What Is This New FDA-Approved Treatment for Dry Skin?

If anything has been drilled into consumers’ heads in the beauty industry, it’s that hyaluronic acid can quench dry skin like nobody’s business. With its own famous lore — how many times have you heard the claim that HA can hold 1,000 times its molecular weight in water? — and inclusion among countless skin care, hair care, and cosmetic formulations, hyaluronic acid as a topical ingredient alone boasts a market value that surpasses that of entire other industries — $3 billion in 2022 and growing, according to Grandview Research. 

Now, there’s another way to reap hyaluronic acid’s skin-hydrating benefits, with results that reportedly can last up to six months. Skinvive by Juvéderm is the first FDA-approved in-office treatment that uses microdroplets of hyaluronic acid injected to the dermis (a more superficial layer of skin than injection points used for fillers) to hydrate skin and contribute to improved texture.  

“Unlike the results one would get from hydrating the skin topically or internally, Skinvive by Juvéderm is a smooth gel that is injected below the surface of the skin and has been shown to increase the expression of aquaporin, a hydration marker that facilitates the flow of water in and out of cells,” says Melanie Palm, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon who served as principal investigator for the product’s FDA phase 3 clinical trial. “As a result of improved skin smoothness and hydration, light reflects better off the cheek area and provides the appearance of a lasting glow.” 

In clinical trials, the injectable has been shown as safe for use in all skin types and tones, with optimal results of improvement to skin quality being seen a few weeks after treatment and lasting for up to six months. For example, patients reported smoother skin on cheeks (the site upon which the treatment is FDA approved) at one month and six months after treatment.

Perhaps because hyaluronic acid is also the substance injected in dermal filler treatments (such as Voluma, Restylane, and Juvéderm), Rami K. Batniji, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist based in Newport Beach, California, says patients commonly confuse Skinvive’s purpose and outcome with those of dermal fillers. “Skinvive injections are deliberately microdroplet in amount, so it’s not intended to volumize,” he says, citing those with dry and/or dehydrated skin as optimum candidates for the treatment. 

Though rare, side effects include mild and temporary swelling, redness, tenderness, and firmness at the injection site. Some have also experienced bumps or lumps at the injection site for up to four weeks after treatment. For this reason, be sure to seek a provider with expertise in administering Skinvive by Juvéderm, as practitioners must complete a training program before they’re able to purchase and administer the injectable. 

And if you experience occasional dryness, especially only on certain areas of your face, you might want to reach for skin care products first. Try slugging (layering an occlusive product on top of moisturizer), a serum with hydrating glycerin, and/or a facial to ensure your skin care routine is on the right track.