Skin Boosters Explained: Profhilo, Polynucleotides and Revive

If your skin has started to look a little flat, thirsty or lacklustre, adding volume with filler is rarely the answer. What most people are actually chasing is quality. Skin that feels hydrated, bounces back when you press it and catches the light rather than swallowing it. That is exactly what skin boosters are designed to deliver, and at our clinics we work with several so we can match the treatment to your skin rather than the other way around.

In a recent reel, I gave a quick run-through of the three we reach for most often: Profhilo, polynucleotides and Revive. Each one improves hydration and glow, but they go about it differently, and they suit different concerns and different ages. Some are brilliant for that all-over radiance before an event. Others are better for firming, for laxity or for the delicate skin under the eyes.

This guide takes that short reel and expands on it properly, so you can walk into a consultation already understanding what each treatment does, who it tends to suit and what a course looks like. As always, the right choice comes down to a proper skin assessment, but knowing the differences helps you ask the right questions.

What skin boosters actually do, and how they differ from filler

It is worth clearing up a common confusion first, because the word "injectable" makes people picture the same thing every time. Dermal fillers are designed to sit in a specific place and hold shape. They add structure to cheeks, define a jawline or restore a lip. They work by taking up space.

Skin boosters do something quite different. Rather than shaping a feature, they improve the skin as a tissue. Most are based on hyaluronic acid, the sugar molecule your body already makes to hold water in the skin, but instead of being firm and lifting, they are formulated to spread, hydrate from within and prompt your own cells to behave more like they did when you were younger. That means more collagen, more elastin and better moisture retention. The result is not a change in your shape. It is a change in the texture and quality of the skin itself.

Because of that, boosters are often the better call for the complaints people struggle to name. Skin that photographs older than it feels. A dull tone that no serum seems to fix. Fine crepiness, dehydration lines that appear by mid-afternoon, or that slightly dry, tight feeling that sits under makeup. These are quality problems, and quality is what boosters address.

Profhilo: the all-rounder for glow

Profhilo is the treatment I described as my main favourite, and there is good reason for that. It is one of the highest concentrations of pure hyaluronic acid available in an injectable, and it uses a stabilising technology that lets it stay in the skin without needing chemical cross-linkers. Once placed, it slowly releases hydration and acts as what many practitioners call a bio-remodeller. In plain terms, it wakes up the cells responsible for collagen and elastin, so over the following weeks the skin firms and plumps from the inside.

What people notice most is the glow. Profhilo tends to give skin a lit-from-within quality, a smoothness and a subtle tightening across areas that lose firmness first, such as the cheeks and lower face. It spreads well through the tissue, which is why it is placed at a small number of specific injection points rather than all over the face. Those points are chosen so the product diffuses across the widest area with the fewest needle entries, which keeps the treatment quick and comfortable.

The standard approach is two sessions spaced about four weeks apart, with results continuing to develop after that. Many patients then top up roughly every six months to maintain the effect. It suits a wide range of ages and skin types, which is why I called it the ultimate glow for any patient at any time of year in the reel. If you are not sure where to start with boosters, Profhilo is very often the sensible first step.

Polynucleotides: repair, firmness and the delicate areas

Polynucleotides are a slightly different class of treatment, and they have become one of the most talked-about options in aesthetics for good reason. Rather than being built around hyaluronic acid, they are made from purified fragments of DNA, usually derived from highly refined fish sources. That sounds surprising, but these fragments are remarkably good at signalling to your skin cells, particularly the fibroblasts that produce collagen.

Where hyaluronic acid boosters mainly hydrate and remodel, polynucleotides lean more towards genuine repair. They help calm inflammation, act as antioxidants, improve elasticity and encourage the skin to rebuild its own supporting structure. That makes them a strong choice for skin that has started to lose firmness, for a crepey texture and for laxity, which is exactly why I mentioned them as a favourite for slightly older patients who want a little more lift and improvement in skin tone.

They also come into their own in areas where you have to be gentle. The skin under the eyes is thin, delicate and quick to show tiredness, and polynucleotides are well suited to it because they focus on quality and repair rather than adding volume that could look puffy in such a fine area. A typical course runs to two or three sessions spaced a couple of weeks apart, and the effect builds gradually as the skin regenerates. It is not an instant fix, but it is a rewarding one.

Revive: brightening tired under-eyes

The third booster in the reel was Revive, a treatment I absolutely love for the under-eye area. This is the region that gives so many people away, looking shadowed, dull and tired even after a full night's sleep, and it is notoriously tricky to treat. Heavy filler under the eyes can go wrong easily, so a booster approach that improves the skin rather than inflating the hollow is often far safer and more natural.

