Question:
What distinguishes brands of
HA if they're all the same substance? On Juvaderm's website, it claims they have a "modified form" of
HA, and Macrolane was described as a "non-animal"
HA. If there are indeed distinctions between brands of
HA, can one postulate this being the reason why some versions are less satisfactory (like in the case of Macrolane) versus some versions that are more successful (like the ones used by
Calibre) ?
I trust both
Avanti Derma and
Calibre's observations, since they come from reputable Clinics with adequate sample sizes, but something must be missing that could reconcile or solve why we have two differing conclusions... and I wonder if the formulation of
HA (i.e. brand) may play a significant role? Thoughts?
.[/quote]
Hi Skeptical One,
As you have noticed I am back!
Different versions of
HA? Like there are different types of steel. They come from different sources, are processed differently, have different additives. They design them for different uses. In the early days of
HA (Hylaform) it was harvested from rooster combs! We had t ask if they had an allergy to chicken.
Restylane was the next company and they had it synthesised by a bacteria (like lots of medications are made). That is where they came up with the term NASHA - Non Animal Stabilized
Hyaluronic Acid. Are the EU only requires a company to show that their product is "Substantially similar" for a CE mark lost of companies started making their own. Some wanted the cheapest or quickest route to market and some worked to try and make the best product they could ( but everyone claims to be the latter, it make life much easier if every company could just tell you the truth - this product is rubbish, it will cause you lots of problems and ruin your business).
Then there is the cross linking.
HA is a sugar that can be joined up in long strands. Some companies make long strand
HA. Some short chain. Some mix. I think it depends on what technology they started using and they worked out what it gave them later. But non cross linked
HA gets broken down very quickly. So the form chemical bonds between separate strands of
HA using various chemicals ie 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE). Other companies use other chemicals. they are nasty and need to be washed out. Probably some companies do this better than others. Newer companies and products are looking at better ways of doing this.
Within even 1 brand there is a range of products meant to be used in different places. They have more or less
HA/ml, more or less cross linking, have long or short chains or a mix. Some include their 'special sauce ie' skin lightening properties. From there is starts getting complicated.
I have tried a number of different companies and versions of
HA. I currently use Teosyal Ultimate. It would be great to get 100 guys and use a number of different
HA's and follow them closely for a couple of years to see what is best. That is basically how we work out the best drug for a condition. But it is not easy to do with this, without a huge budget. Thats why you hear it costing millions of dollars to do drug trials and why drug companies charge a fortune for a drug that may only cost them a few cents to make ( plus drug companies mainly exist to pay huge salaries and bonuses to the CEO, MD, Board etc).
Back to work now!