Polynucleotides Face Treatment

What are polynucleotides?

Polynucleotides are injectable skin boosters used to support skin renewal, hydration and elasticity. A polynucleotides face treatment does not add volume or change the shape of your face the way a dermal filler does. Instead, the aim is healthier-looking skin, built up over a short course of sessions.

Chemically they are chains of purified DNA fragments, extracted from fish. Salmon is the usual source, which is why you will sometimes see the treatment called a salmon DNA facial.

Once they are in the skin, polynucleotides act on the fibroblasts, the cells in the dermis whose job is making collagen and elastin. Prompting those cells is the point of the treatment. Rather than filling a line from underneath, it aims to improve the material the skin is made of. That is also why nothing looks different on the day you have it done. Collagen takes weeks to build.

At Vista Clinic in Stillorgan, we use polynucleotide treatment across the whole face for people who want skin that looks fresher and better hydrated. It is a popular choice for anyone who prefers gradual, natural-looking improvement over volumising injectables.

What can polynucleotides help with?

Polynucleotides can help with overall skin quality, fine lines, dullness and dehydrated or tired-looking skin. This page covers the full-face treatment, which works on general skin quality rather than one specific area. If your main concern is dark circles or crepey skin under the eyes, our polynucleotides eye treatment targets that area specifically.

What happens at your appointment?

Every course starts with a consultation, where we look at your skin and confirm polynucleotides suit your goals. The treatment itself involves a series of small injections across the face and usually takes under an hour. Afterwards, mild redness or small bumps can appear at the injection points, and these normally settle within a day or two.

Aftercare

There is no real downtime and most people go back to work the same day. The skin does have a set of small puncture wounds in it for a day or so, though, and a few things are worth leaving alone while they close.

Leave makeup off until the next day. Skip hard exercise, saunas, steam rooms, sunbeds and very hot baths for a day or two, since heat tends to make any swelling more obvious, and alcohol the same evening does much the same. Keep your usual sun protection going. Bruising is possible at any injection point, and if you bruise easily it is worth knowing that before you book something in for the following weekend.

The instructions you are given at your appointment take priority over this page, because they will be specific to what you had. Ring us for anything that does not match what you were told to expect, particularly an area that becomes hot, hard or increasingly red over the days afterwards.

How long do results last?

Most people build results over a short course of sessions, with skin looking fresher in the weeks that follow. How long the effect lasts varies from person to person, so we review your skin with you and agree whether maintenance sessions are worthwhile. Before anything is booked, we talk you through realistic expectations.

Do polynucleotides work?

Many people notice their skin looks fresher and feels smoother after a course of polynucleotide treatment, though results vary from person to person. Because changes build gradually, comparing your skin a few weeks apart gives the fairest picture. If we think a different treatment would serve you better, we say so at the consultation.

How are polynucleotides different from dermal fillers?

Dermal fillers add volume to shape or lift an area, while polynucleotides work on the quality of the skin itself. If the difference between the two categories is what you are trying to pin down, we have written about how skin boosters differ from fillers in more detail. For that reason, the two treatments solve different problems and can suit the same person at different times. We compare both options honestly at your consultation.

Profhilo comes up in the same conversation and it is a different material again. Profhilo is hyaluronic acid and works largely by holding water in the skin. Polynucleotides are DNA fragments and work on the cells that build collagen. Both get called skin boosters and both leave your face the same shape, but they are not interchangeable. Our Profhilo page goes into that one properly.

Polynucleotides at Vista Clinic in Stillorgan, Dublin

Vista Clinic is in Stillorgan, South Dublin, easy to reach from Blackrock, Dún Laoghaire and the surrounding areas. Our nurse-led team carries out every treatment, and evening and Saturday appointments are available. You can also browse our other regenerative skin treatments, or call or WhatsApp us to book a consultation.

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Who should not have this treatment

Polynucleotides are well tolerated by most people, but there are situations where we would postpone or decline. We go through all of this at the consultation.

• pregnancy or breastfeeding
• an active skin infection, such as an acne flare-up, eczema or dermatitis
• autoimmune or bleeding disorders
• anticoagulant medication, unless your doctor has cleared it
• a known allergy or sensitivity to any component of the product, including fish, since these products are derived from fish DNA
• facial surgery or filler in the same area within the previous two to four weeks

How long a course takes

Each session runs around 45 to 60 minutes. A course is usually two to three sessions spaced three to four weeks apart, and the fuller effect tends to appear about six to eight weeks after the course finishes. Maintenance every six to twelve months helps hold it. The products we use are Nucleofill and Plinest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are polynucleotides safe?

In general, yes. The products we use, Nucleofill and Plinest, are regulated in Ireland by the HPRA as medical devices, and most reactions are local and short-lived: redness, small bumps where the needle went in, sometimes a bruise. Whether they are safe for you specifically is a different question, and it is the one the consultation is for. The list above covers the situations where we would postpone or decline.

Where in Dublin can I have polynucleotides face treatment?

Vista Clinic is at 18 Priory Office Park, Stillorgan, Dublin, A94 R5P6. We are open Monday to Friday from 2pm to 9pm and on Saturday from 2pm to 6pm. Sunday is by reservation only.

Do I need a consultation first?

Yes, and it is the first step of the process described above. Your suitability is always discussed at your initial consultation, so we can check the treatment is right for you.

How long does an appointment take?

Each session lasts around 45–60 minutes. Allow a little longer for your first visit, which includes the consultation.

How many sessions will I need?

A full course typically involves 2–3 sessions, spaced 3–4 weeks apart. Maintenance sessions every 6–12 months help sustain long‑term rejuvenation, and the plan for you is agreed at consultation.

How is this different from dermal filler?

Unlike traditional fillers, which add volume, polynucleotides work on the quality of the skin itself rather than its shape. It is an option for people who prefer a natural, regenerative approach over traditional volumising injectables.

How much does polynucleotides face treatment cost in Dublin?

Session pricing is set out in the panel on this page. Package options are available for full facial rejuvenation programmes, and our full price list covers every treatment we provide.

Looking Into Polynucleotides in Dublin?

Most people who search for polynucleotides in Dublin have already read a fair bit and mainly want to know whether it fits what they are actually trying to change about their skin.

That is a question for the consultation rather than a web page. If a skin renewal treatment is not the right starting point for you, we will say so.

What you spend depends on how many sessions you and the clinician agree on, so the panel on this page is a starting point rather than a final figure. The clinic is in Stillorgan, south Dublin, and we see clients from across Ireland.

Call or send a message if you would rather talk it through before booking anything.