Profhilo vs polynucleotides: which injectable is right for your skin?
Both are among the most talked-about injectables in London right now. Both improve skin quality. Both are often recommended in the same breath. The confusion is understandable, and worth resolving before booking either.
The difference sits in mechanism rather than outcome. One works primarily through hydration and bioremodelling. The other works through cellular repair and regeneration. Those are meaningfully different starting points, and understanding which one is closer to your own concern tends to make the decision considerably clearer.
“The decision is not about which treatment is more popular. It is about which concern is closer to your own.”
This is not a clinical assessment or medical advice. It is a way of organising the options so the decision feels more considered before a consultation with a medical provider or clinician.
Profhilo: what it is and how it tends to work
Profhilo is a specific product, not a category. It is made by the Italian company IBSA Farmaceutici using a patented process that combines high and low molecular weight hyaluronic acid without chemical crosslinking agents. This places it in its own corner of aesthetics — often called bioremodelling — distinct from standard fillers, though it is related.
It works by spreading through the skin from a small number of injection points, hydrating the tissue from within and encouraging the skin to produce more collagen and elastin over time. The effect is diffuse rather than targeted — skin tends to look more radiant, feel more hydrated, and have a subtle firmness to it. It does not add volume or change the shape of the face.
There are other products in the broader injectable moisturiser family, including Skinboosters, Skinvive and Sunekos. Profhilo is used here as the reference point because it is among the most established and widely used in London, with a consistent protocol and a solid body of real-world evidence behind it.
Typically, it involves 2 sessions around 4 weeks apart, with results building gradually over 4-8 weeks and the skin looking its best around the 8-12 week mark. Results tend to last around 6 months, after which a maintenance session is usually recommended. Downtime is minimal — some small injection bumps that settle within hours — and the experience is generally well tolerated. In London, sessions typically run from around £500 to £900, often sold as a two-session course. It can be used on the face, neck and décolletage, and increasingly on body areas such as the inner arms.
Profhilo tends to suit those whose skin looks tired, dull, dehydrated or slightly crepey. It is one of the more predictable injectables available, with a lower risk profile and a straightforward protocol. It is less suited to those hoping for a lifting or structural result.
Polynucleotides: what they are and how they tend to work
Polynucleotides are a category of injectable, not a single product. They are made from purified DNA fragments, typically derived from fish, and they work by signalling the skin to repair and regenerate itself from within — a different mechanism to Profhilo's hydration-led approach.
Where Profhilo delivers hydration that the skin then uses to rebuild, polynucleotides work at a more fundamental level, encouraging the skin's own repair processes to become more active. The evidence base is promising but less settled than Profhilo's, and protocols vary considerably depending on the brand and the practitioner.
This matters more than it might seem, because polynucleotides are not one thing. The brands available in UK clinics differ in where their DNA is sourced, how it is processed, and what they are particularly good at. A simplified way of thinking about the main ones:
Repair and healing-led: Rejuran (PDRN) (salmon-derived, from South Korea) tends to be strongest for sensitive, damaged or post-acne skin, with particularly good results around the eyes. Ameela uses longer polynucleotide chains and is also favoured for work around the eyes, with results that practitioners often describe as longer-lasting.
Hydration and structure-led: Plinest (trout-derived, developed in Italy with a long clinical history) works well across the face and neck, improving hydration and skin structure over a course. Nucleofill has a similar profile, with a focus on firmness and elasticity.
Hybrid: Newest combines polynucleotides with hyaluronic acid, offering the repair benefit of polynucleotides with a more immediate hydration effect, closer in feel to Profhilo, but with regeneration built in.
Area-specific: Vitaran comes in two versions — Vitaran I is formulated specifically for the delicate skin around the eyes, Vitaran II for broader facial and body use.
As a general guide, a course of polynucleotides typically involves 3 sessions spaced 2-4 weeks apart, with results building gradually across the course and peaking around 6-12 weeks. Results tend to last 6-9 months. Downtime is minimal to mild — some swelling or bruising is possible. Sessions in London typically run from £250 to £600 depending on the area and brand used.
