Profhilo vs Polynucleotides vs Skin Boosters: Which Should You Choose?

Most people who ask about skin boosters have already narrowed it down to two or three names. Profhilo, polynucleotides, and a general sense that there is a wider family of injectable boosters underneath. They are right that these treatments belong together. All three improve the quality of the skin rather than its shape, and none of them add volume the way dermal filler does. Where people get stuck is deciding which one is theirs.

They are not interchangeable. Profhilo, polynucleotides and an HA skin booster work through different mechanisms, on different problems, and they are often at their best when they are used together rather than chosen between. This article explains what each one does, who each tends to suit, and how the decision is made.

At The London Road Clinic all three are available, and the choice is made at consultation based on your skin, your concern and your goals.

What these treatments have in common

Skin boosters are injectable treatments that improve the condition of the skin itself: hydration, elasticity, firmness and texture. They do this by working into the deeper layers of the skin and either holding water there or prompting the skin to repair and rebuild. What they share is what they do not do. They do not fill a line, restore a hollow, or change the contour of the face. If the concern is volume loss, this whole category is the wrong conversation, and dermal filler is the right one. We cover that distinction in Profhilo vs dermal filler.

Within the category, the differences matter. One booster hydrates. One remodels. One repairs. Matching the mechanism to the skin in front of us is the entire point of the consultation.

The three, and what each one does

Profhilo is a stabilised, high-concentration hyaluronic acid manufactured by IBSA. It is placed at a small number of fixed points and then spreads through the tissue rather than staying where it was injected. As it spreads it draws in water and prompts the skin’s own cells to produce fresh collagen and elastin over roughly 60 days. The result is skin that reads as more hydrated, firmer and a little more resilient across a whole area such as the lower face, neck or hands. Think of Profhilo as the bio-remodeller: broad improvement in skin quality and firmness across a region.

Polynucleotides are purified fragments of DNA, derived from salmon or trout and heavily processed for clinical use. At The London Road Clinic we use Croma Polyphil. Rather than simply holding water, they work at the level of cell signalling: activating the receptors that tell fibroblasts to multiply, laying down new collagen, and calming inflammation in the skin. That regenerative, anti-inflammatory action makes them the strongest choice for skin that is thin, fragile or crepey, and for delicate zones such as the under-eye. Think of polynucleotides as the repairer: they rebuild the quality and resilience of skin that has become depleted.

HA skin boosters are the hydration specialists of the group. At The London Road Clinic we use Croma Revitalis, a non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid combined with glycerol. Delivered across an area in a mesotherapy-style technique, it floods dehydrated skin with water-binding hyaluronic acid and improves elasticity and glow. It does not remodel structure the way Profhilo does, or repair at the cellular level the way polynucleotides do. What it does, it does well: it quenches skin that looks dull, tired and dehydrated. Think of an HA skin booster as the hydrator.

Side by side

When each one tends to be the stronger choice

Profhilo is the natural starting point when the concern is overall skin quality and firmness across a whole area rather than one specific feature. Skin that has lost its bounce across the lower face, a crepey neck, or the backs of the hands are classic Profhilo territory. It is the broadest of the three in its effect.

Polynucleotides move to the front when the skin is depleted rather than simply dry: thin, fragile, finely lined or slow to recover. Their repairing, anti-inflammatory action suits the under-eye and other delicate zones where a gentler, regenerative signal is wanted rather than a purely hydrating one. If the phrase that fits your skin is “worn out” more than “thirsty”, polynucleotides are usually the better fit.

An HA skin booster is the answer when the dominant problem is dehydration and dullness. Skin that looks tired and lacklustre, feels tight, and simply needs water held in the deeper layers responds well, often as a maintenance treatment or as a first step before deciding whether more remodelling is needed.

These are tendencies, not rules. Most skin presents more than one of these concerns at once, which is why the treatments are so often combined.

Combining them: the point most comparisons miss

The honest answer to “which one should I choose” is frequently “more than one, in the right order”. These treatments address different layers of the same problem, so a considered plan often uses two of them in sequence rather than forcing a single choice.

A common approach is to lead with polynucleotides to rebuild and calm depleted skin, usually two sessions, and then follow with Profhilo to hydrate and firm the improved foundation. An HA skin booster can sit alongside either as ongoing hydration maintenance between courses. Where the under-eye is the priority, polynucleotides often do the early work before anything else is considered.

The right combination, if any, depends on your skin and your priorities, and is planned at consultation rather than decided in advance. It is also worth knowing that these boosters overlap with the wider regenerative treatment family, including PRP and exosomes, which we compare separately.

Profhilo and polynucleotides are the two most people are weighing up. For a closer look at just those two, see our Profhilo vs polynucleotides head-to-head.

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