What’s the difference between Profhilo, Skin Boosters and Fillers?

Some time ago, I wrote a blog called Are lip fillers and botox the same thing because if you don’t know, why would you know?! A lot of people are confused by all the different treatment options out there and don’t know what to ask for, and this is enough to put some people off coming in for help in the first place!

They may be avoiding me ‘because I don’t want fillers’ when actually a touch of anti-wrinkle treatment and a course of skin treatments may be far more appropriate for them. Fear of Fillers is real!

It, therefore, falls to responsible practitioners like me to help educate and guide you, to make sure you are not scared to death of the things we offer, and that you know what to ask for!

So what are Fillers, and what are Profhilo and Skin Boosters?

Dermal fillers, Profhilo and most skin boosters are made up predominantly of Hyaluronic Acid (HA).  This is a natural substance produced in the body and is vital for skin and joint health, suppleness and flexibility. HA is hydrophilic, which means that it is water-loving. What this means for you is that it attracts water from your body to the area that has had HA applied to it (or to your natural HA). This leads to a plumping of the area, smoothing of lines and wrinkles, and adding volume and structure to areas that have had fillers applied. 

However, there are differences between dermal fillers, lip fillers and skin boosters such as Profhilo, Sunekos, Volite etc. Fillers that are put in the lips, cheeks, jawline, chin, temples etc are designed to stay put! We want to keep the volume in the lips, the structure under the skin to enhance your cheekbones etc, so it is cross-linked and formulated so that it, hopefully, stays where we put it. Migration of filler is still possible; however, generally speaking, dermal fillers just gradually disappear as the body breaks them down. 

Skin boosters, however, are different. Profhilo is probably the most well-known, but there are several brands, all slightly different, and I tend to use Profhilo and Volite, although there are several types. These types of HA products are designed not to stay where they are injected, but to disperse under the skin, to create a layer of hydration and support. This way, you will see a generalised smoothing of the skin, subtle reduction of lines and wrinkles, improved hydration and texture, and even ongoing collagen induction due to the action of the product.

They can be called injectable moisturisers, skin enhancers, or skin boosters, and are an increasingly popular way to treat the skin. There is no freezing of muscles as you would get with botox, no lumpiness associated with fillers, no downtime and very little to show that you have had it – except improved skin! You even get regeneration of the skin – meaning active rejuvenation and anti-ageing.

Are skin boosters expensive?

These products are highly effective, and expensive to produce. This does translate to a price range in the upper ranges, but once you have had the initial course of 2-3 Profhilo treatments, you only need it boosting every 6 months. Other types, such as Volite, only need one treatment initially and a top-up every 8-9 months; however, this one is slightly more costly initially – but costs less across the year. They work incredibly well alongside anti-wrinkle treatments, to keep the skin in great condition – and combine with a great skincare routine, and this really is the gold standard for skin treatments!

We offer subscription packages for our skin boosters, to ensure you can have them regularly, and they can be combined with other regular treatments such as chemical peels and anti-wrinkle treatments as part of a tailored subscription package. Just ask for more information!