How long do polynucleotides last?
6 to 12 months, then maintenance
Polynucleotides are purified DNA fragments injected into the skin to improve its quality rather than add volume, given as a course of three sessions two to four weeks apart, with results building over eight to twelve weeks.
- When you see it
- hydration in 2 weeks, firmness and texture over 8 to 12 weeks
- Downtime
- small raised bumps for a few hours; bruising possible under the eyes
- Sessions
- a course of 3, two to four weeks apart
Why this is a different kind of answer
A regenerative treatment is not a product sitting in your face that gradually disappears. It changes how your own tissue behaves, so the question is less how long the material lasts and more how long the improvement holds before your skin drifts back toward where it started.
That means the result builds after the course rather than peaking on the day, and it fades gradually enough that most people notice it by looking at a photograph rather than in the mirror.
It also means the honest answer includes maintenance. This is a treatment you keep rather than one you finish, and knowing that before the first session is better than discovering it after the third.
What makes it hold
Completing the course. A part-finished course is the most common reason someone concludes a regenerative treatment did not work for them.
Maintenance at the interval agreed rather than when it has visibly gone.
Daily SPF and a routine with a retinoid, which do the same job continuously and cost far less.
Not smoking, and sleeping properly. Both act directly on the repair processes these treatments are trying to recruit.
What works against it
Sun exposure without protection, which undoes the collagen you have just paid to build.
Smoking.
Expecting it to correct a structural problem. If the concern is lost volume or a heavy fold, a skin-quality treatment will not hold because it was never the right treatment.
Sources and further reading
- NHS — Dermal fillers
- British Association of Dermatologists — patient information
- Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners
- Aesthetic Complications Expert Group
This page is general information, not personal medical advice. Every treatment needs an individual assessment, and what is right for someone else may not be right for you.
Common questions
- How long do polynucleotides last?
- 6 to 12 months, then maintenance. Polynucleotides are purified DNA fragments injected into the skin to improve its quality rather than add volume, given as a course of three sessions two to four weeks apart, with results building over eight to twelve weeks.
- When will I see the result of polynucleotides?
- Hydration in 2 weeks, firmness and texture over 8 to 12 weeks. Judging it before then is judging an incomplete result, which is the most common reason people think a treatment has not worked.
- When should I come back for polynucleotides?
- Before it has gone completely rather than after. Treating while some of the result remains needs less product, gives a more predictable outcome and is usually a gentler appointment. If you are unsure, send me a photograph — I would rather tell you to wait.
- Will it come back worse if I stop?
- No. When a treatment wears off you return to your own baseline, not to something worse. What people sometimes notice is that they had become used to the result, so the return to normal registers as a deterioration when it is simply the original.
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Consultations are £30, and that comes off the cost of your treatment if you go ahead. No pressure to book anything on the day — if you are not sure whether you want treatment at all, that is still a good reason to come and talk.