If you’ve noticed the word “polynucleotides” showing up everywhere from your Instagram feed to your friend’s skincare chat, you’re not imagining it. Search interest in the treatment has grown sharply across the UK over the past two years, and it’s easy to see why — this is one of the few genuinely regenerative options in aesthetic medicine, rather than simply another way to add volume.

What are polynucleotides, actually?

Polynucleotides are purified DNA fragments, most commonly derived from salmon or trout, processed to a high standard of biocompatibility with human tissue. That might sound unexpected, but the biological similarity between fish DNA and human DNA has been understood for decades, and polynucleotide-based treatments have a long history in wound healing before finding their place in aesthetic medicine.

Injected into the skin, polynucleotides are designed to support the skin’s own repair and regeneration processes — encouraging the kind of cellular activity involved in collagen and elastin production, hydration, and tissue quality, rather than physically filling a line or a hollow.

How they differ from dermal fillers

This is the distinction that trips most people up. Dermal fillers are structural — they add volume where volume has been lost, most often through hyaluronic acid gel. Polynucleotides work differently: they aim to improve the underlying quality of the skin itself — its texture, elasticity, and hydration — rather than reshaping contours.

In practice, the two are often complementary rather than competing. A patient might use filler to restore structure in one area and polynucleotides to support overall skin quality across the face, under the eyes, or around fine lines. Which approach — or combination — makes sense depends entirely on what’s actually going on with your skin, not on which treatment is trending.

What polynucleotides are typically used for

Patients most commonly ask about polynucleotides for:

• Fine lines and early signs of ageing, particularly around the eyes and mouth
• Under-eye skin quality — hydration, crepiness, and a tired appearance
• General skin texture, tone, and radiance
• Supporting skin recovery after other treatments or as part of a broader skin health plan

Is it right for you?

This is exactly the kind of question that shouldn’t be answered by a blog post — it depends on your skin, your goals, and what else might be contributing to how your skin looks and feels. What we can say honestly: the regenerative approach behind polynucleotides reflects where the evidence in skin health is heading, which is why we’ve built it into how we think about long-term skin care at Clinic Platina, always assessed on an individual basis before any treatment plan is discussed.

If you’re curious whether polynucleotides make sense for your skin, a consultation is the honest place to start — not a trend to follow blind.