How much hyaluronic acid is in the body?
≈15 gin the body of a 70 kg adult
An average adult weighing 70 kg holds about 15 grams of hyaluronic acid.
A fascinating physiological fact. This is how that amount is distributed and renewed in the body:
Skin≈50%Rest of the body≈50%
- Skin (≈50%)More than 7.5 grams of the body's hyaluronic acid sits in the skin and subcutaneous tissue, mainly in the dermis.
- Rest of the body (≈50%)The rest is spread through the joint fluid (synovial fluid), the eyes (vitreous body) and the walls of blood vessels and connective tissue.
- A very fast turnoverThe body breaks down and renews its natural hyaluronic acid quickly (turnover rate). Hyaluronic acid that is not cross-linked would break down within a single day.
02 · In the clinic
Why does the injected gel last?
1–2 yearsusually, depending on gel firmness
The difference between natural hyaluronic acid and the gel injected in the clinic:
- Cross-linkingCommercial hyaluronic acid goes through a chemical process called cross-linking, usually with a linking agent such as BDDE. It binds the sugar chains together into a firm gel structure.
- Resistance to body enzymesThe cross-linked structure makes it hard for the body's natural enzyme (hyaluronidase) to reach the molecules and break them down quickly. So instead of breaking down within a day, hyaluronic acid injected into the penis usually lasts between one and two years, depending on the firmness of the gel (G-Prime).
