It’s rare that an entirely new category of injectables hits the scene, so it’s understandable why the industry was set abuzz when the concept of skin boosters made its way to the U.S. (To be fair, it’s a category that has been available internationally for quite some time but is just now starting to make an appearance stateside.) Like many dermal fillers, these injectables utilize hyaluronic acid (HA)—but in a very different way. Rather than adding volume and changing the contours of the face, this new category is meant to subtly and naturally enhance skin quality. These fillers are like moisturizers that work from within the skin, adding a plumpness, radiance, and generally youthful glow to your complexion without changing your face shape. Juvéderm’s Skinvive received FDA approval earlier this year, but Profhilo is another product that has both consumers and doctors really excited. Will it live up to the hype? We asked three doctors for their predictions.
What is Profhilo?
“Profhilo is made of non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid. Cross-linking is what keeps our body from breaking down the hyaluronic acid, but it’s also what gives fillers thickness and viscosity,” explains Dr. Konstantin Vasyukevich, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon in New York City. In short, the more cross-linked an HA filler is, the more dense it is. The options on the market now all have varying degrees of cross-linking, which is why some of them are thinner and used for more delicate areas like the lips and under the eyes (Restylane Silk, for example), while others are much thicker and more appropriate for cheeks and jawline (Juvéderm Voluma). Because Profhilo isn’t cross-linked, it’s extremely fluid; rather than adding volume or structure, it delivers more of an overall plumping effect, giving the skin a youthful glow, adds Dr. Vasyukevich. “Think of it as an internal moisturizer that not only gives you hydration but may also have an impact on elasticity and crepiness, improving overall skin texture,” adds Dr. Amelia Hausauer, a board-certified dermatologist in Campbell, California.
Skin boosters are also injected differently from traditional HA fillers. Rather than being placed in large amounts deep within the skin, boosters, Profhilo included, are injected in smaller amounts and more superficially. Typically, this also means there are way more injection sites, although Profhilo is a little bit different from some of the others (more on that point in a moment).
Profhilo vs. Skinvive: What are the differences?
Both are hyaluronic acid skin boosters, meant to impart the same types of benefits—improving overall skin quality rather than adding volume or fullness. To that point, New York City board-certified dermatologist Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank anticipates that the two will eventually become somewhat synonymous, much like the different brand names of neurotoxin (Botox/Dysport/Xeomin). “The formulas will be slightly different and individuals may notice subtle nuances, but the main intent and result are the same,” he says.
Still, Dr. Hausauer adds, there are some noteworthy differences in the formulations—although she agrees that the benefits will likely be very similar. “Profhilo contains the highest amount of hyaluronic acid on the market, 64 mg/ml compared to Skinvive’s 12 mg/ml,” she explains. The hyaluronic acid in Skinvive is also cross-linked, (minimally so, because, again, it is still very thin and meant to be used as a skin booster), but Profhilo isn’t at all, she adds. And whereas skin boosters are typically injected via multiple superficial injection sites in a grid-like pattern across the face, Profhillo is meant to be injected in a fewer number of spots that are strategically chosen based on how the product diffuses and spreads under the skin, she explains.
Are there any concerns about Profhilo?
The biggest potential downside our experts foresee is the longevity—or lack thereof. The less cross-linked a filler is, the shorter its duration. “The heaviest fillers last up to two years and the lightest last six months, but Profhilo will likely be even less than that,” says Dr. Vasyukevich. “While I don’t have any personal experience with it, I estimate that it may only be anywhere from six weeks to three months before someone needs a repeat treatment,” he says.
And exactly how well it delivers on its claims also remains to be seen. Dr. Hausauer points out that another interesting attribute of Profhilo is that the hyaluronic acid used is split fifty-fifty, between a lower and higher molecular weight. The latter sits up higher in the skin, where it binds with water; the former binds to receptors in the skin that stimulate fibroblasts and, potentially, collagen production, she notes. But she’s quick to point out that the studies that found this to be one of Prohfilo’s benefits were performed in vitro, on wound-healing models. “You can’t necessarily extrapolate that those results will apply to skin rejuvenation, because injured skin is very different from aging skin,” she notes.
Finally, the results aren’t super dramatic. Skin boosters are the cosmetic industry’s version of quiet luxury—they whisper rather than shout. “It’s not like getting lip filler that you can clearly see. We’re talking about change in skin quality, which is hard to capture, making it challenging to manage people’s varying expectations,” Dr. Hausauer says.
What do the doctors think?
“My patients know and are asking about Profhilo, and I’m cautiously optimistic. But I’ve seen plenty of new treatments that didn’t end up being as effective as we were hoping they would be,” says Dr. Vasyukevich. He adds that while he’s telling his patients to look into it, he’s not necessarily advising that they be the first ones to try it.
Dr. Frank says he’s excited that skin boosters are now an accepted part of the cosmetic vernacular—but isn’t waiting around for Profhilo itself to launch. “It’s brought something to the mainstream that we’ve been doing for many years, superficially injecting very hyperdilute hyaluronic acid into the skin or using treatments such as Aquagold, for a skin-boosting effect,” he says. Still, he does think its anticipated arrival is timely, coming off a recent backlash against traditional fillers and with more and more patients understanding that overdoing it with these is what leaves them looking puffy and unnatural.
“I’ve had some patients go to Europe to get Profhilo. Some have loved it, and others have said it’s underwhelming,” says Dr. Hausauer. “I’m excited from a scientific perspective because the way it’s made is different, but technology doesn’t always translate to outcomes,” she says. If it does in fact deliver the improvement in skin quality that it promises, she’s most excited about the prospect of using it to address crepiness on the body, on areas that are notoriously hard to treat, such as the neck, inner arms, and above the knees.
When will Profhilo be available?
Your guess is as good as ours, although Dr. Hausauer says it may be sooner rather than later: “It’s a moving target, but I would think it should be in the not too distant future. Once there’s something on the market that’s set a precedent in the same category, it usually becomes slightly easier to get FDA approval.”
