I allowed a doctor to inject salmon sperm DNA into my skin. You read that right. As a beauty journalist for over five years, I’ve tried countless skincare products, ingredients and treatments, but I’ve been a virgin to injectable skincare until now. While at first glance (and with the help of concealer) my skin may look diamond-cut glassy, like many and most women of colour out there, I still struggle with hyperpigmentation and with uneven skin tone, so I will try just about anything (emphasis on the just) to combat it.
I discovered injectable polynucleotides as I was doing my monthly intense research into pigmentation treatments. As grotesque as it may sound, it was the salmon sperm hook that grabbed my attention, as I’m sure it has yours. I had questions. Firstly, why? Also is this an ethical practice? But after some more research, I learned that “salmon sperm injections” – otherwise known as Polynucleotides injections – are simply fragments of DNA which are extracted from fish, usually trout or salmon sperm since it’s easier to obtain and it’s very similar to our own human DNA.
The polynucleotides in these injections tell your skin tissue to ‘behave’ better – ie to be healthier, stronger, and more youthful. The treatment is not as invasive as the likes of blood facials or a deep chemical peel, plus the fact that it gave minimal downtime had me sold. “It’s different from filler. It won’t add volume, change the shape and won’t be sitting there for a prolonged period of time,” explains aesthetic physician Dr Thivos Sokratous. “Polynucleotides will get absorbed by the skin within a few hours or days and it will regenerate the tissue there.”
Although the procedure has many high-profile fans, including the likes of Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Aniston, it did take some convincing to give myself the go ahead. I’ve always been quite conservative when it comes to tweakments and injectables and believed that they are a gateway to face dysmorphia, but I was down to sit with an expert in a clinic that I trusted to take my love for skincare to the next level.
I opted to carry my treatment at Ouronyx Clinic where I feel in safe hands. My anxiety lifted off quite early on as the team made me feel really comfortable. After being greeted at reception, I was sent to a brightly lit make-up area. There, my make-up was removed and a 3D scan of my face was taken using a vintage Polaroid-looking device – the Quantificare LifeViz. This evaluated my morphology by capturing three photos that are automatically stitched together to create a 3D reconstruction of my face to give us an in-depth skin quality analysis to assess the volume of: wrinkles, pores, oiliness, evenness, vascularisation and pigmentation.
I can’t say that I enjoyed seeing my face that upclose but I did learn that although I don’t suffer from signs of ageing just yet. The scan did however reveal mild sensitivity and compromised skin barrier, particularly around the middle of the cheeks and the upper forehead. Polynucleotides treatment is especially effective here, as it aids in repairing and reinforcing the skin barrier. The scan also revealed slight fat volume loss beneath the skin in the under-eye area, making me a good candidate for the treatment. “The main benefits of polynucleotides is producing more collagen into the skin and more elastin, to improve firmness of the skin. It also removes oxidative stresses from pollution and our diets from the skin,” Dr Sokratous says.
The part that really got me, however, was how it “helps our melanocytes (the pigment producing cells) to not overwork and to work more efficiently in a physiological way to reduce the overproduction of melanin and therefore balance out pigmentation,” he continued. “People often get under eye pigmentation due to volume loss, actual pigmentation or translucent skin, and polynucleotides help address all of these concerns to a degree. It improves the lymphatic circulation of the skin, so the skin gets thicker, stronger, and less translucent.”
Then the consultation followed and I grilled Dr Sokratous. My first question: “Can this kill me?” Short answer, no. If done by a professional, there is no reason this procedure should cause you any health issues. “Polynucleotides have no risk of migration and long-term puffiness unlike fillers. As far as dangers, we would probably avoid the treatment on patients with shellfish allergies and immune and anaphylactic type allergies (particularly with salmon). For intolerances, we would at the very least do a patch test into the skin to measure any reactivity.”
After being reassured and finally feeling excited about it, Dr Sokratous applied some numbing cream (which is not compulsory) to my face. Then it was one injection with a cannula below each eye and we were done. The whole procedure was probably over in under five minutes. Pain levels were minimal, like a hard pinch. I then proceeded to get my hypoallergenic make-up done by the in-house MUA. Before I left I booked my follow-up session – in order to see real results they recommend a course of three treatments about three to four weeks apart and that will usually last around six months. However, you’d only need an individual one off treatment every four to six months after that.
The treatment gave me an immediate plumpness around the hollows of my eyes due to the mild swelling around the eye area. Although downtime is minimal to none, this puffiness can last up to 12 hours. I have dark skin so I don’t really experience redness, but that is also a side effect to consider. I’m told that the occurring redness is pretty inoffensive though; aftercare is also not too disruptive. The recommendation is to avoid exercise, excessive sun exposure, swimming pools, steam rooms, and active skincare like retinoids for 24 hours.
Post-treatment my skin felt plumper, my complexion more even, my pigmentation less conspicuous and my make-up (specially under the eyes) sat pretty. The magic is the improvement of the quality of my skin. Until now, I was yet to have a facial that I’ve found transformative (outside of the 24 hours post glow), and unlike other facials, the results got better as days went by.
These Polynucleotide injections definitely exceeded my expectations. If the results are this effective now, I can only imagine what it would be like if I keep up the maintenance, but I don’t know if I could justify the price point. At £950 (for two treatments) this is not accessible for all, and since it’s neither a preventative treatment nor can it offer miracles for long-term damage, it almost requires the ‘perfect candidate’ to justify the expense. Anyone considering this should talk through their practitioner and manage expectations.
