Hyaluronic acid and skin aging

ABSTRACT

Hyaluronic acid [HA], the main and most important constituent of extracellular matrix, is a glycosaminologycan with water-absorbing capacity found in large amount in growing and repairing tissues. One of the main causes of skin problems, particulary in aging skin, is HA deficiency. More than half of the body HA is in the skin and is necessary for the maintenance of internal matrix and several cellular functions. Filler gels containing HA are used to repair skin defects. As these substances are derived from animals and bacteria, not the human, may cause skin reactions and have short half-life. So efforts to maintain and/or increase HA secretion from skin fibroblasts are important in the prevention and treatment of skin aging