Reality TV star Seema Sajdeh spoke openly about having had Botox, fillers and ProfhiloWhen fashion designer and reality TV star Seema Sajdeh spoke openly about having had Botox, fillers and Profhilo, she helped bring another injectable into the mainstream beauty conversation. But unlike conventional fillers, Profhilo isn’t about adding volume or changing the shape of the face. Its proposition is improving the quality of the skin itself.“Profhilo is a hyaluronic-acid treatment that is injected just below the surface of the skin,” explains Dr Nirupama Parwanda, dermatologist at Zolie Skin Clinic. Hyaluronic acid is a natural sugar molecule, which acts like a giant sponge. It draws water into your skin and holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water. This extra moisture makes dry skin soft, smooths out tiny lines, and gives your face a bouncy, fresh look. Injections contain natural sugar chains identical to those in the human body, grown using lab-based bacterial fermentation or gel extracted from animal tissues. “It is much more about skin quality than facial augmentation,” adds Dr Parwanda.How does Profhilo work?The science starts with hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance found in the skin that has an important role in maintaining hydration and supporting the skin’s extracellular matrix or the network surrounding skin cells. Profhilo uses a formulation containing both high- and low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid. It is injected into specific points just beneath the skin, where the product disperses rather than behaving like a conventional volumising filler.The aim is not to physically fill a wrinkle or create a new facial contour. Instead, the treatment is designed to improve the skin’s environment and stimulate biological processes involved in hydration, elasticity, firmness and tissue quality. A conventional dermal filler is primarily a structural treatment: it occupies space and can restore lost volume, fill a depression or define a contour. Profhilo is positioned more as a bio-remodelling treatment, with its emphasis on the skin rather than facial architecture. Research so far has reported improvements in measures including hydration, elasticity, skin density and laxity.However, the evidence should be interpreted sensibly: the published studies remain relatively small, and more robust research is needed to establish the treatment’s longer-term efficacy and precisely how much of the visible improvement comes from each biological mechanism.Who might benefit?Profhilo isn’t prescribed according to age alone. I always say it’s about the quality of your skin, not your number on the calendar. The potential candidate is someone beginning to notice dehydration, tired-looking skin, early loss of elasticity, reduced firmness, fine lines or mild laxity. A dermatologist should determine whether those concerns are actually suitable for treatment.That also means Profhilo isn’t automatically the answer for someone wanting a significant facelift-like effect. If substantial lifting, volume restoration or contour correction is the objective, another treatment—or a combination of treatments—may be more appropriate.Story continues below this adAn injectable that works for one person’s skin doesn’t become medically necessary because a celebrity has had it. Patient selection should be based on skin condition, medical history, expectations and the potential benefit-to-risk balance.Is there an ideal age?There isn’t one. A young person with naturally hydrated, firm and healthy skin may have little indication for an injection simply because they have reached a particular age. Conversely, someone may develop changes in skin quality earlier or later depending on multiple factors.How safe is it?Profhilo may be well-tolerated in appropriately selected patients when performed by trained, experienced practitioners but “non-surgical” does not mean risk-free.Temporary redness, swelling, bruising, tenderness, discomfort and small raised papules at injection sites can occur. These are generally transient. As with other injectable procedures, however, complications can occur, making practitioner expertise particularly important.Patient selection and sterile technique are critical with any injectable treatment, as well as an understanding of facial anatomy and detection of adverse events.Story continues below this adDoes it have to be continued forever?No. Profhilo isn’t a lifetime commitment. The effects are temporary, and subsequent treatment should be individualised rather than treated as an automatic maintenance obligation. Published studies have commonly evaluated an initial course of two treatments approximately four weeks apart, followed by review.Its appeal lies precisely in what it doesn’t attempt to do: rather than changing the face, it aims to create healthier-looking skin by working within the biology of the skin itself. That makes the dermatologist’s assessment, not the celebrity endorsement, the most important part of the treatment.