Profhilo

What is Profhilo?

Profhilo is a hyaluronic acid injectable that many people call a skin booster. It is one of the most requested treatments at our Dublin clinic. Unlike a dermal filler, it is not designed to add volume or change the shape of your face. Its aim is overall skin quality, helping tired or dull-looking skin appear firmer, smoother and better hydrated.

The part that separates it from a filler is how it is put together. Cross-linking ties the hyaluronic acid to itself, so most fillers hold a shape where they go. Profhilo is not cross-linked. Instead it pairs high and low molecular weight hyaluronic acid, and a heat process bonds the two together. A 2ml syringe holds roughly 32mg of each. That is part of why it behaves differently in the skin. It is also the reason it cannot add volume, and nobody should offer it to you as a way to change the shape of your face.

Results appear gradually, so the change looks natural rather than sudden. The HPRA regulates the products we inject as medical devices in Ireland, and we use them only where they suit your skin.

Profhilo or polynucleotides?

Clients often ask how Profhilo compares with polynucleotides, another injectable that works on skin quality rather than volume. We can go through both at your consultation. Our article on what skin boosters actually are sets out where the whole category sits next to fillers.

The short version: Profhilo is hyaluronic acid, so it works mainly by holding water in the skin. Polynucleotides are DNA fragments that act on the cells that make collagen. Different materials doing different jobs, and choosing between them is a consultation question rather than a web page one.

What can Profhilo help with?

Profhilo is most often used on the face and the neck, two areas where fine lines and crepey skin tend to show first. It can help improve hydration, firmness and texture in both. Many clients choose it because they want their skin to look well rather than obviously treated.

What happens at your appointment?

Every Profhilo treatment starts with a consultation, so we can look at your skin together and confirm it is the right choice. The injections take only a short time. We place them at a small number of points on each side. Most people head straight back to their day, and a course usually involves two sessions spaced about a month apart.

Where the injections go

You may come across the phrase “five points per side”. That is the standard protocol for the face, and we follow set points rather than choosing freehand. Three of them sit over the cheekbone, at the base of the nose and just in front of the ear. The other two go at the chin and the angle of the jaw. Ten small injections in total, which is why the appointment is short.

Necks, hands and the décolleté follow their own patterns. If you have had filler before and are expecting the same experience, this is a different thing. Fewer points, and nothing is being sculpted.

Profhilo aftercare

The common side effects are all local: swelling, redness, a bruise where the needle went in, and occasionally a small lump that takes a bit longer than the others to settle. There is no dressing and no recovery to plan around, but the first day or two are worth a little care.

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 can make swelling more noticeable, and alcohol the same evening does the same. Sleep on your back the first night if you can manage it. Whether to touch or massage the injection points at all is a question for your appointment rather than for this page, because it depends on how you were treated.

Ring the clinic for anything that does not match what you were told to expect: an area that becomes hot, hard and increasingly red over the days after treatment, swelling that is getting worse rather than better after the first few days, a fever, or lumps that are not settling. None of those are common, and all of them are worth a phone call.

What to expect, week by week

• On the day. Small raised bumps at each injection point are expected rather than a problem. That is the product itself sitting where we placed it, before it spreads through the tissue. They usually flatten out within a few hours to a day. Some redness is normal too, and most people go straight back to work.
• The first week. Swelling, redness or a bruise at an injection point normally settle inside a week, and a bruise, if you get one, usually fades in a few days. Your skin will not look different yet. This is the week people most often decide it has not worked, and it is far too early to tell.
• Around two weeks. Still early, though some people notice their skin holding moisture better or makeup sitting differently. There is usually nothing to photograph.
• Around four weeks. This is when many people notice their skin feeling more supple, and it is also when the second session of the usual course falls. Four weeks is a fair first look rather than the finished picture.
• After the second session. Change continues to build over the following weeks. Because it is gradual and nothing about your shape has changed, it tends to read as looking well rather than as having had something done, which is what most people who choose Profhilo are after.

