You look in the mirror and your skin doesn’t look like yours any more. It looks thinner, drier and a little tired, and under the eyes it looks crêpey where it used to be smooth. One friend swears by Profhilo. Your social feed is full of polynucleotides. Every website says its option is the answer.
When patients ask me about Profhilo vs polynucleotides, they often feel they’re supposed to know already which one they need. You aren’t. That’s exactly what an assessment is for, and the NHS advice on cosmetic procedures is worth reading before any treatment. Profhilo and polynucleotides are both injected into the skin at a short appointment, usually as a short course of sessions. Neither adds noticeable volume or changes the shape of your face. Beyond that, they are quite different, and the right choice depends on your skin, not on what is popular this year.
They sound similar, but they do different jobs
Profhilo is a brand of injectable, highly concentrated, stabilised hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in the skin and helps it hold water. Profhilo isn’t used to sculpt or add volume like a structural filler. Instead, it’s placed at a small number of set points and spreads through the tissue to hydrate the skin. Most people notice smoother skin, more glow and a modest firming effect rather than any change to their facial contour.
Polynucleotides are chains of purified DNA fragments. They’re most commonly taken from salmon or trout and processed to remove proteins that could trigger a reaction. Once injected, they are thought to act as a biological signal that supports the skin’s own repair processes and hydration.
Profhilo vs polynucleotides comes down to what your skin needs
I want us to stop asking which product is “better” and ask what your skin is actually doing. Here is how I usually approach it.
If your skin feels dull, dry or slightly lax across the cheeks, jawline or neck, Profhilo is often where I’d start. The hydration can soften fine crêpiness and improve how your skin reflects light. The firming is subtle and gradual.
Under the eyes, the skin is thin, mobile and unforgiving. Polynucleotides are often preferred here because they improve texture without adding meaningful volume, so there is less risk of puffiness. They may soften a crêpey, shadowed look, but they won’t correct true hollowing or changes in the fat pads.
If your skin has been through acne scarring, rosacea flares, a lot of sun or long-running inflammation, a repair-focused approach often suits it better, and polynucleotides are commonly chosen for that. Results build gradually over several weeks.
And sometimes you don’t need to pick a winner. The two can be used in different areas of one plan, for example polynucleotides around the eyes and Profhilo on the lower face and neck. That plan should be individual, sensibly spaced and explained to you clearly, including the cost.
What neither treatment will do is lift sagging tissue, remove deep static lines or replace lost volume. If that is what’s bothering you, you deserve to hear it at the consultation, not after you’ve paid for a course.
Neither one is risk-free, and you should hear that plainly
Both appointments follow a similar pattern. First comes a review of your medical history, medications, allergies, skin and goals, including whether an injectable is right for you at all. Then we agree the area, the expected result and the limits. The skin is cleansed, topical anaesthetic is applied where appropriate, and the injections take a short time using fine needles or a cannula. Afterwards you avoid make-up, strenuous exercise, saunas and alcohol for a short period, and I review your skin before each further session.
The common effects are usually short-lived: redness, swelling, tenderness, bruising and small temporary bumps where the needle went in. Less often, infection, prolonged swelling, nodules or an allergic reaction can occur. Although Profhilo isn’t a filler in the usual sense, it’s an injectable hyaluronic acid, so the same safety precautions apply.
These treatments are generally avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding, where there is active infection or inflammation in the area, and in people with relevant allergies. Certain autoimmune conditions, medications and bleeding disorders can also affect whether they are suitable. If you have a known fish allergy, raise it before considering polynucleotides.
Here is something many people don’t realise. These products are regulated by the MHRA, through its medical device and medicines oversight, as medical devices, not medicines. They should carry a UKCA or CE mark, and they don’t need a prescription. In England, anyone can currently inject them. The government announced a licensing scheme in 2025, but it isn’t in force yet. For doctors, the General Medical Council sets clear standards for doctors offering cosmetic interventions, covering consent, honest information about outcomes and follow-up.
Before you book, ask four questions
This is the one practical thing I’d ask you to do. Before anyone injects you, write these down and take them with you (yes, even if it feels awkward):
- “What is the product called, and does it have a UKCA or CE mark?”
- “Are you registered with the GMC or NMC, or on the JCCP or Save Face register? Can I check?”
- “Why this treatment for my skin, and what won’t it do?”
- “If something goes wrong, who do I contact, and how quickly will I be seen?”
A good practitioner will be glad you asked. If the answers are vague or rushed, that tells you what you need to know. I promise it’s worth the five minutes.
If injectables aren’t for you, your skin still has options
You may be pregnant or breastfeeding. You may have a condition that makes injectables unsuitable, or simply not want needles near your face. (I know this can be hard to hear when you were hoping for a quick fix!) Being unsuitable for these treatments doesn’t mean nothing can be done.
Your skin is shaped by far more than what’s injected into it. Sun protection, sleep, nutrition, smoking and hormonal changes around perimenopause and menopause all play a part. At your appointment I look at all of these, because they affect your skin whether or not you ever have an injectable. Some of them are small changes, and I promise they add up.
Choose the treatment your skin needs, not the one everyone is talking about
Profhilo and polynucleotides can both do good things for the right skin. Neither does much for the wrong skin, and either one carries real risk in the wrong hands. So don’t start with the product. Start with an honest assessment of your skin, your health and your goals, by someone qualified, registered and willing to tell you no.
In one unhurried 45-minute consultation at 10 Harley Street, Dr Katy Kasraie will look at your health history, your goals and every suitable option, including approaches that do not involve medication. No referral needed, and most major insurers are accepted. Click here to book your appointment.