Skin boosters are one of the fastest-growing categories in aesthetic medicine, and one of the most poorly explained. They are sometimes described as filler, sometimes as a hydration treatment, sometimes as a "facial in a syringe". None of those descriptions are accurate. Skin boosters are a distinct category that addresses skin quality from inside the dermis, and they sit between topical skincare and structural injectables.
I am Shontelle, the registered nurse at Silk Clinical Aesthetics. This article explains what skin boosters actually are, what the three main products on the New Zealand market do, and how to think about whether they are right for you.
What Skin Boosters Are, and What they Are Not
A skin booster is an injectable treatment placed in the dermis, the deeper layer of the skin, that aims to improve the quality of the tissue itself rather than to add volume or to relax muscles. The active ingredient is most commonly a form of hyaluronic acid, sometimes combined with amino acids, or in the case of polynucleotides, a different molecular agent altogether.
What skin boosters are not:
- They are not dermal filler. Dermal filler is a structural product that adds volume in a specific location to change shape. Skin boosters spread through the dermis to improve the tissue itself.
- They are not anti-wrinkle injections. They do not relax muscles, and they do not target dynamic lines.
- They are not a surface treatment. They work at the dermal level, not on the epidermis.
- They are not a substitute for skincare. They complement topical work; they do not replace it.
The result you get from a skin booster is not a change in shape. It is a change in skin quality: hydration, elasticity, fine line softening, and texture.
What They Are Trying to Address
Skin boosters target the underlying quality of the dermis, which is where age, sun exposure, and genetics produce the changes most patients describe as "dull skin", "tired skin", or "fine crepey lines". These are not problems that filler or toxin solves, because they are not problems of volume or muscle.
Specifically, skin boosters are useful for:
- Loss of dermal hydration and skin elasticity.
- Fine, crepey lines, especially around the eyes, neck, and decolletage.
- Skin that has lost its bounce and looks flat or matte.
- The early signs of laxity that have not yet progressed to needing structural treatment.
- Skin quality complaints in patients who are not yet candidates for filler or who have already had filler and want to address the surrounding tissue.
They are most often used on the face, neck, decolletage, and sometimes the hands.
The Three Main Options in New Zealand
Profhilo
Profhilo is a high-concentration hyaluronic acid product designed to spread through the dermis and stimulate the surrounding tissue. It is delivered through a small number of precise injection points (typically five per side of the face), with the product diffusing outward from each point.
The mechanism is two-fold: immediate hydration from the hyaluronic acid itself, and a longer-term stimulation of collagen and elastin production from the way the product interacts with the dermal cells.
The standard protocol is two treatments four weeks apart, with results building over the following months. Maintenance is typically every six months.
Profhilo's strengths are its track record (it has been on the New Zealand market longer than the other options), its broad evidence base, and its predictable hydration and elasticity improvements. Its weakness is that it is a single-purpose product. It does not contain amino acids or other actives.
Sunekos
Sunekos combines hyaluronic acid with a proprietary blend of amino acids that act as building blocks for the synthesis of collagen and elastin. The argument behind the formulation is that supplying the dermis with both the substrate (hyaluronic acid) and the raw materials for new collagen and elastin (amino acids) produces a more complete result than either component alone.
Sunekos is delivered through multiple small injection points across the treatment area, with the product placed throughout the dermis rather than diffusing from a small number of points.
The standard protocol is four treatments at one to two week intervals, with maintenance every four to six months. The course is more intensive than Profhilo, but the per-session product volume is smaller.
Sunekos's strengths are its versatility (it has formulations specific to different concerns and areas, including a dedicated under-eye protocol) and the rationale of supplying both the hyaluronic acid and the amino acid building blocks. Its weakness is the more demanding course of treatments and slightly less long-term evidence than Profhilo.
Polynucleotides
Polynucleotides are a different category altogether. The active ingredient is purified DNA fragments derived from salmon, chosen because of the close compatibility with human tissue. The proposed mechanism is direct stimulation of fibroblasts (the cells that produce collagen and elastin) and a regenerative effect on dermal tissue.
Polynucleotides have been used for some time in regenerative medicine outside aesthetics. Their entry into the aesthetic market is more recent, particularly for under-eye work where they are increasingly preferred to filler.
The standard protocol is typically three treatments at two-week intervals, with maintenance every six months.
Polynucleotides' strengths are the regenerative mechanism (it is closer to a tissue-quality treatment than a hydration treatment), and the strong results emerging in the under-eye area where conventional filler is often the wrong answer. Their weakness is the smaller body of long-term aesthetic evidence compared to hyaluronic acid skin boosters, and a slightly more complex placement protocol.
