Hyaluronic Acid
Is The New Collagen
By Susan Archer
Hyaluronic acid more popularly known by the brand names Restylane and Hylaform is the new kid on the block when it comes to non-surgical cosmetic procedures but has quickly overtaken collagen, the old standard, and for good reason. Hyaluronic acid lasts longer, has fewer side effects, and is just as quick of a procedure.
Mary Collins, who has gotten collagen injections each year since 2000 on her birthday, praises the effectiveness of the new treatment, “I used to see my lips deflate back to rail thin lines after 8 or 10 weeks when I was getting collagen, but with Restylane my lips are lasting much longer, like six or eight months.” For Mary and many like her the appeal of hyaluronic acid is in the extra longevity, which translates into better value.
While collagen injections are almost 30% cheaper on average (collagen injection = $389; hyaluronic acid injection = $542) they typically last at least twice as long, if not more (hyaluronic acid = 6 months; collagen = 3 months) according to clinical results filed with the FDA. (See notes 1 and 2)
Other versions not yet approved by the FDA, namely Perlane, are in use outside the US and have purportedly longer lasting effects, perhaps up to 12 months or longer. It is unclear whether the company who controls the rights to distribute and market Restylane in the US is attempting to bring Perlane in as well.
What Is Hyaluronic Acid?
While acid may sound bad, this stuff isn’t going to eat your face off. Conversely, it is made to ‘plump’ or fill specific areas to smooth contours. In many cases the plumping results in a complete or nearly complete disappearance of winkles, especially acne scars and smile lines. It can also be used to ‘plump’ up the lips.
The actual compound is a known component of the extra cellular matrix that is made up everything that is not a cell. The purpose of hyaluronic acid in the skin is to help regulate moisture levels. It does this by ‘absorbing’ water and slowly releasing it as the cells in the skin get dehydrated. When hyaluronic acid is abundant and well hydrated it gives a fullness to the skin that can fill creases or wrinkles. A relatively large amount of hyaluronic acid is needed to fill such spaces so you can’t get the same effect from some of the supplements out there.
Hyaluronic acid is also important for joint health. It acts as a shock absorber and lubricant for many of the joints in the body. In fact, before it was used to treat wrinkles and scars hyaluronic acid was injected into joints to alleviate pain and improve function.
Restylane vs. Hylaform
There are two major manufacturers of hyaluronic acid that distribute their products in the US market. The biggest and most important difference between the two is source material for the end product. Hylaform is made from rooster combs, that’s right, those impressive flaps of skin hanging from the heads of roosters. In fact, the company that originally produced Hylaform, bred roosters for comb size. They were so good at it that eventually the combs were too large and the roosters had trouble holding their heads up (needless to say they brought the comb size down a bit).
Restylane, on the other hand, is made from a variety of the streptococcus bacteria. If you guessed that this bacteria causes strep throat you were right. Both of these products have to be highly processed to remove as much of the protein from the original source as possible while leaving the hyalauron intact.
It is hard to say which of these two products is better to use, in the end it comes down to how much of the original material gets filtered out. The makers of Restylane® claim that with the help of a new purification process they have refined their production enough to bring bacterial proteins down to 6 parts per million (that’s pretty dang low). They also claim that this new, more pure process leads to an injectable with fewer mild and moderate reactions.
One concern about the Hylaform process is that it involves an avian source. This opens up concern about the so-called ‘bird-flu’ as the virus is spreading worldwide and jumping from birds to humans on a regular basis. One wonders if they are capable of ensuring that each batch is completely free of the virus. Inamed, the marketer and distributor of Hylaform in the US, was contacted for this article but made no response.
So What Is Collagen Made From?
Many may not know that collagen was originally derived from bovine sources, yep, cows. It was actually made from the hides of baby cows. According to the latest data about 30% of the collagen injections that take place each year in the US are bovine sourced collagen, the other 70% comes from human sources, mainly umbilical cords and placentas and such.
Which to Choose?
If you are going for value I would recommend Restylane or another of the many hyaluronic acid products on the market (remember – injections not supplements). On the other hand you may want to go with the less expensive filler at the time and that will most certainly be collagen. There is another consideration – allergies. Some people are allergic to one or multiple products; usually this allergy is related to a protein from the source the material is derived from. Unfortunately, all of these products leave behind traces of their sources and many people are allergic to these foreign proteins.
Your doctor should do a skin test prior to treatment if necessary to determine whether you are allergic or not. Always be sure to ask about allergies before you get a procedure done. In the end, to find out which one is right for you, you’ll need to speak with your doctor.
For More Information See Six Tips, Tools and Warnings for Picking Your Plastic Surgeon.