Skin Boosters › The Science
Explore the Science

Skin Boosters, in depth.

Hyaluronic acid delivered into the skin to improve its quality — hydration, elasticity and glow — not to add volume. Here is how Profhilo and Seventy Hyal 2000 work, the evidence behind them, and an honest account of what to expect.

The mechanism

Quality, not volume

A skin booster is not a filler. It doesn't sit in one place to add shape — it spreads through the skin to improve its quality: hydration, texture, elasticity and glow.

Skin boosters deliver hyaluronic acid — the skin's own principal water-binding molecule — into the dermis, where it draws in and holds water. Unlike a dermal filler, the hyaluronic acid used is non-cross-linked, so instead of holding a fixed shape it disperses through the tissue, hydrating and conditioning the skin from within. The result is skin that simply looks and behaves better, with no change to the shape or volume of the face.

At MNP, Matt works with two boosters, each with its own character.

Profhilo

Dual-weight bio-remodelling

A stable hybrid complex of high- and low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid, made without a chemical cross-linker. It hydrates deeply and is associated with stimulation of the skin's own collagen and elastin.

Seventy Hyal 2000

High-molecular-weight hydration

A very high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid booster, prized for its water-binding capacity and used to restore hydration and skin quality across the face, neck and hands.

The technique

Placed to diffuse

Profhilo is delivered to a small number of defined bio-aesthetic points that allow it to spread evenly; boosters are typically a short course of sessions a few weeks apart.

The science of hyaluronic-acid boosters
  • Profhilo's pivotal clinical study showed measurable improvements in skin hydration and elasticity after two treatments four weeks apart, sustained to the 16-week (roughly four-month) mark.
  • Laboratory work shows Profhilo's dual-weight complex can influence the skin cells responsible for collagen and elastin — though this is cell-culture evidence rather than proof of collagen change in living skin.
  • Hyaluronic acid's water-binding role in the dermis is well established, underpinning the hydration and skin-quality benefit boosters aim for.
Sparavigna A, Tenconi B, Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2016;9:297–305 (manufacturer-funded, open-label). Stellavato A et al., in-vitro. HA hydration literature.
An honest note on the evidence

Profhilo has a genuine, if modest, published evidence base — though its studies are manufacturer-funded and not placebo-controlled, and the strongest data run to about four months. Seventy Hyal 2000 has no published clinical trials; its benefit rests on the well-understood behaviour of hyaluronic acid and on manufacturer guidance rather than trial evidence. We tell you this plainly, and Matt chooses the right booster for your skin at consultation.

The concerns

What they address

Skin boosters are for skin quality — the concerns that a firming or volumising treatment can't reach.

Dull, Dehydrated Skin

Good evidence

Skin that has lost its light and bounce

By flooding the dermis with hyaluronic acid, boosters restore deep hydration — bringing back radiance, plumpness and a healthy quality to tired, dry-looking skin.

Evidence — what the research shows
  • Profhilo's clinical study showed significant improvement in skin hydration; hyaluronic acid's water-binding role in the dermis is well established.
Sparavigna & Tenconi 2016; HA hydration literature.
What to expect
  • Course: Typically two sessions four weeks apart for Profhilo; a short course for Seventy Hyal.
  • Downtime: Small raised points at the injection sites, usually settling within a day or so.
  • Timeline: Hydration and glow build over the weeks following.

Early Laxity & Elasticity

Good evidence

Skin that has begun to lose its firmness

Profhilo in particular is associated with improved skin elasticity and firmness, helping skin that has started to soften look and feel better supported — without adding volume.

Evidence — what the research shows
  • Profhilo's pivotal study measured a significant improvement in skin elasticity at the four-month mark; collagen/elastin stimulation is supported by laboratory work.
Sparavigna & Tenconi 2016 (elasticity/torsiometry); in-vitro collagen data.
What to expect
  • Course: A course for best results, with maintenance thereafter.
  • Downtime: Minimal.
  • Timeline: Gradual improvement in skin quality over the course.

Overall Skin Quality

Good evidence

Neck, décolletage and hands too

Because they improve the skin itself, boosters work beautifully beyond the face — on the neck, décolletage and hands, where skin quality often shows age first.

Evidence — what the research shows
  • Hyaluronic-acid boosters are well supported for skin-quality improvement; Profhilo has published data extending to the neck.
Profhilo neck study (Sparavigna 2022, open-label); HA skin-quality literature.
What to expect
  • Course: Tailored to the area and your skin.
  • Downtime: Minimal — small points settle quickly.
  • Timeline: Cumulative improvement over the course.
In context

Booster, filler or regeneration?

Understanding where a skin booster sits — and where it doesn't — is the key to choosing well.

Vs Dermal Filler

A dermal filler restores volume and contour in a targeted place; a skin booster improves the quality of the skin across an area, with no meaningful volume. If the concern is a loss of shape or structure, that's a filler conversation — led by our nurse prescriber. If it's dull, dehydrated or crepey skin, a booster is the answer.

Vs Polynucleotides

Both improve skin quality without adding volume, but through different means: a booster works chiefly by hydration, while polynucleotides are regenerative, working at a cellular level to repair and renew. They are sometimes used together, and Matt will advise which suits your skin — or whether a combination does.

Profhilo vs Seventy Hyal 2000

Profhilo is a dual-weight complex with a defined technique and a published evidence base to around four months. Seventy Hyal 2000 is a very high-molecular-weight hydrating booster with a more flexible technique but no published trials. Both are hyaluronic-acid boosters for skin quality; the choice is Matt's, matched to your skin.

Safety & suitability

Gentle and well tolerated

Hyaluronic-acid boosters have an excellent safety record. A few honest points guide the conversation at consultation.

Good to know

Normal, temporary effects

What to expect as the skin settles.

  • Small raised bumps at the injection points, usually settling within 24–48 hours
  • Minor bruising, redness or mild swelling is possible
  • Best planned a week or two before any big event
Discuss first

Worth telling us about

These guide safe treatment.

  • Bleeding disorders or blood-thinning medication
  • A history of cold sores if treating near the mouth
  • Any previous reaction to hyaluronic-acid treatments
Not suitable

When we won't proceed

For your safety, treatment isn't possible in these situations.

  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding
  • Active skin infection, cold sore or breakout in the treatment area
  • Known allergy to hyaluronic-acid products

This is a guide to help you prepare — it isn't a diagnosis, and it isn't exhaustive. Your full history is always reviewed at consultation.

Begin with a consultation

Every booster plan begins with Matt assessing your skin, so the right product and course are matched to you — never picked from a list.

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