Why before and after photos do not help much here

If you are hunting for before and after photographs to work out what you would get, they will not tell you much. Skin quality photographs badly. Lighting does most of the work in a lot of what you will find online. The change here is texture and hydration rather than shape. Someone looking at your actual skin at a consultation will tell you more than a gallery will.

How long do results last?

Most people notice a gradual improvement over the weeks after treatment, and the effect can last for several months. Everyone’s skin is different, though, so we talk through what you can realistically expect at your consultation. Maintenance sessions can help keep the result going.

How much does Profhilo cost?

We price Profhilo per session, and most people start with a course of two. You will find our current prices in the price panel on this page and on our full price list. Your consultation carries no obligation, and we will confirm the cost of your course before you book anything.

Can Profhilo help under the eyes?

Clients often ask about Profhilo for the under-eye area, where skin is thin and fine lines show early. It can help with overall skin quality across the face, but the delicate eye area needs careful assessment first. At your consultation we will tell you whether Profhilo or another treatment is the better fit there.

Which areas can Profhilo treat?

Beyond the face and neck, we can also treat the décolleté and the backs of the hands. Crepey, dehydrated-looking skin often shows age first in both. Treatment there works the same way: a short appointment and a small number of injection points. The improvement in how the skin looks and feels comes on gradually.

Is Profhilo suitable for men?

Yes. More men are booking Profhilo for dull or tired-looking skin, and it suits them just as well. Because it changes nothing about your features, there is no obvious sign you have had anything done, just skin that looks a bit fresher. The appointment and aftercare are the same for everyone.

Profhilo treatment at Vista Clinic in Stillorgan, Dublin

Clients come to us from across Dublin and Ireland for Profhilo at our Stillorgan clinic, with afternoon and evening appointments Monday to Saturday. You can reach us by phone or WhatsApp to ask a question or arrange a visit. You can also explore our other regenerative skin treatments.

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Who should not have this treatment

Most people tolerate Profhilo well, but there are situations where we would postpone or decline. Some of them mean waiting rather than ruling the treatment out. We check all of this at the consultation, so tell us about your health and anything you are taking.

• pregnancy or breastfeeding
• an active skin infection in the area we would be treating
• autoimmune or bleeding disorders
• blood-thinning medication, unless your doctor has cleared it
• a known allergy or sensitivity to any of the ingredients
• surgery, filler, laser or a chemical peel in the same area within the previous two to four weeks

That is not the whole list. Your own medical history can raise something else, so a nurse goes through it with you before anything is booked.

Frequently Asked Questions

When Will You See Changes?

Many people notice their skin feeling more supple after about 4 weeks. Change builds gradually over that time, as the treatment supports collagen and hydration beneath the skin, and how quickly it shows varies from person to person.

Where in Dublin can I have Profhilo?

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 before treatment?

Yes, and it is included. A Personal Consultation is the first step: you’ll sit down with our specialists to discuss your goals and pinpoint areas that need attention.

How long does a Profhilo appointment take?

We place small injections in key areas over a session lasting about 15-30 minutes. Allow a little longer for your first visit, which includes the consultation.

Which areas can be treated?

The usual areas are the face, neck, hands and décolletage. If you are thinking about another area, ask at your consultation.

How much does Profhilo cost in Dublin?

Session pricing is set out on this page and in the panel alongside it. Whether you have a single session or a course is agreed at consultation rather than assumed, and our full price list covers every treatment we provide.

Thinking About Profhilo in Dublin?

People searching for Profhilo in Dublin are usually comparing it against something else they have read about and want to know which one suits them.

That is what the consultation is for. Tell us what you have already tried and what is bothering you, and we will say so if a different approach would make more sense.

Cost depends on whether you have a single session or a course, so the figures here are a guide rather than a final number. The clinic is in Stillorgan in south Dublin, and you are welcome to call or message before committing to anything.