Profhilo in Exeter – More Than a Skin Booster
Profhilo is a medically-led skin regeneration treatment designed to improve the firmness, hydration and overall quality of your skin. It isn’t a filler. It isn’t Botox. It is a different kind of injectable. It improves your skin’s health, instead of freezing muscles or adding volume.
At Exthetics in Exeter, every treatment is performed by Anna Lee, a Level 7-qualified Nurse Prescriber with over 20 years of clinical experience. This blog covers what the treatment is, what it costs at our clinic, who it suits, who it doesn’t, and the honest pros and cons of choosing it over other aesthetic treatments.
What Is Profhilo?
Profhilo is an injectable hyaluronic acid treatment that contains one of the highest concentrations of HA available in an injectable form. It works by stimulating collagen and elastin production to improve skin firmness, hydration and quality. Manufactured by IBSA, the product is used in more than 60 countries worldwide.
Three things make it different from a standard dermal filler:
- No cross-linking agents. Most fillers use BDDE to bind hyaluronic acid into a gel. This product uses NAHYCO Hybrid Technology to bind high and low molecular weight HA together, without chemical cross-linkers.
- It doesn’t add volume. The injectable spreads through the deeper layers of skin rather than staying in one place. It improves skin quality from within rather than filling a feature.
- It triggers your own regeneration. Once injected, the treatment helps your body make collagen, elastin, and fat cells. These are key building blocks for firm, hydrated, youthful-looking skin.
The bio-remodeller treats the skin itself, not the lines on top of it.
How Does Profhilo Work?
The injection is placed at five strategic points on each side of the face, known as Bio-Aesthetic Points (BAP). These points are chosen for two reasons.
- They are safer because they avoid major blood vessels and nerves.
- They help spread the product evenly across the treatment area.
Once in the skin, it does three things:
- Releases hydration into surrounding tissue, giving immediate plumpness
- Stimulates fibroblasts to drive collagen and elastin production
- Encourages adipocyte regeneration in the deeper skin layers
The result is a gradual improvement in skin firmness, hydration, and quality over 4 to 10 weeks. It is not an immediate cosmetic change.
What Does Profhilo Treat?
The treatment is most effective for signs of ageing that aren’t caused by deep lines or volume loss. It works well for:
- Skin laxity: The gradual loosening of skin that comes with age
- Dehydrated, dull or crepey skin: Particularly papery-looking areas
- Mild jowling: Early sagging along the jawline (it won’t deliver a strong lifting effect on heavy jowls, but it can support the surrounding skin)
- Fine lines and wrinkles caused by dryness: Rather than expression
- Loss of skin firmness: Early signs of “tired-looking” skin
- Crepiness on the neck, décolletage, hands or arms
It is frequently chosen by patients going through perimenopause or menopause, when oestrogen-related changes affect skin quality and elasticity.
Who Is Profhilo For?
The treatment is most commonly chosen by patients in their late 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s – particularly women who:
- Are noticing changes in skin firmness, glow or texture
- Want a subtle, gradual improvement rather than an immediate visible change
- Prefer to avoid filler or aren’t ready for it
- Value treatments backed by clinical evidence
- Are dealing with hormonal skin changes around perimenopause or menopause
It also works well as part of a longer-term skin maintenance plan, alongside polynucleotides, microneedling, or medical-grade skincare products.
Who Profhilo Isn’t For
We are direct about what a treatment can and can’t do. This one may not be the right choice if:
- You want immediate, dramatic results – it works gradually over 4–10 weeks
- Your main concern is lost facial volume – that calls for dermal fillers instead
- Your main concern is muscle-driven lines (frown lines, crow’s feet) – anti-wrinkle treatments are the right option
- You have advanced skin laxity or deep sagging – it improves skin quality but won’t lift heavy tissue
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding
- You have an active skin infection in the treatment area, or certain autoimmune conditions
At your consultation, Anna will tell you if this treatment is right for you. If not, she will suggest another approach for your concern.
When Profhilo Alone Isn’t Enough
The treatment is excellent for skin quality, but it works at one layer of the skin. For more complete results, many patients combine it with other treatments:
- Profhilo + dermal filler – improves skin quality and restores lost volume
- Profhilo + anti-wrinkle injections – softens expression lines while improving skin firmness (Anna offers this as a combined treatment, £495)
- Profhilo + polynucleotides – both regenerative, often used together for advanced skin rejuvenation
- Profhilo + Profhilo Structura – addresses skin quality and underlying structural support (see below)
The right combination is something we work out together during your consultation, based on your skin, your goals and your budget.
Profhilo vs Other Skin Treatments
When comparing fillers, Profhilo, skin boosters and other aesthetic treatments, the key is understanding what each one is actually for:
| Treatment | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Profhilo — Initial Course of 2 | 1 hour | £495 |
| Profhilo — Single Session | 1 hour | £295 |
| Profhilo Structura — Initial Course of 2 | 1 hour | £575 |
| Profhilo Structura — Single Session | 1 hour | £325 |
| Profhilo Structura + Profhilo | 1 hour | £595 |
| Profhilo + Botox | 45 mins | £495 |
| Profhilo Structura + Botox | 1 hour | £525 |
What Is Profhilo Structura?
Structura is a newer addition to the IBSA family. It uses the same NAHYCO technology as the standard product but with slightly different properties that allow it to provide gentle structural support to the deeper skin layers, alongside the same bio-remodelling effects.
It is particularly useful for patients with early skin laxity who want a subtle, regenerative approach rather than dermal filler. Structura is often used together with standard Profhilo to address skin quality and mild structural changes in the same treatment plan.
What Happens at a Profhilo Treatment
A typical appointment at Exthetics takes 45 to 60 minutes:
- Consultation: Anna assesses your skin, discusses your goals, and confirms whether the treatment is the right fit.
- Preparation: The area is cleansed and BAP injection sites marked.
- Injection: The product is injected at five points on each side of the face (or the equivalent for neck, décolletage, hands).
- Aftercare: Most patients return to work the same day. Small raised bumps at the injection sites are normal and settle within 24 to 48 hours. Sleep slightly elevated for the first night.
How Many Sessions Do You Need?
The standard protocol is two initial treatments four weeks apart, then maintenance sessions every six months. A single treatment will not deliver full results. The two-session course activates collagen and elastin production.
How Long Does Profhilo Last?
Most patients see results lasting around six months from completion of the initial two-session course. Visible changes usually appear from week four to six, with full results showing by week eight to ten after the second session. Maintenance treatments are typically scheduled twice a year.
How Much Does Profhilo Cost at Exthetics?
Our pricing in Exeter:
| Treatment | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Profhilo — Initial Course of 2 | 1 hour | £495 |
| Profhilo — Single Session | 1 hour | £295 |
| Profhilo Structura — Initial Course of 2 | 1 hour | £575 |
| Profhilo Structura — Single Session | 1 hour | £325 |
| Profhilo Structura + Profhilo | 1 hour | £595 |
| Profhilo + Botox | 45 mins | £495 |
