Skinboosters gives your skin a boost – of hydration, brightening, or for skin reparation purpose.
The original clinic-grade Skinboosters are developed by Restylane, a Swedish-based manufacturer of dermal fillers. They were designed to ‘improve hydrobalance’ of our skin by providing long-lasting, intensified hydration from within. Basically, they help our skin to stay moisturized longer!
Hyaluronic acid is capable of holding 1000 times its molecular weight in water. It is also the gold standard ingredient for off the counter skin moisturizers and serums.
Studies have shown that Hyaluronic acid not only helps improves skin hydration. It also:
Skinboosters are placed under the skin with precise injections using an injector device or by manual injections. These small deposits of hyaluronic acid behave like water reservoirs under the skin, absorbing and retaining moisture for long-term lasting hydration. This increase in hydration brightens the skin, resulting in plump, supple, and dewy skin.
Skinboosters also help increase collagen content in our skin! The deposits of skinboosters increase fibroblast activity under the skin, and these fibroblast cells are responsible for collagen production. A Swedish study (2014) reported that intradermal injection of Restylane Skinboosters resulted in increased collagen production and improved skin elasticity.
Let us touch on the most effective skinboosters available and approved in Singapore and how each stands out.
Restylane Vital / Vital Light – The first Skinboosters in the market. These partially cross-linked hyaluronic acid chains contain up to 20mg/ml of hyaluronic acid per syringe!
Cross-linkages represents on how dense the hyaluronic acid chains are in the skinbooster. Imagine each chain having 1000 available space for water molecules to attach themselves to the hyaluronic acid. The more cross-linked the hyaluronic acid is, the less space there is for water molecules to attach themselves to. However, the more cross-linked the hyaluronic acid is, the longer the skinbooster effects last.
Teosyal Redensity I, or RDI, is a Swiss-made skinbooster that is non-cross linked. Each syringe of RDI contains 15mg/ml of hyaluronic acid.
Teosyal RDI’s popularity is because it also contains 3 highly powerful antioxidants, 2 minerals, 1 vitamin and 8 amino acids. The most notable antioxidant from this list is Glutathione, which is also a whitening ingredient. Therefore, Teosyal RDI renders the skin fairer, while providing hydration from within.
Juvederm Volite is the new kid on the block in skinboosters. Juvederm Volite contains 13mg/ml of cross-linked hyaluronic acid per syringe. Juverderm Volite only requires 1 treatment compared to 3 treatments of other skinboosters. This is due to its unique cross-linkage and patented Vycross™ technology by Allergan, which lasts longer. (Allergan is the maker of Botox and Juvederm fillers).
A single treatment of Juvederm Volite is sufficient to boost skin hydration and elasticity for up to 9 months. For those who does not fancy the downtime and injections, Juvederm Volite might just be the answer for you.
Rejuran Healer is made of PolyNucleotides (PNs), which are derived from salmon DNA fragments for a repairing function. The placement of Rejuran Healer is similar to Skinboosters, but slightly more superficially.
Rejuran is essentially a ‘skin healer’. It repairs cellular / DNA damage caused by both external (uv damage, pollution) and internal factors (aging, scarring). Hence, it offers less hydrating benefits.
The polynucleotides in Rejuran Healer work by biologically stimulating the activity of fibroblasts in the skin. Fibroblast activity in Rejuran is more intense compared to other skinboosters, as DNA fragments directly trigger skin cells to self-repair.
Rejuran also works as a free radical scavenger by reducing oxidative damage to our skin. Oxidative damage results from UV sun damage, pollution, stress, and ageing. In conclusion, Rejuran’s results come from its ability to ‘turn back time’ and make our skin cells younger. The younger skin cells directly and indirectly improves skin hydration, skin tightening, brighter. It also gives you younger looking skin by minimizing pore size, and improving skin texture. Read here for more information about Rejuran Healer.
Some patients come in requesting for certain brands of skinboosters due to friends’ recommendations or research. However, the suitability of skinboosters depends not just on patients’ preferences. It is better to decide after a skin examination with our doctor(s).
Here is a breakdown of the different skinbooster brands and which should you consider:
table image copyright mizu aesthetic
Dr. Tan prefers a combination of Rejuran with Hyaluronic acid (either Restylane or Teosyal) for for better results. The combined treatments usually result in brighter, firmer, more hydrated, younger skin with reduced fine lines and pore size.
As for stand-alone skinbooster treatments, Juvederm Volite is definitely one of the go-to products!
Skinbooster treatments are performed by using an injector device or manual injections.
The injector device is not suitable for use with Rejuran or cross-linked hyaluronic acid skinboosters like Juvederm Volite. These Skinboosters are more viscous and will sometimes block the injector device. The injector device also has a higher chance of product leakage / wastage during injection.
Dr. Tan prefers the manual injection as it provides better effects, reduces wastage, and shortens downtime. Manual injections are slightly more uncomfortable, but still tolerable with numbing cream.
Results vary with individuals. A non-cross linked skinbooster usually show results after. 1-2 weeks. Rejuran is a skin healer and results show after 2-3 weeks, as it takes time for cell rejuvenation and repair
We expect a maximum of 2 days’ downtime with some slight bumps. With an injector device, downtime tends to be longer as needle punctures from the device are more forceful and can cause possible bruising.