Polynucleotides tend to suit those whose concern is repair rather than hydration, thinner or more compromised skin, under-eye concerns, uneven texture, or skin that has been through acne, photodamage or post-procedure stress. Outcomes can vary more than with Profhilo, and the result depends on both the brand being used and the practitioner's approach.
One practical note: when researching clinics, it is worth checking whether they publish which brand they use. Some do; many don't. Given how much the brands differ in what they are designed to do, it is a reasonable question to ask before booking.
Profhilo vs polynucleotides: a side-by-side view
| Profhilo | Polynucleotides | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Single branded product (IBSA) | A category with multiple brands |
| Core function | Hydration, firmness, skin quality | Repair, regeneration, skin quality |
| How it works | Spreads through skin, stimulates collagen and elastin via HA | Signals skin to repair and regenerate from within |
| Best suited for | Dullness, dehydration, crepey skin, mild laxity | Under-eyes, thin or compromised skin, texture, post-acne or damaged skin |
| Treatment areas | Face, neck, décolletage | Face, under-eyes, neck, sometimes body |
| Sessions | 2 sessions, 4 weeks apart | Typically 3 sessions, 2–4 weeks apart |
| Result timing | Builds over 4–8 weeks | Builds across the course |
| Peak result | Around 8–12 weeks | Around 6–12 weeks |
| Duration | ~6 months | ~6–9 months |
| Downtime | Minimal | Minimal to mild |
| Risk profile | Low | Low to moderate |
| Evidence quality | Well established | Promising, less standardised |
| London price range | £500–£900 per session | £250–£600 per session |
| Less suited if | Expecting lifting or structural change | Expecting an immediate or highly predictable result |
What each tends to do better
Profhilo tends to be the stronger starting point when the skin looks tired, dehydrated or crepey without obvious structural or textural damage, when the goal is a broad improvement in radiance and skin quality, or when a more straightforward, well-established protocol is preferred. It is also often a good first injectable for those who want a lower-risk entry point.
Polynucleotides tend to make more sense when the concern is repair rather than hydration — when the skin feels thin, compromised or texturally off, when the area around the eyes is the main focus, or when post-acne, photodamage or barrier stress is part of the picture. They suit those who are comfortable with a course-based plan and a result that builds more quietly over time.
“Arriving with a clear sense of your concern tends to lead to a more considered plan than arriving with a product name already in mind.”
Start with the concern, not the product name
Both treatments are genuinely useful. The decision sits not in which is more talked about, but in which concern is more dominant.
Skin that feels dehydrated, dull or slightly lax without obvious damage tends to point towards Profhilo. Skin that feels thin, compromised or in need of repair — or where the area around the eyes is the main concern — tends to point more clearly towards polynucleotides.
Individual factors matter too: age, skin condition, lifestyle, and what the skin has been through all shape which direction is more appropriate. The same visible concern can sit within the scope of either treatment depending on the person. A consultation with a medical provider or clinician who can assess the skin directly, and who is transparent about the products they use and why, is the most reliable way to arrive at the right starting point.
If the main question is...
"My skin looks tired, dehydrated and slightly dull." Profhilo tends to be the more aligned starting point.
"The skin around my eyes or on thinner areas needs more than hydration." Polynucleotides, particularly Rejuran or Ameela, tend to sit closer here.
"I want a well-established, straightforward protocol." Profhilo is generally more predictable and consistent.
"I am comfortable with a course and want a repair-led result." Polynucleotides are worth exploring.
"My skin has been through something — acne, inflammation, or post-procedure stress." Repair-led polynucleotides such as Rejuran or Ameela tend to be more appropriate here.
Can they be combined?
Yes, and increasingly they are. A number of practitioners in London use them in sequence — typically starting with a polynucleotide course to repair and prepare the skin, then following with Profhilo to build hydration and radiance on top of that foundation. Some use them in parallel for different areas: polynucleotides around the eyes, Profhilo across the broader face.
As with any combination approach, spacing and sequencing matter. It is worth raising this explicitly at a consultation rather than assuming the two can simply be stacked without a plan.
From options to a decision
If you would like help thinking through which approach may suit your skin concerns, with a considered shortlist of options in London built around your starting point,
The Pink Book can help with that.