Skin boosters are injectable treatments that work on the condition of the skin rather than the shape of the face. A dermal filler sits in one spot and builds structure. Skin boosters do the opposite: your practitioner spreads small amounts across an area so the skin looks better hydrated and less dull. Your features stay as they are. That difference is the whole point, and it’s also the reason people mix the two treatments up so often.
People ask us about skin boosters most weeks at our clinic in Stillorgan, usually by someone who has seen the term online and can’t tell whether it’s a filler, a facial or something in between. So, plainly.
What is a skin booster actually for?
Most skin boosters use hyaluronic acid, in the same broad family as many dermal fillers, but they’re formulated and placed differently. The aim is hydration and skin quality rather than volume. What people tend to notice, if they notice anything in the first fortnight, is how their skin looks in daylight: a bit brighter, a bit smoother across the cheek, foundation sitting more evenly. Nobody looks at them and says their cheeks are fuller, because that isn’t what the treatment sets out to do.
Results build gradually over a short course rather than appearing the day of the appointment. If you’re expecting the immediate change you get from filler, boosters will disappoint you. If you’re bothered by skin that looks tired, dry or a bit crepey while the underlying face still looks like you, they’re worth asking about.
How are skin boosters different from dermal fillers?
- What it targets. A filler addresses volume and contour. A booster addresses the surface quality of the skin.
- Where it goes. Filler sits in specific points to support a feature. A booster spreads across a whole area, such as the cheeks or the neck.
- What changes. Filler can change your outline. A booster is unlikely to.
- How often. Filler is often a single appointment with a review. Boosters are usually a short course, then occasional top-ups.
A hydrating treatment won’t lift flat cheeks, and dull, dehydrated skin doesn’t need more volume. Plenty of people do better with dermal fillers, plenty with a booster-style treatment, and some with neither for the moment.
Where do Profhilo, polynucleotides and exosomes fit in?
These are the two names people bring in with them. Profhilo is usually grouped under the skin booster heading because it’s spread across an area rather than shaped into a feature, though the product and the course of treatment are its own thing rather than a generic booster.
Polynucleotide treatments are the newer arrival, and people talk about them in the same breath, which isn’t quite right either. They sit in the same general territory of treating skin quality rather than volume, but they’re a different product with a different course and different suitability. The same goes for exosome face treatment, which turns up on the same lists online and is again its own thing rather than a booster by another name.
Asking for a treatment by name is not the same as choosing the right one. We’d rather look at your skin than take an order.
Who tends to suit skin boosters?
In our experience, the people who get the most out of skin-quality treatments are the ones whose main complaint is how their skin looks and feels rather than how their face is shaped. Dryness that moisturiser isn’t fixing. A fine crepey texture on the cheeks or under the eyes. Skin that has had a lot of sun over the years, or a lot of late nights recently.
They suit less well if the thing that bothers you in photographs is a deep fold or a loss of support, and they’re not a replacement for daily skincare or sunscreen. If anything, they work alongside those. We’d also be straight with you if we thought a course of medical skin peels or a change to your routine would do more for the same money.
What does a course usually involve?
Most courses of skin boosters run to two or three sessions spaced a few weeks apart, then top-ups a couple of times a year. The exact plan depends on the product and on how your skin responds. Your practitioner should tell you the number of sessions and the interval before you commit to anything, because a course of three is a very different decision from a course of one. The injections themselves are small and quick. Most people go back to their day afterwards. That said, it’s common to have small raised bumps or a bit of redness for a while, so we’d suggest not booking anything you want to look polished for on the same evening.
Costs vary by product and by how many sessions you need, so we keep them all in one place on our treatment prices page rather than quoting a figure that turns out not to apply to you.
How do I know which one I need?
Honestly, you don’t, and neither would we from a description over the phone. Skin type, age, sun history, what you’ve had done before and what actually bothers you when you look in the mirror all change the answer. A consultation exists to sort that out, and it’s also perfectly normal to leave one with a recommendation that isn’t the treatment you came in asking about.
If you’d rather talk it through with a nurse than work it out from search results, book your free consultation and we’ll find a time that suits.
