Polynucleotides improve the quality of thin under-eye skin, which makes them a gentler option than filler in the most delicate area of the face.
The under-eye is the thinnest skin on the face and the first place tiredness shows. It is also the area where added volume most easily creates a puffy result rather than a rested one, which is why filler is not always the answer even where hollowing exists.
Polynucleotides work differently. They improve the quality of the skin itself: hydration, thickness, resilience and microcirculation. They do not occupy space and they do not change shape.
At Dr Ellie Sateei’s London clinic this is the most requested polynucleotide treatment and the one identified as the strongest opportunity on the whole site. Results vary between individuals and build across a short course.
Polynucleotides are fragments of purified DNA, derived here from salmon, chosen for close compatibility with human tissue. They contain no hyaluronic acid gel.
Introduced beneath the skin they hold water, improving hydration in tissue that has become dry and thin. They support microcirculation, which is part of why the area can look less shadowed afterwards. And they signal to fibroblasts, prompting the skin to build its own collagen and elastin over the following weeks.
Treatment is delivered with a fine cannula wherever possible rather than a needle, which reduces both discomfort and bruising in an area where bruising is common.
What this treatment will not do is worth stating plainly. It will not fill a significant hollow, remove true pigment, or change hereditary shadowing caused by skin translucency. Where hollowing is the dominant cause, filler may be more appropriate. Where pigment is, this is a skincare question.
They are not the right first step where significant volume loss in the tear trough is dominant. They are not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and a fish allergy must be disclosed.
A course of two sessions two to three weeks apart is typical, and some patients benefit from three. Treatment takes around 30 minutes including numbing, and most patients describe pressure rather than sharp pain.
Temporary swelling or light bruising is possible and typically settles within a few days. Most patients return to normal activities the same day.
The area often looks fresher within the first couple of weeks. The meaningful improvement in texture and resilience develops as collagen forms over one to three months. Effects generally last six to nine months, and up to a year alongside good skincare.
“This is the treatment that changed how I approach under-eyes. For years the only option was filler, and filler is wrong for a lot of the patients who ask about this area. Polynucleotides let me improve the skin instead of filling the space, which is what most people actually need. It takes a couple of sessions and a couple of months, and it looks like well-rested skin rather than treated skin.”
Dr Ellie Sateei has over two decades of experience in dermatology and aesthetics.
From £450 for a single session and from £795 for a course of two. Your consultation is £195, deducted from treatment on the day.
They improve shadowing caused by thin skin and poor microcirculation. They do not remove true pigment or hereditary shadowing caused by skin translucency.
Neither is better in general. Where the issue is dehydration, fine lines and thin skin, polynucleotides are usually more appropriate. Where there is genuine volume loss, filler may be.
Usually two, two to three weeks apart, and some patients benefit from three.
Most patients find them comfortable. A cannula is used wherever possible, and the sensation is usually pressure rather than sharp pain.
Six to nine months, and up to around a year alongside good skincare, before a top-up maintains the effect.
Polynucleotides under the eyes are often planned alongside these.
Polynucleotides improve thin, tired under-eye skin without adding volume, which makes them the right answer for many patients who were expecting filler. An assessment will confirm whether skin quality, hollowing, pigment or genetics is what you are seeing. Dr Ellie Sateei sees patients at her London clinic.
Our London clinic is located at 91a New Cavendish Street, London, W1W 6XF
We serve patients from London, Kent and the home counties as well as from all over the world. Our London clinic sits in the heart of Marylebone, within easy reach of the West End by tube, while our Sevenoaks clinic in Ightham is moments from the M25 and M26 for patients across Kent.
