Skin Booster: Injectable Skin Hydration

Hyaluronic acid forms a network that attracts water and holds it in the skin. The small particles used for this procedure hold water without adding the volume sought with a filler gel, which is placed deeper.

In the short term, improved hydration, radiance and firmness, and softer crow's feet and cheek wrinkles, are possible with the preparation that was evaluated. These changes are not assured for every person or for every product. Nor does a change measured shortly after the injections tell you how long the effect will last.

A skin booster is not used to reshape a contour by adding volume. A hyaluronic acid filler injection instead aims to fill a hollow or a fold with a gel placed deeper. Hydrating the skin and restoring volume address two different needs.

If a wrinkle remains deep or your skin is sagging, the first step is to clarify what bothers you. The assessment makes it possible to choose an approach; filler is not the answer to every kind of sagging. Nasolabial folds, the creases that run from the nose toward the mouth, involve a different question about filler than skin that feels tight does. Reshaping the outline of the lips with lip injections is also a volume goal, not hydration of the facial skin.

The number of sessions and the time between them are decided based on your skin, the chosen treatment and the change you are looking for. A series may be considered, but no single rule applies to everyone. Before you start, ask how many sessions would be proposed and when you would review where things stand.

No immediate effect is guaranteed. When a change can be judged depends on the chosen treatment; this becomes clearer during the assessment. The duration of the effect has not been established: you cannot be given a reliable timeline for how long the change will last. Also ask whether maintenance would be useful and how often, rather than planning regular injections from the outset.

Bruising, swelling and skin tenderness are possible after the injections; these local effects are generally temporary, often lasting less than two weeks. Redness, pain, itching and a rash are also possible. Infection, allergic reaction and necrosis, the death of tissue, are also among the risks to be aware of. Some side effects of hyaluronic acid injections can last several months and require corrective treatment.

The most concerning complication is accidental injection into a blood vessel. It is rare, but it can cut off the blood supply to tissue and cause serious, sometimes permanent complications: necrosis, vision problems that can lead to blindness, or stroke. The safety of these injections during pregnancy and breastfeeding is unknown; let the doctor know if you are pregnant or breastfeeding before any procedure.

The doctor examines your skin to determine whether the treatment can address what bothers you. The assessment can lead to a different approach or to no treatment. Skin inflammation or infection, such as cysts, pimples, a rash or hives, leads to postponing the injection until it has been treated.

Describe what has changed in your skin, since when, and the treatments you have already tried. Tell the doctor about your allergies, any blood clotting disorder, your cold sore outbreaks, any heart disease, your previous injections and other cosmetic treatments, as well as skin that gets irritated easily.

Also bring a list of your medications and supplements, even those you take without a prescription. In particular, mention warfarin, aspirin, ibuprofen, vitamin E, St. John's wort, and garlic and ginger supplements; do not change anything on your own. Ask what change the treatment is meant to achieve, what limits are expected and how the doctor will judge the benefits and side effects.