Profhilo

THE anti-wrinkle treatment

It’s not really a filler and it doesn’t ‘freeze’ your forehead. but it is the the most recent ‘tweakment’

There’s a new treatment on the market that’s expected to be huge demand in 2019. It’s Profhilo and it’s a number of small injections to the face that rehydrates and re-textures skin & pores, in a way that no topical creams can achieve. Much less daunting than Botox.  Less extreme than fillers. It really is essentially moisturiser in a jab. You could say it’s a “tweakment light”.

Profhilo has been the trick of beauty editors for quite a while. Indeed, most of the beauty insiders, also those who avoid Botox, have used it. It’s often likened it to using the most flattering Instagram filter. Profhilo is hailed in the beauty sector as the best new treatment in quite a while. American beauty editors are crazy for this too, making Profhilo pilgrimages to the UK.  It hasn’t yet reached the United States, although it’s going to debut there shortly.

So what precisely is Profhilo?

In the industry they describe it as a “bio-remodeller” as it produces neocollagenesis. This process stimulates the collagen receptors in your skin. This is actually the ultimate goal of cosmetic treatment. As we get older, our collagen stores dwindle, leading to sag and wrinkles. Profhilo also improves elastin production. This is a highly elastic protein in connective tissue that allows many tissues in the body to resume their shape after stretching or contracting. Elastin helps skin to return to its original position when it is poked or pinched. It also helps skin to remain hydrated.  And the result? More youthful-looking pores and skin texture. 

IBSA Pharma, among the largest privately owned pharmaceutical firms in Switzerland, makes Profhilo. It uses an artificial but bio compatible hyaluronic acid, which is injected via a very fine needle into the skin. Just to clarify, our own skin cells actually produce Hyaluronic Acid naturally in a bid to maintain moisture levels. But, thanks to pesky ageing and environmental aggressors, to name just a few things flung at our faces on a daily basis, those levels tend to take a bit of a dip. Babies for example have plenty of it, but from 30 years of age, we produce much less. Hyaluronic acid is among the most trusted ingredients for hydration in skincare products, included in every good high-end face treatment, creams & lotions.

How does it work?

A type of hyaluronic acid can also be found in most fillers. However in these it comes as a thicker gel-like substance, to plump out creases and wrinkles. It increases the volume and definition to lips, cheeks and chins. Profhilo performs a far more subtle way as it’s a runnier version of the hyaluronic acid. It seamlessly disperses into the pores and skin.  With this treatment there’s none of the tell-tale indicators that various other badly administered injectables have got a reputation for, such as hamster cheeks (fillers) or immobile foreheads (Botox). Picture your skin as a a bed: instead of plumping up the pillows, the result fillers gives to your skin, Profhilo boosts the thread count of the ‘sheets’ of your skin, i.e. makes it better quality.

The typical process is to inject Profhilo in to the upper layers of your skin at 5 strategic points on either side of the face The upper cheekbone right down to the jawline, altogether 10 tiny injections. In addition, it works like a charm on the neck, where another 10 injections will quickly rejuvenate crepe-like lines and wrinkles.

Results…?

The results of the procedure last about 6-9 months, however they aren’t immediate. You will need 2 initial treatments spaced 4-6 weeks apart, and then twice a year to maintain. Treatments are £250 each. If you do not maintain, you will need the 2 ‘initial’ treatments again to re-start the regime. Much like any cosmetic treatment, generally there are caveats. Immediately after the injections, that have a sharp sting for a few seconds, you’ll observe very small bumps that look like a heat rash or small beestings at the injection sites. These may take up to 24 hrs to subside. Thinner-skinned areas, like the neck, may take slightly longer. Having said that, for most people, the bumps are often gone after 3 hours.

Redness, inflammation and bruising may occur and can last a couple of days, but this is rare. For reassurance, around a million treatments have already been performed world-wide. To date there have been no serious or a significant reactions.

Much like any treatment, choosing an experienced skilled practitioner who’s well versed and amply trained in this and other facial procedures is key to a good result. Injecting too deeply won’t provide the results. Going too superficially means the swellings at the injection site might take much longer to settle down. Opinions of a few of the world’s best dermatologists, aesthetic doctors, dentists and surgeons who make use of Profhilo as been phenomenal. 

So… some of us may have the post-Christmas lag and New Years Eve late night celebrations written all over our faces this year, but if you have, Profhilo could be a game-changer!