Hyaluronic acid injections in Paris

01What is hyaluronic acid?

Hyaluronic acid is a molecule naturally present in all the body’s supporting tissues. In the skin, specialised cells called fibroblasts produce around 5 g of it per day: it is what gives the dermis its plumpness and thickness. It also plays a hydrating role: it holds up to a thousand times its own weight in water, like a molecular sponge.

With age, its production declines: the skin dehydrates, loses density and volumes hollow out — these are the static wrinkles (present at rest) and the sagging of the jawline, the temples or the under-eye area. In aesthetic medicine, we re-inject a hyaluronic acid produced through biotechnology (non-allergenic, often of vegan origin), in the form of a cross-linked gel that blends into the dermis. Its great advantage: it is fully reversible — an injection of hyaluronidase can dissolve it if needed, a guarantee of safety.

02The three effects of hyaluronic acid

Depending on the depth of injection and the type of gel, hyaluronic acid works in three ways — often combined within a single protocol:

• Trophic effect (hydrate and nourish): injected very superficially, it plumps and brightens the skin without changing its volume. This is the principle behind skinboosters and mesotherapy, ideal for a fresh complexion and good skin quality.
• Filling effect (smoothing wrinkles): it fills static wrinkles and folds — nasolabial folds, marionette lines, hollow under-eye circles — and redefines the contour of the lips.
• Volumising effect (restoring volume): with denser gels, it recreates volume — cheeks, chin, jawline, but also correction of the nasal tip (non-surgical rhinoplasty) or body reshaping with dedicated gels such as HYAcorp.

03The areas of the face treated

Each area calls for a specific gel and technique:

• Wrinkles and folds: filling of the nasolabial folds and the marionette lines at the corners of the mouth.
• Under-eye hollows and tear trough: correction of the hollow under the eye that creates a tired look. A delicate area, treated with great finesse using a blunt-tip cannula. (Hyaluronic acid mainly corrects hollow under-eye circles; for coloured (pigmented) circles, a chemical peel is often more suitable.)
• Lips: to plump them, redefine the contour and the Cupid’s bow, restore symmetry and hydration — from a discreet border to a « Russian Lips » effect, always measured.
• Cheeks and hollow cheeks: to restore the « triangle of youth » by giving support back to sagging cheekbones.
• Chin and jawline: to project a receding chin and redefine the jawline (jawline contouring); a global approach using the key points of the face (a method such as MD Codes) harmonises the whole. When sagging is pronounced, a non-surgical facelift complements the procedure.
• Hands and décolletage: to rejuvenate the back of the hands, soften tendons and veins, and smooth the décolletage.

04Choosing the right hyaluronic acid

We speak of « hyaluronic acid » in the singular, but there are many formulations, which differ in their molecular weight and their degree of cross-linking (the bonding between the chains of the gel):

• a lightly cross-linked, fluid gel diffuses and hydrates (skinbooster, under-eye circles, lips) — faster reabsorption;
• a highly cross-linked, cohesive gel holds volume and resists gravity (cheeks, chin, jawline) — slower reabsorption.

The whole art of a successful injection lies in choosing the right formulation for the right area and the right effect: this is what guarantees a natural result, neither frozen nor « puffy ». The choice of product is decided during the consultation, according to your anatomy and your expectations.

05Hyaluronic acid or Botox?

The two are complementary and often combined in a single session. Hyaluronic acid fills (volumes, folds, lips, under-eye circles), mainly in the middle and lower thirds of the face; Botox relaxes the muscles responsible for the expression lines of the upper third (forehead, frown lines, crow’s feet). For overall, harmonious rejuvenation, filling and botulinum toxin are frequently combined.

06Results, duration and safety

The result is visible immediately, then stabilises around the 15^th day. Its duration ranges from 6 to 24 months depending on the area and the formulation: shorter on a very mobile area such as the lips (≈ 6 to 12 months), longer on the cheeks or chin (up to 18-24 months), before natural reabsorption.

A product of natural origin, hyaluronic acid offers very good tolerance. Recovery is mild: swelling or small bruises may last a few days, sometimes a temporary firmness for about a fortnight, with no seriousness. Injections are not advised during pregnancy and breastfeeding, in the event of an active skin infection or lesion (a herpes outbreak, for example), uncontrolled autoimmune disease, or a known allergy to lidocaine. Its absorbable and reversible nature (hyaluronidase) makes it one of the safest treatments in aesthetic medicine.

07Key strengths in brief

• a product of natural origin, with excellent tolerance;
• local anaesthetic included in the syringe: a virtually painless procedure;
• immediate effect, stabilised within about a fortnight, with no social downtime;
• reversible (hyaluronidase) and absorbable within 12 to 24 months.

09How the procedure works

10Prices & fees in Paris

Indicative “from” prices, surgeon fees included. The final quote is given at the consultation, after examination, depending on the area treated and the technique chosen. Part of the procedure may be covered by French national health insurance when the medical criteria are met.

11Your questions