Jalupro vs Profhilo
Which skin booster is right for you?
These are two of the treatments I get asked to compare most often. Both are excellent, and they are not the same thing. Here is how I decide which one a patient actually needs.
When patients come to me asking about Jalupro or Profhilo, I always start in the same place. Both are injectable skin boosters, which means they improve the quality of your skin rather than changing its shape. Neither is a dermal filler. If your goal is fuller cheeks or a more defined jaw, that is a different treatment, and I will tell you so.
Jalupro combines hyaluronic acid with amino acids and tends to suit tired, dull or dehydrated skin that needs revitalising. Profhilo is a very pure, concentrated hyaluronic acid that remodels the skin and tends to suit firmness and early laxity. Neither adds volume. Which one I recommend depends on what your skin is actually doing.
How I think about Jalupro
Jalupro combines hyaluronic acid with a blend of amino acids, the raw materials your body uses to build collagen and elastin. I tend to reach for it when skin looks tired, or is dull and dehydrated, and needs revitalising rather than remodelling. It works well on the face, the under-eye area, the neck and the hands, and patients often describe the result as looking refreshed rather than different.
How I think about Profhilo
Profhilo is a very pure, highly concentrated hyaluronic acid that spreads through the skin rather than staying where it is placed, stimulating your own collagen and elastin. I use it when the priority is firmness and overall skin quality, particularly where there is early laxity or slackening. It is a bio-remodeller, and it does not add volume.
Side by side, at a glance
| What we are comparing | Jalupro | Profhilo |
|---|---|---|
| What it is made of | Hyaluronic acid plus amino acids | Very pure, concentrated hyaluronic acid |
| Skin it suits best | Tired, dull, dehydrated skin | Firmness, quality and early laxity |
| Areas I treat with it | Face, under-eye, neck and hands | Face, neck and hands |
| How it works | Revitalises. Supplies the building blocks for collagen and elastin. | Remodels. Spreads through the skin and stimulates your own collagen. |
| Course and spacing | Usually a course of two to three sessions, spaced two to four weeks apart | Two sessions, four weeks apart. One 2ml syringe each time, placed at five points on each side |
| Price at our clinic | £195 | From £245. First syringe £245, additional syringe at the same visit £185 |
| Adds volume? | No | No |
Neither of these is better than the other. They are different tools, and the skill is in choosing the right one for the skin in front of you.
Which is right for you?
I start from what your skin is doing, not from the product name. That usually makes the decision fairly clear.
Not sure which way you lean?
Three questions, and it will point you in a direction. It will also tell you honestly when the answer is that we should talk.
Jalupro
I lean this way when
Your skin looks tired, dull or dehydrated, you want a revitalised and refreshed result, or we are treating a delicate area such as the under-eye where a lighter, amino-acid-rich booster tends to suit well.
Profhilo
I lean this way when
Your priority is firmness and overall skin quality, there is early laxity, or you want a bio-remodelling result that improves how the skin holds itself rather than simply how hydrated it looks.
Can I have both?
Sometimes, at different times, as part of a wider plan. There is rarely a good reason to have both at once. I will recommend whichever suits your skin, and I will not layer treatments on top of each other unnecessarily. And if what you are really after is more volume rather than better quality skin, neither of these is the answer. That is a conversation worth having before you book anything, not after.
Risks and limitations
Both of these are injections, and no injection is completely without risk. I would far rather tell you this here than have it come as a surprise on the day. We go through all of it properly at consultation, and you will have the chance to ask everything before you consent to anything.
- What is normal in the first few days
- Redness at the injection points, a little swelling and some tenderness are all expected. Redness usually settles within a day or two, swelling within about three days, and bruising can take up to a week to fade. Bruising is more likely wherever the skin is thin, so around the eyes in particular. With Profhilo you will also see small raised bumps where the product goes in. Those are meant to be there, and they flatten as it spreads.
- Less common, and what I would want to know about
-
Less often you can get small lumps under the skin, a reaction that shows up some days later rather than straight away, or an infection at an injection site. All are uncommon and all are treatable, and I would far rather see you early than late.
The one I want you to know about, rare as it is, is a blocked blood vessel. Any hyaluronic acid injection carries that risk. The signs are pain that is severe or getting worse rather than settling, skin that turns pale and then dusky or mottled, or pain somewhere away from where you were injected. If any of that happens, ring the clinic straight away. It is treatable, and how quickly it is treated is what matters. It is also one of the reasons I do not think these treatments belong in non-medical hands.
For proportion: a review of worldwide safety data covering 42,394 Profhilo treatments over three years found twelve reported adverse events, none of them serious. That is not a promise that nothing will happen to you. It is the honest scale of it.
- When I would say no, or wait
-
I would not treat you if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, if there is an active skin infection or a flare of inflammation where we would be injecting, or if you have reacted badly to hyaluronic acid before. Jalupro also contains amino acids and peptides, so a known sensitivity to those rules it out.
An autoimmune condition does not automatically rule you out, but I would want to talk it through properly first. Blood thinners are the same. They do not stop you having treatment, they simply make bruising more likely, and you should know that going in rather than afterwards.
- What these treatments will not do
- Neither adds volume, and neither lifts. If you are hoping for a change in the shape of your face, a skin booster is the wrong tool and I will say so rather than sell you one. They will not clear pigmentation, thread veins or acne scarring either, and no injection is a substitute for looking after your skin and staying out of the sun.
If you are trying to pick between Jalupro and Profhilo from a page like this one, you are starting in the wrong place, and I would say the same about any comparison you read online. Both are excellent in the right hands for the right skin. Neither adds volume, so if that is what you are after, we should be talking about something else entirely.
The right starting point is a proper look at your skin, so I can tell you honestly what I think will work best. Sometimes that is one of these two. Sometimes it is both, at different times. And sometimes it is neither.
Dr James
Common questions, answered
Jalupro combines hyaluronic acid with amino acids to revitalise tired, dehydrated skin. Profhilo is a very pure, concentrated hyaluronic acid that remodels the skin and improves firmness. Both are skin boosters that improve quality rather than adding volume, but they suit slightly different concerns.
Neither is better overall. In my experience Jalupro often suits revitalising tired or dehydrated skin, while Profhilo often suits firming and remodelling. The right one depends on your skin and your goal, which is what a consultation establishes.
Sometimes, at different times as part of a wider plan, but there is rarely a need for both at once. I will recommend whichever suits your skin, and I will not layer treatments unnecessarily.
No. Both are skin boosters, not dermal fillers. They improve skin quality, hydration and firmness rather than adding volume or changing your shape. For volume, a dermal filler is the right treatment.
Book your consultation today
Jalupro, Profhilo or something else entirely. I will assess your skin and recommend the approach most likely to give you the result you are looking for.
This article is general information about treatments we offer, not personal medical advice. Individual results vary, and suitability can only be established at a face-to-face consultation with Dr Corcoran. Every treatment carries risks and limitations, which we discuss in full before you consent.