Salmon DNA polynucleotides: what they are and why aesthetics is hooked

TL;DR

• Salmon DNA polynucleotides (also called PDRN or PN) are purified DNA fragments, usually from salmon or trout, that switch on the skin’s own repair pathways rather than adding volume.
• They work mainly through the adenosine A2A receptor, which activates fibroblasts, supports collagen production and calms inflammation.
• Most patients need 2 to 4 sessions, 2 to 3 weeks apart, with a top-up roughly every 6 months to maintain the effect.
• They are not a substitute for dermal filler: polynucleotides improve skin quality and texture, they do not add structural volume.
• Side effects are usually mild and short-lived (small bumps, brief redness or bruising); pregnancy, breastfeeding and recent filler in the same area are the main reasons a clinic will decline treatment.

Salmon DNA polynucleotide treatment only arrived in UK clinics a few years ago, and demand has not slowed down since. Ask a clinic that offers salmon DNA polynucleotide injections and skin boosters, and they will tell you the same thing: this is one of the fastest-growing bookings on the skin menu. This guide sets out what the injection actually contains, what the evidence says it does inside the skin, how it differs from Profhilo and Sunekos, and what a realistic course looks like.

What are salmon DNA polynucleotides?

Salmon DNA polynucleotides are purified, fragmented strands of DNA extracted from salmon or trout germ cells, injected into the skin to trigger repair rather than to add volume. The fish-derived DNA is structurally similar enough to human DNA for our cells to recognise and respond to it, but foreign enough that the risk of disease transmission is considered negligible once it has been through the purification process.

The terminology can be confusing, and it is worth untangling before going further. “PDRN” (polydeoxyribonucleotide) refers to a specific, highly purified extraction method that strips out almost all protein, leaving mostly DNA fragments of a defined length. “PN” (polynucleotide) is the broader term covering similar DNA-fragment products, which can vary slightly in purification method and fragment size depending on the manufacturer. Both are drawn from the same biological family of regenerative, DNA-based injectables, and in everyday clinic conversation the two terms are often used interchangeably.

How do polynucleotides actually work on skin?

Polynucleotides work mainly by switching on a receptor called adenosine A2A, which tells fibroblasts, the cells that build collagen, to get moving, while also calming inflammation and supporting blood supply to the treated area. This is a fundamentally different mechanism from a hyaluronic acid filler, which physically occupies space under the skin.

Once injected, the DNA fragments act as a temporary hydrophilic scaffold, holding water in the tissue and giving fibroblasts a supportive structure to work within. Activating the A2A pathway has knock-on effects: it increases angiogenesis (new small blood vessel formation), it nudges the immune system’s macrophages toward a repair-focused state rather than an inflammatory one, and it supports fresh collagen type I and III synthesis in the weeks that follow. The result is skin that behaves as though it has been given a gentle, repeated nudge to repair and remodel itself, rather than skin that has simply been plumped from the outside.

Why has aesthetics become so interested in polynucleotides?

Polynucleotides are not new science; they were used in orthopaedics and wound care for years before aesthetics caught on. What is new is the speed at which clinics have adopted them for skin quality work over the past few years, largely following patterns that first took hold in South Korea before spreading through Europe and the UK.

Part of the appeal is where polynucleotides sit on the treatment ladder. They are gentler and more regenerative than a dermal filler, but do more for tissue quality than a topical serum ever could. A nationwide survey of Korean dermatologists found polynucleotide injections had become routine in real-world scar prevention and management, not just a niche add-on, and expert consensus reviews in aesthetic medicine have followed the same trajectory: broader adoption, wider indications, and a steadily growing evidence base behind the clinical enthusiasm.

What can polynucleotide treatment help with?

Polynucleotides are generally used for skin quality problems rather than structural ones: thin, crepey or sun-damaged skin, fine lines, mild loss of elasticity, visible redness, and the fragile skin under the eyes. They are not the right tool for volume loss, deep folds or reshaping a feature.

The clinical picture for each use case looks slightly different. For general facial redness, a combined polynucleotide and hyaluronic acid protocol reduced visible erythema and helped stabilise reactive skin. For the delicate under-eye area, a real-world study of periorbital hyperpigmentation found that polynucleotides worked well on dark circles caused by thin, crepey skin, but not on dark circles caused by shadowing from hollowed-out volume, which is a filler problem rather than a skin-quality problem. At CoLaz, general facial and neck skin quality is treated with the standard salmon DNA polynucleotide protocol, while the specific under-eye concern has its own dedicated Lumi Eyes formulation and injection plan.

