Who is it for?

Skin Boosters are a great option if you want to improve the quality of your skin without changing your expressions or the shape of your face! Unlike fillers and Botox which can noticeably change your facial appearance or expression, injectable boosters (such as Profhilo) specifically improve the quality of your skin through hydration. 

The effect it creates is a subtle skin radiance.

 

What are skin boosters?

Skin boosters work on skin texture, targeting dryness, fine lines, wrinkles, skin laxity, and acne scars.

They contain Hyaluronic Acid (HA), a naturally occurring sugar-chain molecule found in our skin, that has the unique capacity to bind and retain water molecules, with a staggering ratio of up to 1000 water molecules per HA molecule. Along with collagen and elastin, HA lies between our cells, forming a highly structured support matrix like natural scaffolding. Though collagen is well known for this, in fact HA is the predominant component of our skin’s extracellular matrix. As we get older, these compounds deplete leaving the skin lax. 

 

What areas can be treated?

Skin boosters can be used on the face, necks, hands, and body to improve a whole host of skin concerns including:

• laxity
• fine lines
• dehydration
• poor skin quality
• uneven texture
• dullness

How do skin boosters work?

Skin boosters have a dual effect and work in two phases, immediately hydrating the skin and steadily encouraging more collagen production over the following months. 

After the booster is injected in small blebs under the skin surface, it disperses across the skin over 12-24 hours as the HA draws in moisture which instantly plumps the skin and smooths out fine lines. 

During this hydration, fibroblasts are stimulated to produce more collagen, so the treatment continues to work in the longer term to help keep the skin tighter and smoother. 

Depending on your skin type and concern, I may select skin boosters containing additional ingredients like the mineral calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHa) for extra collagen boosting or amino acids for skin nourishment.

Hydration is key in the journey to healthier skin that is firmer, plumper and younger looking. Drinking plenty of water is a top priority for this, and its effect on the skin is greatly magnified alongside skin booster treatments. 

Our patients notice visible improvements in skin quality and hydration after 1 treatment, though best results are seen after 2 treatments 4 weeks apart. After this, results can be maintained with treatments every 12 months.

 

Are skin boosters safe?

As Hyaluronic Acid occurs naturally in the human body, it is effortlessly metabolised, causing no known long-term side effects.

Calcium hydroxyapatite is longer lasting, but also degraded by the body over time. 

Possible side effects

Temporary effects like mild swelling, redness, or bruising in the area subsides over a short period of hours to days.  

In the short-term, the only known side effects are that a small percentage of people experience bruising, redness or swelling at the injection sites but this self-corrects within a couple of days.

What are alternative treatments to skin boosters?

Other treatments with a similar regenerative approach to skin results include: 

–HArmony-CA

–Polynucleotides

–Micro-needling

What to expect

1. Consultation

At consultation, we will discuss your main skin concerns and the treatment options available, including common side effects and possible complications. After checking your medical health history, if treatment is safe for you, we will sign a consent form and go ahead with planned treatment.

We will then decide which type of skin booster is right for you and strategically map the areas of the face to be treated.

 

2. Treatment

At treatment, a topical anaesthetic cream can be used to numb the skin but is generally not necessary. A fine needle is used to inject the gel in the skin surface in several points across the area being treated. The small lumps will settle over the next 12-24 hours. 

 

3. Review two weeks later (optional)

A review at 2 weeks is available at your request. 

 

Aftercare advice

You will need 12-24 hours of down-time after injectable skin boosters. Tiny bumps will appear under the skin across the treated area. These may be present for up to 24 hours until it spreads evenly across the face

In this first 24 hours it is crucial that you drink plenty of water to maximise the hydrating effects.