How to Choose Between Them
The decision is rarely about which product is "best" in the abstract. It is about what you are trying to address and how your skin tends to respond.
A reasonable starting framework:
Choose Profhilo if you want broad facial hydration and elasticity improvement, you prefer a less intensive course (two sessions versus three or four), and you are starting from a relatively healthy skin baseline.
Choose Sunekos if you have a specific concern (such as the periorbital area or neck) where one of the targeted Sunekos formulations is appropriate, or you respond well to a more intensive course delivered across the whole treatment area.
Choose polynucleotides if the under-eye area is the primary concern, or if you have already tried hyaluronic-acid-based boosters and want to try a regenerative mechanism for ongoing maintenance.
In practice, a considered plan often combines two of these. We frequently see patients who have polynucleotides for under-eye and Profhilo for the broader face, for example, because the products do different things and pair well.
The right plan is decided in consultation, not from a website. The honest answer is that all three of these products work in the right patient, and the choice between them is a matter of fit, not ranking.
What Skin Boosters Cannot Do
Worth being clear about the limits.
Skin boosters do not address volume loss. If your concern is sunken cheeks or a hollow midface, filler is the right tool, not a booster.
Skin boosters do not relax muscles. Dynamic lines from frowning, squinting, or smiling are softened by toxin, not by boosters.
Skin boosters do not deeply tighten loose skin. For laxity, the right tools are RF skin tightening (such as Volnewmer) and HIFU (such as Ultraformer MPT), often in combination.
Skin boosters do not replace SPF, retinol, vitamin C, or the other foundational topical work that any considered skincare plan includes. Any skin booster's effect is undermined by ongoing sun damage and supported by good topical practice.
For broader detail on the skin tightening options, see Non-Surgical Skin Tightening: A Complete Christchurch Guide.
What to Expect from Treatment
The treatment itself takes 20 to 40 minutes depending on the product and the area. A topical numbing cream is usually applied for 20 minutes before the treatment to reduce discomfort.
You will have small bumps at each injection point immediately after, which usually settle within a few hours. Light bruising is possible, particularly under the eyes. Swelling is usually minimal but varies between products and patients.
Most patients return to normal activities the same day, though we usually recommend avoiding intense exercise, alcohol, and saunas for 24 hours.
Results develop progressively. Hydration and surface improvements often appear within two to three weeks. Elasticity, texture, and tone changes build over six to twelve weeks as collagen and elastin remodelling progresses.
Pricing at Silk Clinical
Skin booster pricing depends on the specific product and area. Our current range:
- Profhilo: from $700 per session.
- Sunekos: from $500 per session, with course pricing for the multi-session protocol.
- Polynucleotides: from $600 per session.
A consultation will give you a precise quote based on what is appropriate for your concerns. For full pricing on all of our injectable treatments, see the pricing page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are skin boosters the same as mesotherapy?
They are related but not the same. Mesotherapy is an older category of treatment that delivers vitamins, nutrients, and other actives into the dermis through multiple small injections. Modern skin boosters are more refined, with proprietary formulations and clearer mechanisms of action. Mesotherapy still has a role, particularly for hair and scalp treatments, but it is not the same as a contemporary skin booster protocol.
Will I see a difference after one session?
Hydration and surface changes are often visible after one session, particularly with Profhilo. The full result, including elasticity and texture changes, builds over the course of treatments and the weeks following. Most patients see meaningful change by the end of the recommended course.
Are skin boosters painful?
Discomfort is mild for most patients, particularly with topical numbing applied. Profhilo has fewer injection points than Sunekos or polynucleotides and is often the most comfortable of the three. Most patients describe the procedure as tolerable rather than painful.
How often do I need maintenance?
Most patients maintain their results with a session every four to six months after the initial course. Some go longer, some need slightly more often. Skin quality, age, sun exposure, and genetics all influence the maintenance interval.
Can I have skin boosters and filler at the same time?
Yes, and the two often pair well. Filler addresses structure, skin boosters address tissue quality. Most considered plans for clients in their thirties and forties involve some combination of the two, sequenced rather than done at the same appointment.
Are skin boosters safe in pregnancy or breastfeeding?
We do not recommend cosmetic injectable treatments, including skin boosters, during pregnancy or breastfeeding. The clinical evidence base does not support their use in this population, and the cautious answer is to wait.
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