Earlier this year, I was invited by NU.U Aesthetics & Wellness Clinic to try out the much- talked-about Profhilo treatment.

I was very curious about how it’d match up against the much raved about Skinboosters treatment (水光针 in Mandarin) that was all the rage a few years back. That’s because both treatments use hyaluronic acid to deliver hydration to the skin from within. Hyaluronic acid is hydrophilic, which means it attracts and holds onto water. When skin is well hydrated, it is plumped up and appears less textured / grainy. This improves the overall appearance of the skin and results in that covetable dewy glow – the epitome of great-looking healthy skin.

I had previously tried Skinboosters in 2016 at another clinic. That treatment consisted of three sessions separated by monthly intervals. The results were very noticeable after the third treatment, and that wasn’t just from my own assessment. Colleagues and close friends, that didn’t know I had undergone this treatment, remarked that my skin glowed and looked healthy. I’ve even had the occasional customer service person compliment me on my skin, and nope, I didn’t have to tip them for it!

Fast forward to 2021, and this time, under the invitation of NU.U Aesthetics & Wellness Clinic, I was scheduled for two Profhilo treatments spaced about five weeks apart. It’s important to note that not everyone needs two treatments. That recommendation was made for me by Dr K K Chew after an in-depth consultation with him. My skin was exhibiting signs of strong dehydration from the side effect of using Retin-A for several months.

The entire treatment was such a breeze to get through. After a detailed assessment by Dr Chew, he proceeds to administer the Profhilo brand of hyaluronic acid into my face using the unique Bio Aesthetic Points (BAP) injection technique. Only five BAP injections are needed for each side of the face, just under the skin surface. That’s because Profhilo moves well and quickly within a 2cm radius of each injection site. It can do this as it is not a cross-linked filler. Cross-linking increases the viscosity of the filler which gives it the ability to lift. Developed by IBSA Laboratories, the primary goal of Profhilo is not to do that, but to deliver hydration to the skin and firm it up. This takes place within days of the procedure and helps to increase the luminosity of your skin. The secondary goal is to stimulate the production of elastin and collagen over the subsequent weeks. This helps to tighten the skin and improve the appearance of fine lines.

My personal experience with Profhilo is such that I started feeling visible improvement in my skin within the first week of the first treatment. My skin felt softer, plumper/thicker and less dry. In the subsequent three weeks, I noticed that my skin looked less textured. This provides a smoother surface to reflect more light, thus it also looked more glowy.

These positive effects got amplified after the second treatment. About a month after that, I had noticed that the fine lines on my forehead were less noticeable. More importantly, my naso-labial lines, which had become more “etched in” in with age, really improved in appearance from the Profhilo treatment. Overall, my skin looked healthier and better. This aesthetic improvement is subtle yet noticeable, and is still present even though it’s been six months (and counting!) since I received the Profhilo treatment.

When comparing it to Skinboosters, I have to say that thumbs down, I’d opt for Profhilo again based on my skin type needs. First, it takes only two treatments instead of three. Second, there is way less minimal downtime with the BAP injection technique (just 10 injection points in total). I could immediately go about with my social activities as compared to a social downtime of about 2 – 3 days from Skinboosters. Third, I find Profhilo to work better at improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

If you’re keen to find out more about Profhilo and whether it works for you, I’d recommend that you get in touch with NU.U Aesthetics & Wellness Clinic or read more here about the Profhilo treatment they offer.