Polynucleotides or Profhilo — Which Is Right for You?

Polynucleotides and Profhilo are both injectable regenerative treatments, and both are positioned around improving the quality and condition of the skin. It is understandable that patients sometimes conflate them or arrive at consultation uncertain about the difference.

They are, however, distinct treatments working at different levels and addressing different concerns. Choosing between them depends on understanding what each one actually does.

What Does Profhilo Do?

Profhilo is a highly concentrated hyaluronic acid preparation that, unlike conventional dermal fillers, is not designed to add volume or structure. Instead it disperses through the tissue, stimulating collagen and elastin production and improving skin hydration at a deeper level.

What Profhilo does not do particularly well is address superficial skin quality, the fine crepey texture, the fragility and thinning of the skin at its surface, that develops with age in areas such as beneath the eyes or across the mid-cheek.

What Do Polynucleotides Do Differently?

Polynucleotides work at a shallower level, targeting the superficial skin quality that Profhilo does not significantly address. By stimulating fibroblast activity and supporting the skin's own cellular repair processes, they gradually improve texture, and resilience at the surface — the fine lines, the crepey quality, the tired appearance that topical skincare alone can no longer resolve.

This is why polynucleotides are particularly well suited to delicate areas such as the under-eye skin, accordion lines on the mid-cheek, and the neck. These are areas where the concern is specifically superficial skin quality rather than deeper laxity or volume.

Can Both Be Used Together?

Yes — there are patients for whom both treatments have a role, addressing different layers and different aspects of skin ageing simultaneously. However, we would not generally recommend having both at the same time.

The reason is practical and reflects careful clinical thinking. When two regenerative treatments are introduced together, it becomes difficult to assess the individual contribution of each; to know what is working, what is producing the improvement, and what might need adjusting. When treatments are spaced apart and assessed individually, that judgement is much clearer. It also means future treatment planning is better informed and more precise.

This is different from, say, combining botulinum toxin and dermal fillers in the same appointment where those treatments address entirely distinct mechanisms and their individual contributions remain easy to distinguish. Profhilo and polynucleotides, both working regeneratively on skin quality albeit at different depths, benefit from being assessed separately.

Which Is Right for You?

As a general guide:

If your primary concern is skin laxity, loss of firmness, and a generalised reduction in skin tone, then Profhilo is likely the more appropriate starting point.

If your primary concern is superficial skin quality, showing as fine lines, crepey texture, fragility, or specific delicate areas such as beneath the eyes, here polynucleotides are likely the better fit.

If both concerns are present, both treatments may eventually have a role — introduced separately, assessed individually, and sequenced thoughtfully as part of a longer-term plan.

The right answer for any individual patient is one that can only be established at consultation, where a proper assessment of the skin, the concerns, and the priorities can inform a considered recommendation.

Your Next Step

A consultation is where all good treatments begin. There will no obligation to proceed. The aim is to provide information and clarity, not pressure to have a treatment. All our consultations and treatments are performed by our team of expert medical doctors.

To arrange a consultation please use the links below to telephone or email or to fill out our contact form click here.