PolynucleotidesExplainedIndependent UK guide

Polynucleotides vs skin boosters

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“Skin booster” is a loose umbrella term, which is part of the confusion. In UK clinics it usually means an injectable hyaluronic acid designed to hydrate the skin rather than shape it. Polynucleotides are sometimes listed under the same heading on a price list, but they are a different material with a different proposed mechanism.

How the two categories differ

A classic skin booster is a soft, minimally cross-linked hyaluronic acid placed in small amounts across an area. Familiar examples in the UK include Restylane Skinboosters, Juvéderm Volite, Seventy Hyal and Profhilo. Its main action is direct: hyaluronic acid holds water, so the skin becomes better hydrated and typically looks smoother and more reflective.

Polynucleotides hold water too, but their intended contribution is biological as well as physical — supporting the fibroblasts that maintain the skin’s own structure. See how they work for the detail and the caveats.

In practice, both are placed with fine needles or cannulas into or just beneath the skin, both are given as a course, and both wear off.

What each is typically used for

  • Skin boosters: dull, dehydrated skin; fine surface lines; general glow across the face, neck, décolletage or hands.
  • Polynucleotides: thin, fragile or crepey skin; the under-eye area; skin that has been through sun damage, scarring or general depletion; people who have not responded well to hyaluronic acid.

There is substantial overlap, and many practitioners use both, sometimes in the same treatment plan on different areas or in alternating sessions.

Treatment course and maintenance

Hyaluronic acid skin boosters are usually given as two to three sessions about four weeks apart, with maintenance every six months or so. Polynucleotides are usually two to three sessions two to four weeks apart, with maintenance offered at six to twelve months. See how many sessions.

Costs per session in the UK are broadly comparable, and both are priced as a course by most clinics. See costs in the UK.

One practical difference: hyaluronic acid can be dissolved with hyaluronidase if something goes wrong, whereas polynucleotides cannot be reversed and must simply be left to break down naturally. In the small amounts used for skin treatments this is rarely the deciding factor, but it is worth knowing.

Questions to ask a practitioner

  • Which specific product and brand are you proposing, and why that one for my skin?
  • What change should I realistically expect, and when should I judge it?
  • How many sessions, at what interval, and what is the total cost?
  • What happens if I see no difference after the course?
  • What are the side effects and how would you manage a complication? See side effects.
  • What is your registration and insurance? See who can administer polynucleotides.

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