Hyaluronic-acid skin boosters (Profhilo, Skinboosters, Volite)

A skin booster is hyaluronic acid — the molecule that holds water in your skin — injected in tiny amounts across a whole area instead of into one line or lip. Profhilo uses a heat-linked mix of high- and low-molecular-weight HA that spreads out under the skin from 10 marked points (the BAP technique); other boosters are placed as many micro-droplets. It hydrates the tissue and signals your own fibroblasts to make more collagen and elastin, so skin quality improves from within rather than being padded out.

Numbing cream first, then a series of small pinches with a cool, spreading sensation. Profhilo's 10-point technique is much quicker than boosters injected all over the face. Afterwards the skin feels tight and tender for a few hours.

How much downtime: Low — None to 48 hours. Small raised bumps or blebs at the injection points (more with Profhilo), sometimes bruising; they flatten within a day or two. Most people wear makeup the next day.

Cost for that downtime: $800–$1,500 per session, 2 sessions 4 weeks apart, then a top-up every 6–9 months.

Is it worth it? Our verdict (4/5): Worth it if your skin looks dull, thin or crepey and you want better quality rather than a different face. The glow is real but temporary, and paying $1,600–$3,000 for a course twice a year is the honest maths.

• Skin looks hydrated, plumper and more 'awake' — usually most visible 4–8 weeks after a course
• Softens fine dehydration lines, especially crepey cheeks, neck and under-eyes
• Adds no volume, so you still look like yourself
• Can be used on the face, neck, décolletage and hands

• Lift sagging skin — that needs HIFU, radiofrequency or surgery
• Fill hollows or restore lost volume (that's a dermal filler)
• Remove deep wrinkles or fade pigmentation
• Last permanently: results fade over roughly 6 months

• Bumps, bruising and tenderness at the injection points; rarely infection
• Lumps or a bumpy surface if placed too superficially or too heavily
• Cold-sore flare-up around the mouth
• Delayed swelling or inflammatory reactions, especially in anyone who has had fillers before
• Very rarely injection into a blood vessel, which can damage skin — the reason this must be done by a trained medical injector

Darker skin tones: Generally safe for darker skin tones: hyaluronic acid isn't absorbed by pigment, so there's no burn or darkening risk the way lasers carry. The main caution is choosing an injector experienced with your skin type, because inflammation from any needle can leave temporary dark marks.

Good fit

• Dull, dehydrated or crepey skin, most often in your late 20s to 40s
• People who want better skin quality, not a changed shape
• Anyone who can't take downtime

Avoid or ask a doctor first

• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Active skin infection, cold sores or inflammation in the area
• Known allergy to any component, or an autoimmune disease (discuss with your doctor)
• Anyone expecting a lift or volume — this isn't a filler

Sessions: 2 sessions 4 weeks apart, then a top-up every 6–9 months

• American Academy of Dermatology — Fillers: overview
• DermNet — Dermal fillers
• Dr Asif Hussein (London laser surgeon) — Dermal fillers
• PubMed research: hyaluronic acid skin booster bio-remodelling

General information only, not medical advice. Consult a qualified dermatologist.