Profhilo or Dermal FillersWhat is the difference and which do you actually need?

This is probably the most common confusion I see in injectable aesthetics. Patients come in having researched both Profhilo and dermal fillers, and they are not quite sure which one they are asking for, or whether they need both. The confusion is understandable because the marketing language around injectables tends to blur things together.

Let me separate them clearly, because the distinction genuinely matters for your outcome.

What Profhilo actually is

Profhilo is a highly concentrated hyaluronic acid injectable, but it is not a filler. It is a bioremodelling treatment. When injected at five specific points on each side of the face using the BAP technique, it disperses throughout the tissue rather than staying in one location. As it spreads, it stimulates four different types of collagen and elastin production, deeply hydrates the tissue from within, and improves the quality, firmness and radiance of the skin across the entire face.

Profhilo does not add volume. It does not change the shape of your face. What it does is make your existing skin look and behave better. Firmer, more hydrated, more luminous, with improved elasticity. Results develop over four to six weeks and a course of two sessions, four weeks apart, is standard.

What dermal fillers actually do

Dermal fillers are also hyaluronic acid, but they are cross-linked, meaning the molecules are chemically bonded to give the product structure and longevity. Unlike Profhilo, fillers stay where you put them. They are designed to add volume, restore lost structure, define contours, and fill specific areas where tissue has deflated or lines have formed.

Fillers are the right tool when you want to restore cheekbone definition, soften nasolabial folds, add projection to the chin, define the jawline, or add volume to lips. They are placed with precision in specific anatomical locations and provide an immediate, visible result that lasts typically twelve to eighteen months.

Do you need both?

Sometimes yes. And this is where having a medical consultation rather than a booking form matters enormously.

A patient in their late forties might have both volume loss in the cheeks, which fillers address, and a general loss of skin quality, firmness and hydration, which Profhilo addresses. Treating one without the other gives a partial result. Treating both, thoughtfully and in the right order, gives something considerably more comprehensive.

The patients who benefit most from Profhilo alone tend to be younger, typically late thirties to mid-forties, with good facial volume but skin that has lost its glow, firmness and snap. Profhilo gives that back without adding anything that might look unnatural or overdone.

The patients who benefit most from fillers alone tend to be those with specific structural concerns, a flat midface, poorly defined jawline, or asymmetry, who have good skin quality but want more structure and definition.

The patients who benefit from both tend to have the full picture of facial ageing: some structural change alongside a decline in skin quality. That combination is extremely common from the mid-forties onwards.

What about polynucleotides?

Polynucleotide treatment, also known as PDRN, is another injectable that belongs in this conversation. Like Profhilo, polynucleotides are a bioremodelling treatment rather than a filler. They work differently to Profhilo, using DNA fragments derived from salmon sperm to stimulate tissue regeneration at a cellular level, but the goal is similar: improving skin quality, reducing fine lines and supporting collagen production from within.

Some patients do particularly well on polynucleotides where Profhilo is less indicated, under the eyes being the most common example. We assess this individually during consultation.

Dr James