Skinbooster

Skinbooster is an aesthetic medicine treatment in which lightly cross-linked hyaluronic acid is delivered into the dermis through micro-injections spread across the whole area. Unlike fillers, it does not aim to add volume or change the features, but to improve skin quality: its hydration, elasticity, texture and radiance.

How it works

Hyaluronic acid attracts and holds water in the dermis. Distributed evenly in small amounts, it hydrates the skin from within and improves its elasticity. The most widely used products have low cross-linking, which allows them to blend evenly into the skin without creating bumps while lasting longer than free hyaluronic acid. Some also contain other substances such as amino acids, vitamins or antioxidants.

Difference from other treatments

• Versus hyaluronic acid fillers: fillers are denser, more cross-linked gels placed at specific points to add volume; skinboosters are spread across the whole surface to hydrate.
• Versus facial mesotherapy: mesotherapy uses cocktails of vitamins and other substances, generally without cross-linked hyaluronic acid, with a more superficial, shorter-lived effect.

Indications

Dull, dehydrated skin or skin that has lost elasticity; fine lines; uneven texture; and signs of ageing on areas such as the neck, décolletage and backs of the hands. It is also used to prepare for or complement other treatments.

Protocol

Usually two or three sessions about three to four weeks apart, with maintenance roughly every six months. A numbing cream is applied and injections are given with a fine needle or micro-cannula.

Scientific evidence

Clinical trials show instrument-measured improvements in skin hydration and elasticity. The evidence is stronger for cross-linked hyaluronic acid products than for non-cross-linked ones, which the body breaks down quickly, and long-term studies are lacking.

Side effects

Small bumps at the injection points for one or two days, redness, mild bruising and, less often, nodules.