There are a lot of different filler treatments that dermatologists offer. If you start reading about them, you'll soon realize that many of them have something in common: they contain hyaluronic acid. Why is this? What about hyaluronic acid makes it such a common and suitable option for filler injections? It all comes down to a few key factors.

Hyaluronic acid is found naturally in your body.

Understandably, people are often hesitant to have foreign substances injected into their skin. With hyaluronic acid, you really don't need to worry about this. Your body makes its own hyaluronic acid. It's found in your joints and also in your skin. Injecting more of it into your skin does not send up any alarm bells or cause your immune system to react. Therefore, allergic and negative reactions are really uncommon with hyaluronic acid-based fillers.

Hyaluronic acid adds natural-looking volume.

Most patients who get filler injections do not want to look unnaturally enhanced. They just want their skin to look fuller and more youthful. Hyaluronic acid is good at achieving this naturally full look without making you look like you've had work done. Of course, if you do want a more enhanced look, your practitioner can inject more HA, which can have this effect. But the "normal" course of injections won't enhance you to this degree.

Hyaluronic acid combines well with other filler compounds.

Some fillers contain not only hyaluronic acid but also other compounds. For example, some may contain collagen peptides. Hyaluronic acid tends to combine well with these ingredients, which gives filler manufacturers a lot of flexibility. They can design fillers specifically for certain parts of the face or certain problems, using HA as the base.

Hyaluronic acid is long-lasting.

Fillers, in general, last longer for some patients than for others. It really depends on how long your body takes to break down the filler ingredients. However, fillers with HA do tend to last longer than those made with other ingredients. It's not uncommon for patients to get a year or more out of their HA injections. Yet you can still go to the practitioner for a touch-up whenever you feel your results are fading.

There are good reasons why you see HA in so many filler injections. It simply works well for this purpose, for all of the reasons discussed above. Contact a dermatology clinic like Hamzavi Dermatology to learn more.