The Short Version
Dermal filler is a cohesive hyaluronic acid gel that stays where it is placed. It creates structural volume — plumping lips, projecting cheeks, sharpening jawlines, filling grooves. Results are immediate and last 9–18 months.
Profhilo is an injectable hyaluronic acid bioremodeller that spreads through tissue rather than staying put. It does not create volume — instead it biologically stimulates your own collagen, elastin, and HA production. Results build over 8 weeks and last approximately 6 months, improving skin quality rather than shape.
Both are HA. Both are injected. That’s where the similarity ends.
Side by Side
| Dermal Filler | Profhilo | |
|---|---|---|
| Active ingredient | Cross-linked HA gel | Thermally cross-linked HA (high + low molecular weight hybrid) |
| Effect | Structural volume | Skin quality improvement |
| Stays put or spreads | Stays at injection site | Spreads laterally through tissue |
| Number of injections | Typically 1–6 per area | 10 total (5 BAP points per side) |
| Visible immediately | Yes | No — builds over 8 weeks |
| Duration | 9–18 months | ~6 months |
| Treats | Volume loss, feature definition, grooves | Dullness, crepiness, mild laxity, dehydration |
| Typical protocol | One-off treatment per area | Course of 2, 4 weeks apart; repeat twice yearly |
| Price range (per session) | £350–£800+ | £550 (2-session starter course) |
When Filler Is the Right Answer
- Volume loss in cheeks, temples, under-eye, or pre-jowl
- Definition desired in lips, chin, or jawline
- Specific grooves (marionette lines, deep nasolabial folds, tear troughs)
- Feature refinement (asymmetric lip, under-projected chin)
When Profhilo Is the Right Answer
- Dull, tired skin with intact underlying volume
- Dehydration and crepiness around the eyes, mouth, or jawline
- Mild early laxity where surgical intervention is not yet warranted
- Preventative maintenance in patients with otherwise healthy skin
- Adjunct to filler to improve the canvas before or alongside structural work
When You Need Both
Most patients over 40 benefit from both, sequenced correctly:
- Weeks 0 and 4: Profhilo starter course
- Week 6–8: Filler placed into priority structural areas (typically cheeks and jawline)
- Month 6: Profhilo maintenance
- Month 12: Filler top-up + Profhilo maintenance
This rhythm maintains structure and skin quality together, and the total annual cost is often less than “all filler, chasing volume”.
A Common Mistake to Avoid
Using filler in place of Profhilo — trying to solve a skin quality problem (dullness, crepiness, dehydration) with structural volume. This typically produces an overfilled, over-projected face that still has the same underlying skin problem. Filler cannot fix dull skin.
Another Common Mistake
Using Profhilo in place of filler — expecting Profhilo alone to restore volume that has been lost. Profhilo improves the quality of the skin envelope but does not replace the volume underneath. A hollow mid-face is not a Profhilo problem.
Bottom Line
Different tools for different jobs. Confusing the two is the most common expensive mistake in injectable aesthetics. The consultation should start with the problem, then choose the tool — not the other way around.
