Profhilo®

What is Profhilo®?

Profhilo® is a unique injectable made of a high concentration of a carbohydrate called hyaluronic acid (HA) which is naturally present in the skin but declines with age. Profhilo® is in a class of its own with its additive free formulation and runny honey consistency which allows it to evenly spread through the skin tissue, hydrating underlying structures while stimulating the cells responsible for collagen and elastin production.

Why have Profhilo®?

It treats skin laxity and helps to remodel ageing, sagging and crepey skin. It hydrates at a deeper level of the skin where topical applications cant reach and as mentioned previously is shown to have a stimulatory effect on the cells producing collagen and elastin. Both of which help tighten, lift and improve skin quality to give it a more youthful look.

How does Profhilo® work?

Profhilo® with its high concentrations of HA, viscoelastic and hydrating properties when administered into the superficial subcutaneous (intradermal) layer of the skin can optimise the quantity of HA into the specific layer of tissue being treated. Profhilo® spreads evenly throughout this tissue to hydrate and stimulate collagen and elastin production and facilitates a Hydrolift® Action - a mechanical process effectively bio re-modelling your skin from the inside out.

What areas can be treated?

Any part of your body that is showing signs of ageing and needs hydration and re-modelling – but Profhilo® is especially indicated for the face, neck and decolletage below where laxity tends to be pronounced and where collagen and elastin stimulation is most beneficial in terms of rejuvenation.

What does treatment involve?

The treatment involves placing the product intradermally (just under the skin) using a fine needle at points which are prescribed to ensure safety and maximise the lifting action of the product. For best results it is suggested you initially have two treatments one month apart. Further treatments to maintain your results are recommended at six - nine month intervals this supports your body to continue making its own collagen and elastin in the injected areas.

Does it hurt?

The injection site can be uncomfortable, annoying and may sting for a few seconds but the discomfort is brief and resolves quickly.

Is there any down time?

There is minimal down time with treatment, it typically takes about 20 mins - times can vary depending on number of areas being treated and individual needs. Small lumps at the injection site may remain visible for a few hours post treatment, more noticeably with neck treatments - (A scarf is handy in this instance)

Are there any side effects?

This treatment is relatively unproblematic and well tolerated. Allergy is unlikely, as Profhilo® is free from synthetic chemicals, but there is the possibility of pain, swelling, redness or hard lumps at injection site. Measures are available to manage these situations from massaging the area, applying ice or even the use of an enzyme to dissolve the Profhilo®. Vascular occlusion is extremely unlikely due to the prescribed placement sites of the product, however, it remains a possibility that Profhilo® may inadvertently enter a vessel which can cause damage to surrounding tissue and scarring - in this instance dissolving Profhilo® would be indicated. As the skin barrier is breached during placement, there is always a small risk of infection which may require antibiotics.

Can a treatment be combined with other products and procedures?

Profhilo® treatment can work independently as a treatment on its own or in combination with other cosmetic treatments. It is however advised to have a two week window either side of other cosmetic treatments such as botulinum toxin, microdermabrasion, chemical peels and IPL. Avoid fractional resurfacing and dermal filler four weeks pre and post Profhilo® treatment.

DISCLAIMER: Profhilo® contains low & high molecular weight hyaluronic acid, is a Class lll medical device for the treatment of the face and body for contours, redefinition and laxity remodelling where skin laxity is a problem. Profhilo® has risks and benefits. Do not inject into inflamed areas, intravenously or intramuscularly.

MANUFACTURERS DESCRIPTION: Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is a polysaccharide naturally present in the human body whose primary function is maintaining the correct tissue hydration, thanks to its intrinsic capacity to bind large amounts of water. Hyaluronic acid sodium salt is composed of repeated disaccharide units of N-acetylglucosamine and sodium glucuronate chains, and is a fundamental component of the extracellular matrix in a majority of tissues including the skin. PROFHILO® constitutes a buffered physiological solution of high molecular weight (H-HA) and low molecular weight (L-HA) HA. The HA, at both high and low molecular weights used in the device, is obtained through a biofermentation process without chemical modification and therefore, resulting in excellent tolerability. Furthermore, due to a specific and patented treatment of the solution (NAHYCO® Hybrid Technology), the H-HA and L-HA chains, contained in PROFHILO®, interact with each other providing unique rheological characteristics and thus allowing the administration of higher concentrations of HA without increasing the viscosity. The formulation of HA with different molecular weights contained in PROFHILO® is based on HydroliftR Action. This innovative approach is aimed at counteracting the physiological reduction of HA in the skin, restoring hydration, elasticity and skin tone, by associating, in a synergic way, deep hydration with the mechanical action of lifting the skin. The other components of the product are: sodium chloride, sodium phosphate and water for injectable preparations. INDICATIONS: PROFHILO® acting through a corrective/filling action of natural and induced cutaneous depressions, intervenes: in the physiological process of skin aging, the effects of which include reduced skin hydration, the alteration of elastic fibers and collagen of the dermis, with loss of turgor and skin tone; in the dermal tissue repair process, in cases of scars resulting from superficial cutaneous trauma (e.g. acne and chicken pox scars). The viscoelastic and hydrating properties of HA, combined with the ability to maintain adequate levels of HA in the cutaneous tissues,rehydrate the skin and create optimal conditions for preventing and counteracting the skin aging process while favoring tissue remodelling with a subsequent corrective effect on photo and chrono aging damage and any possible scarring of the skin. HA also plays a role inside the extracellular matrix, creating the physiological conditions for the proliferation, migration and organization of the dermal cellular component. Moreover, the intradermal administration of PROFHILO® and its action at the dermal layer rather than the epidermal layer, allows an optimal quantity of HA to be brought directly to the tissue being treated, in order to counteract the cytotoxic action of free radicals on the fibroblasts and on the adipose compartments below, ensuring the efficacy of preventive and corrective esthetic medicine treatments. The HA used in PROFHILO® is produced through the biosynthesis of a natural substrate without further chemical modification. Therefore, PROFHILO® has excellent biocompatibility and its use in the dermis allows integration with endogenous HA which has been reduced and modified due to the physiological aging process of the skin or following superficial cutaneous trauma. In addition, in vitro studies have been performed to identify incompatibilities and / or interactions between PROFHILO® and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP). The results obtained demonstrate that the PRP does not change the rheological behavior of sodium hyaluronate. PROFHILO® is indicated for treatment of the face and body for contours redefinition and laxity remodeling. However, it is particularly indicated for treatment of the malar-zygomatic, sub-malar, brachial, abdomen and areas affected by skin laxity. An initial cycle of two treatment sessions at 30 day intervals is recommended, followed if necessary by maintenance treatments every 2 months. However, it is suggested to evaluate the specific PROFHILO® protocol according to the patients degree of aging.