Salmon DNA polynucleotide vs Profhilo vs Sunekos: what’s the difference?

The three sit on the same “skin booster” shelf, but they are chemically different products with different jobs. Polynucleotide is DNA-fragment based and works mainly through regeneration and calming inflammation. Profhilo is pure stabilised hyaluronic acid, built for hydration and gradual bio-remodelling rather than repair signalling. Sunekos combines hyaluronic acid with amino acids, giving skin both the building blocks and the water needed to support new collagen and elastin at the same time.

	Salmon DNA polynucleotide	Profhilo	Sunekos
Main mechanism	DNA fragments activate fibroblasts, reduce inflammation	Pure hyaluronic acid, hydration and bio-remodelling	Hyaluronic acid plus amino acids for collagen and elastin
Best suited to	Skin quality, redness, under-eye texture, mild sun damage	General hydration, tone and elasticity	Early ageing, crepey texture, prevention
Typical course	2 to 4 sessions, 2 to 3 weeks apart	2 sessions, 4 weeks apart	3 to 4 sessions, 1 to 2 weeks apart
Price anchor at CoLaz	From £179	From £225	From £250

None of the three is a “better” or “worse” version of the others. The right choice depends on what is actually wrong with the skin, which is why this is a consultation decision, not a pick-from-a-menu one.

What does a polynucleotide course look like at CoLaz?

Every new patient and every new treatment at CoLaz starts with a free consultation, where we take medical history, current skincare, allergies and medication, treatment goals and contraindications before anything is booked. Because this is an injectable rather than a laser, IPL or energy-device treatment, it does not require the 48-hour patch test we use for those technologies. Instead, the consultation itself is where we screen for the reasons we might say no.

Once we have agreed a plan, it is written down before you leave, covering the number of sessions, the spacing, and the price per session, so there is no pressure to commit to a course on day one. A single salmon DNA polynucleotide session starts from £179, runs for around 30 minutes, and most patients need 2 to 4 sessions, spaced 2 to 3 weeks apart, with a maintenance session roughly every 6 months to keep the effect going.

What results should you realistically expect, and how long do they last?

Most patients notice smoother, better hydrated skin from around 3 to 4 weeks after the first session, with the fuller effect building over 6 to 8 weeks as new collagen forms. This is a gradual result, not an overnight one, which is consistent with how the treatment works: it takes time for fibroblasts to lay down new collagen after the A2A pathway is activated.

Duration varies between patients, but a systematic review of the aesthetic evidence points to results typically holding for around 6 months before the effect starts to fade, which lines up with why most clinics, including CoLaz, plan a top-up session on that rough cycle. Skipping maintenance does not undo the improvement made during the course, but it does mean the skin gradually drifts back toward its pre-treatment baseline over the following months.

Are polynucleotides safe, and who should not have them?

The safety profile of polynucleotide injections is generally favourable. The most common reactions are small injection-site bumps, mild redness or bruising in the first 24 to 72 hours, all of which settle on their own. A long-term safety review of periocular polynucleotide use found the treatment well tolerated over repeated sessions, with rare adverse events limited mostly to occasional localised lumps.

That does not mean it is right for everyone. At CoLaz, we do not treat pregnant or breastfeeding patients with salmon DNA polynucleotide or Lumi Eyes, and we will delay treatment if there is an active skin infection in the area or if you have had dermal filler in the same spot recently. These are exactly the same categories of caution we apply across every injectable on our menu, and they are covered at the consultation before anything is booked, not discovered afterwards.

Is a salmon DNA polynucleotide treatment right for you?

Polynucleotides are a genuinely useful tool for skin quality, redness and under-eye texture, provided the goal matches what the science actually supports. They are not the answer for volume loss, and any clinic suggesting otherwise is stretching what the evidence shows.

Because this is still a relatively new category in UK aesthetics, it is worth checking who is actually giving you the injection. Bodies such as the JCCP and Save Face let patients verify a practitioner’s registration and training before booking anywhere, which is a sensible five minutes for any injectable treatment, not just this one.

If you are weighing up polynucleotides against Profhilo, Sunekos or Lumi Eyes for your own skin, the free consultation is where that gets sorted properly, with a written plan you can take away and think about before you decide.