Used here, a booster works to hydrate the thin skin, improve its quality and lift the overall brightness so the area looks fresher and more awake. I talked about a lovely boost and lift, and a real improvement in how bright the under-eye looks. For people whose main complaint is that they always look tired, that brightening effect can make a striking difference without changing the shape of the face at all.

As with the others, this is a treatment where a proper assessment matters. Under-eye concerns can come from skin quality, from volume loss, from pigment or from shadowing caused by anatomy, and sometimes from a combination. Part of the value of seeing a doctor-led team is having someone work out which of those is driving your particular concern before choosing a treatment.

How to choose the right skin booster for your skin

With three good options, the natural question is which one is right for you. The honest answer is that it depends on your skin, your age and what specifically bothers you, but a few general principles help.

If your main goal is overall radiance, a smoother texture and that healthy glow across the face, Profhilo is usually the front-runner and a great all-rounder for most ages. If you are noticing laxity, a loss of firmness or crepey, thinning skin, and especially if you are a little older, polynucleotides offer more in the way of repair and regeneration. And if your chief concern lives in the under-eye area, with dullness and tiredness that never seem to lift, a targeted booster such as Revive is worth discussing.

In practice, these treatments are not mutually exclusive. Many people use more than one over the course of a year, or combine a booster with other treatments in a wider plan. Someone might have Profhilo for all-over glow while using polynucleotides to work on firmness, for example. That is precisely the kind of tailoring a consultation is for, and it is why we do not sell a one-size-fits-all package.

What a session involves, and what to expect afterwards

Skin booster appointments are quick and generally well tolerated. After a consultation and a review of your skin, the area is cleaned and, where helpful, numbing cream is applied to keep things comfortable. The product is then placed through a fine needle at a small number of points, and the whole thing usually takes only a few minutes once you are ready.

Afterwards, it is normal to see small raised bumps at the injection points, particularly with Profhilo, and these settle within a day for most people. You may have a little redness, mild swelling or the occasional small bruise, all of which fade quickly. Because the visible downtime is short, plenty of patients fit an appointment around ordinary life and are back to their day without much fuss, though it is sensible not to book a booster for the morning of a big event.

For the first day or so I suggest keeping the area clean, avoiding makeup over the injection points, and skipping heavy exercise, saunas, steam rooms and alcohol. Staying well hydrated genuinely helps, since these treatments work with your skin's water content. Most of the real change happens over the following weeks as your skin responds, so patience is part of the process. These are treatments that reward a short course and steady maintenance rather than a single dramatic session.

Common questions about skin boosters

Are skin boosters the same as fillers?

No, though they are both injectables. Fillers add structure and volume to reshape a feature, while skin boosters improve the quality of the skin itself, boosting hydration, glow, firmness and texture without changing your underlying shape. Many people have both for different reasons, but they solve different problems.

Do skin booster treatments hurt?

Most people find them very manageable. The injections are made with a fine needle, and numbing cream can be applied first to keep the treatment comfortable. There may be brief stinging as the product goes in and some tenderness afterwards, but discomfort is usually mild and short-lived.

How long do the results last?

It varies by treatment and by person. Profhilo results typically develop over several weeks and are commonly maintained with a top-up around every six months. Polynucleotides and under-eye boosters are also usually done as a short course, with ongoing maintenance to keep the improvement. I will suggest a realistic schedule for your skin.

When will I see a difference?

Skin boosters are not primarily about an instant plumping effect. Some hydration shows up early, but the meaningful change in glow, firmness and quality builds gradually as your skin responds and produces more of its own collagen and elastin. For most treatments, the best results are visible a few weeks after completing your course.

Can I combine boosters with other treatments?

Very often, yes. Boosters sit comfortably alongside anti-wrinkle injections, filler, energy-based skin treatments and good medical skincare, and combining them thoughtfully can give a more complete result. The key is planning and timing, which is something we map out at your consultation so everything works together rather than competing.

Come and find your glow at Wellface

Choosing between Profhilo, polynucleotides and Revive is far easier once someone has actually looked at your skin and listened to what you want to change. That is what a consultation with me is for. I will assess your hydration, tone and firmness, talk through your concerns and put together a plan that fits your skin and your life, whether that is a single booster or part of a broader approach.

If dull, dry or tired-looking skin is what brought you here, come and see me at Wellface in Cobham, Esher or Wimbledon. Book a consultation with me and let me help you decide which skin booster will give you the glow you are after.