filling space in the skin; through examining the skin samples under an electron microscope, the researchers found that this appeared to be the case with stabilized hyaluronic acid. “We found that hyaluronic acid injections induce type 1 collagen production in photo-damaged forearm skin,” doctors write.

Because there is currently no evidence that skin on different parts of the body behave differently, it is likely that hyaluronic acid has the same effect on facial skin.

Hyaluronic acid injections induce collagen production through several potential mechanisms, including the mechanical stretching of fibroblasts [cells that secrete collagen proteins], stimulation of growth factors and inhibition of collagen breakdown, the authors write.

These findings suggest that, in addition to its cosmetic benefits, hyaluronic acid may be beneficial in skin-wasting diseases that involve collagen deficiencies, such as those associated with HIV or steroid use. 

 Other news