I'm on the phone, power walking to my appointment while trying to explain to my mother what polynucleotides, the procedure I'm about to have, are.
“Fiona, what do you mean you're on your way to have some injections? What injections?”
Salmon sperm.
Silence.
“I think the line must be bad, I thought you said salmon sperm!”
Yep, that's right.
Another awkward silence.
“Darling, is this some kind of weird fertility treatment?”
No, definitely not, I tell her, but I agree that it sounds like something you may want to file under ‘things we wish we didn’t know'. So why am I about to have fish DNA injected into my cheeks and under-eyes?
Back in January, when I was researching popular aesthetic treatments for 2024, I spoke to Dr. Ash Soni, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, and founder of The Soni Clinic. “Polynucleotides are the current hot topic in our industry," he said at the time. "The innovation behind this is amazing – it's a natural way to improve our skin and tissues on a cellular level."
As predicted, he is now performing upwards of 250 polynucleotide procedures a month, especially around the eye area, which is a notoriously gnarly area to treat if you're not a candidate for tear trough filler.
Kim Kardashian has also thrust the procedure into the spotlight by revealing in a recent episode of The Kardashians, "I got a salmon sperm facial with salmon sperm injected into my face."
As someone who is perpetually plagued by dark circles and Saturn-size hollows around the eyes, he had my attention.
Skin boosting is in.
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What are polynucleotides?
To be clear, polynucleotides are a little more invasive than a simple ‘facial’. They are one of a buzzy new breed of bio-stimulators, which are injected beneath the skin's surface.
Once there, “polynucleotides stimulate our own cells to produce some of the things that we lose with ageing, namely the fibroblast cells, which are responsible for producing collagen and elastin,” explains Dr Soni. Imagine your skin as a mattress – elastin is its springs and collagen the stuffing.
To address the elephant in the room, polynucleotides are indeed made up of stretchy molecules from fragments of fish DNA (typically collected from wild salmon or trout sperm through non-harmful ways) that are purified, inactivated and processed before being injected into the skin.
The reason fish DNA is used in the treatment is because it “closely resembles human DNA and has the purest proteins,” Dr Soni says. “Wild salmon are constantly adapting to a changing environment, just as humans are. Polynucleotides communicate with our cells by activating one main receptor, which helps with tissue regeneration.”
In other words, they give sloth-like cells a poke, telling them to behave younger. And while this may sound like a bizarre new TikTok beauty trend, he assures me that polynucleotides are underpinned by science.
“They have been studied since the 1980s, when plastic surgeons began pre-treating their patients with polynucleotides to help speed up wound healing,” he adds.
Polynucleotides: the benefits
While polynucleotides will make your skin look plumper, they are not a gel product like filler that sits under the skin to blow up the volume of your cheekbones. The main reason polynucleotides are injected into your skin cells is to “boost collagen, improve tissue regeneration and restore skin tone and elasticity,” Dr Soni says.
Another advantage of polynucleotides is that they have an antioxidant and hydrating effect “and will therefore result in skin that looks and feels healthier,” he notes. “Polynucleotides are also anti-inflammatory and help with pigmentation.”
I tried polynucleotides - here's why I'm converted
I have a confession. Polynucleotides are my first ever injectable. I've toyed with the idea of Botox on more than one occasion but I've always known I would never be seduced by filler. I don't want to change the angles of my face, but a treatment designed to boost the quality of my skin and support my endeavours to bank collagen? Now that's like catnip to me.
Like many, I came out of the Covid lockdown looking tired and drawn – nursing my mum through stage 4 cancer during this time only added to the feeling that I'd aged 10 years seemingly overnight. My dark, sunken circles weren't fooling anyone and, like a trampoline with rusty springs, I'd started to notice the skin around my mouth didn't bounce back as quickly, either.
It really started to bother me. Being a beauty editor comes with a certain expectation to look fresh-faced. On Instagram, I developed an unhealthy obsession with zooming in on pictures, magnifying any crepiness around my eyes before swiping right for the Paris filter. In the bathroom, I switched up my skincare routine to include every conceivable gadget that promised to hoick up facial muscles.
Invitations to try polynucleotides at various clinics have been taking over my inbox for months. I was swayed by the science and the before and after shots, but I also have a phobia of needles (especially around the eyes), which is why I reached out to Dr Soni for a consultation.
Several beauty editors have spoken in reverent whispers about Dr Soni being a gentle injector and his reassuring bedside manner. Having regularly sought out his expertise for tweakment articles, I was already well acquainted with his natural-looking results and extensive procedural knowledge, all of which topped my wish list when investigating polynucleotides.
In the plush interiors of The Langham Hotel's Chuan Spa, where he has a residency, Dr Soni tells me that the treatment requires two or three sessions, spaced roughly two-to-four weeks apart. This timeline, he explains, is based on clinical data and is the optimal amount of bio-stimulation required to achieve the best results from polynucleotides.
“You start to see the results quite quickly after the first session, but the second session will really kick-start that remodelling process," he says. "The product continues to work for the first 12 weeks, so it continues to improve with time.”
Polynucleotides - what happens and is it painful?
While there are several brands of polynucleotides on the market (including PhilArt, Plinest and Necleofil), Dr Soni favours Ameela because “it contains the longest chain polynucleotides on the market, which means that the results last the longest, as it takes longer for the product to get broken down in the body.”
