Belotero Revive is also used in Asia where patients tend to favor glassy, dewy effects from injectables, notes Dr. Kim: “There are different ways to get [the look of glass skin]: In Korea, there are over-the-counter ways—a lot of exfoliation, hydrafacials, creams for a slightly better glow—but honestly, the best way is a medical dermatology procedure.”
Polynucleotide Injectables—a Fancy Name for DNA Derived From Fish Semen
Where you’ll find it: Australia
This injectable is sourced from… fish semen? Stay with us here—your eyes are not playing tricks on you. Polynucleotides are derived from fish DNA. They’re not derived from just any fish DNA, though; it’s something called milt, which is actually fish semen, says Dr. Kim. (In this case, trout or salmon semen.)
Studies have shown polynucleotides to be beneficial for wound healing as it supports tissue regeneration and stimulates collagen production. For the skin, “early in vivo studies have shown improvement in skin tone, fine lines, skin elasticity, and hydration,” says Dr. Rohrich. (One study, published in the journal Dermatologic Therapy, found pore and skin thickness were improved in patients in their 30s, while skin tone, wrinkles, and sagging were improved for patients in their 40s.)
Polynucleotide injections go by different brand names, including Pluryal Silk and Nucleofill, and they come in different forms, says Dr. Kim. There’s a liquidy version that could be used as a skin booster, and another in which the polynucleotide is mixed with hyaluronic acid, which could be the most promising version. “The hyaluronic has an [almost] immediate effect, and then the polynucleotide does its magic underneath the skin to prompt regeneration over the course of the next couple of weeks,” Dr. Kim explains.
Polynucleotides are a kind of biostimulator, which is a hot topic at the moment, says Dr. Rohrich: “Biostimulators seek to alter the physiologic composition of a patient’s skin and deep facial structures as it pertains to facial rejuvenation.” By stimulating new collagen and helping to regulate fibroblasts (connective tissue builders), “the idea is to obtain longer-lasting results that are facilitated by one’s own body.”
However, given the unconventional formulation, it could be a very long time—if ever—before the FDA approves something like this in the United States. “I don’t know when the FDA is going to ever approve milt-derived chemical compounds for human use in Americans,” Dr. Kim says. And right now injectors in the US aren’t too eager anyway: “I would not consider using polynucleotides until I see more long-term safety and outcome data,” says Dr. Rohrich.
Multiple Injectables in One Syringe—Like Filler Plus Botox
Where you’ll find it: Brazil and Asia
What happens when you take two trends—skin boosters and skin Botox—and combine them into one treatment? You get a custom mix of hyaluronic acid and neuromodulator that “works great for delivering [the look of] dewy, glass skin” by reducing pore size and remoisturizing the skin, says Dr. Kim, adding that it’s a cocktail that doctors in Asia have started blending in their own practices. The combo may be injected using a medical device that delivers shallow injections across the face and neck.