Hylaform is an injectable treatment for wrinkles and deep facial creases. It is made from hyaluronic acid, a substance that occurs naturally and is found most commonly in human skin and throughout the human body. Its main function is to trap water and sustain the space between skin cells. As a result, hyaluronic acid helps to maintain the volume, shape and elasticity of the skin. Hylaform is a dermal filler made from purified, animal-based stabilised hyaluronic acid found in the combs of specially bred roosters.
As with any treatment, Hylaform has a number of advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages
- Perhaps the most important advantage of Hylaform is that given that hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance found in the human body, it does not much differ from the animal-based acid used for the injection. As a result, immunological and allergic reactions to Hylaform are very rare.
- The effects of Hylaform can last between 6-12 months, which makes it preferable to alternative treatments such as collagen injections which last between 3 and 6 months.
- Another clear advantage is that the effects of Hylaform are immediately visible, meaning that a patient needn’t wait to see the results of the treatment.
- As well as there being no pre-treatment skin test required, there are only a few post-treatment side effects of Hylaform, such as minimal redness, bruising and swelling.
- The Hylaform procedure can be performed simply and quickly and often takes no longer than 30 minutes.
- Another advantage of Hylaform is that is can be broken down by an enzyme called hyaluronidase. As a result, if any bumps or abnormalities occur following the treatment, they can be treated by injecting hyaluronidase, which break downs down the Hylaform.
Disadvantages
- Hylaform can produce a number of side effects such as redness, bruising and swelling.
- The procedure can be painful and pain at the injection site may last up to a week after the procedure has been performed.
- There is also the chance of the formation of small bumps of Hylaform around the injection site.
- Perhaps the most visible disadvantage of Hylaform is that it can cause significant lip swelling and asymmetry, which may take one or more weeks to subside.