Polynucleotides can be injected into the face, neck and even the hands. We decide that I'd benefit most from having polynucleotides injected into the area under my cheekbones, as well as in the tear trough. The latter is what makes polynucleotides such a game changer, Dr Soni notes: “I have a huge cohort of patients who are bothered by their under-eye area, but would not be candidates for tear trough filler given the presence of under-eye bags or a lack of elasticity in the tissue. Now, I have polynucleotides, which improve this area and are a natural alternative.”
First, he applies numbing cream to my face before massaging it with an ice pack as polynucleotide products don't contain local anaesthetic. Polynucleotides are only injected into the superficial layers of skin so there's a quick prick of pain as the needle pierces my skin, followed by a stinging sensation for a few seconds, but it's all very manageable.
The procedure takes no more than five minutes before he moves to my under-eyes. I tell him that I'm nervous about sporting two shiners afterwards as I'm travelling to Paris for an important work event a few days later.
But as Dr Soni explains, “for the under-eyes, I use a cannula as there is much less downtime associated with the procedure. A number of providers use a needle technique, which leaves bumps under the eyes for a few days, and is associated with a higher risk of bruising and swelling. Using a cannula allows me to go in through one point in the cheek, and do everything from that one point.”
The cannula isn't exactly painful, it's just a strange, unnerving sensation as he distributes the formula.
Immediately afterwards, my skin is red at the injection points. “Minimal swelling and a mild pinpoint bruise, if any, is typical for my patients,” Dr Soni reassures me. “I haven’t seen any reactions in my practice, and that would be rare with this injectable. Of course, it is an injectable, so you want to make sure that you are in the most experienced hands.”
Emboldened, I shove my sunglasses on and make the journey home on the train. By the time I walk through my front door an hour later, the redness has almost completely disappeared and the swelling on the tops of my cheeks has noticeably subsided.
Aftercare
When it came to dialling down any residual swelling, I used ice globes – placing rather than rolling them over my skin – and I tucked an extra pillow under my head for a couple of nights to keep fluid from pooling in the treated areas.
You may want to avoid punchy ingredients such as retinol for a couple of days after treatment as skin can feel sensitive. I'm instructed to avoid extreme heat from saunas and steam rooms, and vigorous exercise, for 48-72 hours while the polynucleotides are settling.
“I would also advise holding off on taking Omega-3 supplements a few days before and after the procedure, as it can thin the blood slightly and increase the risk of bruising ,” Dr Soni adds.
So the first night I cleanse as normal and gingerly pat on Kate Somerville's DeliKate Recovery Serum and Cream, which is designed to coddle and soothe post-treatment skin.
To enhance the results, Dr Soni recommends I then switch to using the Alastin Restorative Skin Complex and Eye Complex (available in clinics). The formula contains “unique peptides to boost collagen and elastin, as well as recycling the damaged fragments of old collagen and elastin," he says. "It pairs perfectly with any collagen-boosting injectable.”
The morning after my treatment, I'm left with just a minuscule pinprick on each cheek from the cannula. No one even mentions my treatment in the Zoom meeting later that day – in fact, one colleague even laments that I chickened out of having it as there are no obvious telltale signs.
The results
I went on to have two further polynucleotide treatments – one exactly the same as the first, while the final treatment was only on my under-eyes.
Unlike filler, the results aren't immediate and the response time varies from person to person. Dr Soni took pictures before and after every treatment to mark my progress and I feel ripples of excitement when he tells me my response to the bio-stimulation has been very rapid.
After the first two weeks, I started to notice fewer crow's feet under my eyes and the skin on the lower part of my face felt firmer to the touch. But my ‘Cinderella moment’ happened about six weeks into the course when those results were turbo-charged and my skin looked brighter, with less redness and pigmentation on the tops of my cheeks.
I still look like myself – but it's Fiona circa 2019 staring back at me in the mirror. I haven't used concealer since, and while my cheeks are certainly juicier, the effect stops short of looking unnaturally toddler-plump.
I'm thrilled with the results – they've completely exceeded my expectations. I'm also so much more confident – a feeling buoyed by the many compliments I've received over the past few weeks.
Tellingly, friends don't ask what I've had done, but rather what skincare I'm using to look so glowy. The dermatologist I see for my annual mole check positively purrs with delight while checking my face. That's the beauty of this treatment. It flies under-the-radar so your skin looks healthier, tighter and younger – like you've got glass skin or you've spent a month sipping green juice at a yoga retreat.
On average, the results from polynucleotides last between six to seven months before you would require two maintenance sessions.
So would I have it again? Absolutely. I've already marked my diary with the date of my next top-up.
Who is a good candidate for polynucleotides?
“The natural element of this treatment, and the fact that you can inject polynucleotides into any type of anatomy, means that almost anyone is a candidate," says Dr Soni, although he stresses that a reputable injector will take a thorough medical history and screen for any psychological red flags prior to the treatment being performed.
The only caveats? As it’s an animal product, polynucleotides are not suitable for vegetarians or vegans, or those with a fish allergy. As with other injectables, polynucleotides should not be administered during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Polynucleotides can also be combined with any type of injectable, including Botox, Profhilo and Sculptra, as well as microneedling and laser treatments. “You may also be able to space out filler treatments a little more with the addition of polynucleotides in the treatment plan,” Dr Soni adds.
How much do polynucleotides treatments cost?
Prices vary from between £500-£800 per session, depending on how big an area you’re having treated, and the provider.
For more from Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR's Associate Beauty Director, follow her on @fiembleton.
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