Fillers Are Out, Fish Sperm Is In.

How do we feel about injecting fish sperm into our face?

Polynucleotides, a derivative of salmon sperm, have become one of the most popular treatments on the aesthetic market. This is not a treatment I would usually be attracted to for obvious reasons, but as it promises collagen boosting benefits that will greatly reduce dark circles under your eyes (a now staple addition to my face) and a major plus – is not a filler so won’t add volume or stick around in the skin, the idea of it did somewhat hook me.

I tried out this new potion with Dr Jenny Doyle from The Holland Park Clinic, who educated me on all the wonders of this treatment. She shared that there are a few different versions out there, derived from either salmon or trout. ‘We know there’s a difference between farmed salmon and wild salmon – the wild Alaskan salmon gives a better amount of stimulation to the skin because the genetics are slightly different.’ she explained, and shared her favourite brand to use is ‘Ameela’ derived from Wild Alaskan Salmon.

The treatment was more painful than I was expecting, but I guess injecting the most sensitive area of your face with a foreign fluid, being fish sperm, discomfort would make sense. I had some swelling and bruising for a couple of days, but a few weeks after the treatment had done its thing and the fish DNA had dissolved into the atma, I did notice my under eyes were seemingly brighter and dark circles much less visible. 

Polynucleotides have become the rival option to filler, but instead of adding volume or showing instant results like filler does with immediate inflation, Polynucleotides, derived from fish DNA work deeper to help repair damaged DNA cells, stimulate collagen and elastin production, and even improve skin hydration. This treatment is designed to go deeper than fillers, and anti-wrinkle injections, with its main purpose to improve the underlying quality of the skin rather than offering a quick fix. Polynucleotides are designed to help change the skin’s structure at a cellular level.

Before polynucleotides, the best options for under-eye skin treatments that addressed, fine lines, dark circles, and under-eye hollowing, aside from surgery, were PRP, microneedling, and fillers. Dr Doyle explained that the results here were often limited, or in some cases risky (hello filler migrations!) “One of the things that can cause darkness under the eyes is a build-up of a pigment called hemosiderin, which leaks out through the blood vessels. This area can have poor lymphatic drainage, so anything where you are going to stimulate more capillary growth can improve this. We get some dramatic improvements from Polynucleotides.”

Apparently so.”It’s not like a filler or anything that will structurally cause problems like lumps down the line. The product is completely gone after a matter of weeks in the tissue, and the effect you’re left with is an improvement in the skin quality”. Dr Doyle shares. Anything that is going to thicken the dermis and increase collagen has got to be great.

As mentioned, it has become particularly popular for those who want to treat the under-eye area, helping to improve the quality of the skin, hollowing, and those dark circles that can be difficult to treat. 

“Most of our patients are perimenopausal women. We know you lose about 30% of your collagen in the first five years of menopause, and as the eyelid skin is an area that’s already thin, it’s one of the first areas that people start to notice the change. It’s great having a super quick injectable treatment that’s safe but delivers results.”

For younger people who genetically have a more concave aspect under their eyes, Dr Doyle explains that yes fillers are an option, but Polynucleotides are safer. “Filler can have its risks. We know with tear-trough filler, you’ve got to be super careful, and have got to undertreat so you don’t end up with asymmetry, or lumpiness. To have something like Polynucleotides where you’re not putting a volumizer in, but are thickening the dermis in a very small, delicate area, you can gently improve some of the concavity in those younger patients.” 

For me, the effects lasted around six months. It took a couple of weeks to see the results, which weren’t hugely drastic, but my dark circles were definitely brightened, and the hydration around my eyes improved. I did two appointments with Dr Doyle two weeks apart – it wasn’t the most pleasant of feelings with the cannula, (a method she advises as it causes less swelling and bruising), but did deliver subtle, natural and welcomed results. I definitely felt I looked like a more rested, vibrant version of myself. I wish it lasted longer!

Dr Doyle also mentioned that anyone who wants filler in the eye area should consider combining this with Polynucleotides “Filler can last up to 40% longer in an area you’ve put Ameela into. For patients who might be a bit nervous about having filler in this difficult area, we normally pre-treat with Ameela and see what improvement we can get with that. Often, if you’ve improved some of the color and maybe a little bit of the concavity, it’s enough to give someone that boost so they don’t need filler. If they have severe concavity, using Polynucleotides in conjunction, means we need less filler overall, and they will need it less often, so it’s a much safer treatment schedule.”

Most people are recommended two to three sessions initially depending on what improvement is desired, and what starting point they’re at. It’s then suggested to follow up every 6 months to keep the results active. Dr. Doyle shared some patients see results up to nine months post-treatment, but on average, around six months is the general consensus.

Of course, this depends on how your body reacts and can also depend on how the treatment is done. If it’s injected with a cannula, you can normally expect any swelling to settle in two days. “If you’re more prone to puffiness and heaviness, swelling might last a little longer, but the product does not stay in the tissue, so there shouldn’t be any long-term side effects.” Dr Doyle shares.

Injecting under the eyes, the most sensitive area on your face with needles is going to hurt, so for me, this part was the worst. As I had mine injected through a cannula I found it more painful as it’s creating a thicker entry hole into the skin. However, this method worked as my swelling didn’t last long (24 hours max), and I had little to no bruising.

If you are considering having treatment under the eyes, or to boost skin collagen on the face, I would say Polynucleotides should be a strong contender. Even if it sounds fishy, this treatment is one to me that actually makes sense – injecting fish DNA that resembles similarities to our human DNA to boost collagen and skin functionality, seems somewhat more logical than injecting an artificial substance that will sit and stagnate over time like a filler. The effects are not overly dramatic, but will definitely offer a subtle and natural enhancement and freshness, and as they don’t last forever there is little risk involved.