Is This The Secret To Glowy Wedding Skin?

Polynucleotides are the go-to treatment for that special glow, says Juliet Herd.

Tried & Tested: Polynucleotides

As the wedding season swings into full gear, you may notice that brides are looking more radiant than ever on their big day. While their joy at getting married undoubtedly accounts for much of their enhanced glow, it can also be attributed to an increasingly popular procedure known as polynucleotides. 

Dubbed the ‘salmon sperm facial’, the treatment is fast becoming a key component of the modern bride-to-be’s pre-wedding beauty regimen, along with Botox, dermal fillers, laser resurfacing and hydrafacials. 

And it’s easy to see why. Using purified DNA fragments extracted from salmon or trout sperm (they most closely mimic our own), this minimally invasive treatment works on a cellular level to rejuvenate and hydrate the skin, stimulating collagen and elastin production by tapping into the body’s natural healing processes.

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The benefits include reduced fine lines and wrinkles, improved skin texture and a reduction in dark under-eye circles or puffiness – a big bugbear for anyone, let alone a bride-to-be. 

Although I have no plans to (re)marry any time soon, I was persuaded to give polynucleotides a go after seeing how bright-eyed some of my daughter’s friends were suddenly looking in the lead up to their special day. 

‘I’ve always had dark bags and hollow eyes, which make me look quite tired,’ says Lucy, who embarked on a skincare regime, including polynucleotide treatment, six months before her destination wedding. ‘I wanted to plump and brighten the area under my eyes, not just for the wedding but to feel good in myself as well. I don’t wear much make up so it’s nice to feel fresher faced without doing anything too invasive.’

Once I’d decided to take the plunge, I headed to Dr Yannis Alexandrides’ renowned 111 Harley St clinic, which is one of just a handful in the UK offering Ameela (originally called Nucleadyn), the latest biostimulator injectable treatment to restore skin firmness and elasticity and protect against cellular damage and free radicals. 

Dr Yannis Alexandrides

‘The core benefit of polynucleotide treatments lies in their ability to stimulate bio-collagen production,’ explains Dr Alexandrides, also the founder of 111 Skin. ‘Collagen is crucial for skin structure and firmness, which diminishes with age, causing laxity, lines and wrinkles. Polynucleotide injections combat these issues by encouraging fibroblasts, the cells responsible for collagen production, to increase activity. 

‘They are particularly effective for treating delicate facial areas, such as the mid-face and under-eye region, which often show early signs of ageing. This bio-stimulation process yields natural-looking results that improve over time, enhancing skin texture and tone while promoting a youthful, radiant complexion.’

Somewhat surprisingly, given my (advanced) age and the supermarket-like availability of Botox and fillers, this is my first experience of injectables. I have no idea what to expect, which, as my practitioner, aesthetic nurse Claudia Brand explains, is probably a good thing. She advises clients not to overthink it as there’s no point going into the procedure feeling fearful. 

She does point out, however, that the treatment is ‘suitable for anyone’ because there are no contraindications when injected. It can be used for the face, neck and décolletage. I was there to tackle my resident eye bags, which I’d carried around with me for years and which no amount of concealer could hide. They made me look perpetually tired and older than I was willing to admit to. 

One look at my face on arrival and Claudia, a former A&E nurse, diagnoses periorbital oedema (accumulation of fluid around the eyes caused by inflammation). In my case, it appears to be hereditary, as my mother bore the same eye baggage. Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers for tear troughs – another popular treatment – won’t work for me, she cautions, explaining that as hyaluronic acid attracts water, it can make the under-eye area look even more puffy. 

She uses blunt-tipped cannulas rather than needles to gently introduce the polynucleotide solution into the skin, minimising the risk of bruising and swelling. ‘They cause less trauma, so there is less risk of bruising,’ she says. ‘You can also get closer to the trough line than if you use needles.’

I feel a sharp sting as the cannula is inserted through a single point in my cheek, followed by mild discomfort as the tube snakes around beneath the dermis. The sensation is undeniably odd, almost like being repeatedly pinched, and the closer it gets to the bone, the more I find myself flinching from the pressure. 

Squeezing the stress ball Claudia has given me helps, and I focus on my breathing while she offers words of encouragement. Mercifully, it’s all over within seconds.

When she hands me a mirror, I can see some slight swelling and redness but nothing that a pair of sunglasses won’t hide when I venture outside. Within just a couple of days, the lumpiness has subsided, and remarkably, there’s no bruising. In contrast, Lucy tells me she experienced redness post-needle delivery as well as bruising that took nearly a week to fully disappear.  

I’m advised not to do any strenuous exercise for at least 48 hours, and to avoid having a facial for a fortnight. Although Claudia tells me it takes about four to six weeks to see real results, I swear my eyes look less pouchy within days. 

The recommended plan is to undergo two treatments two weeks apart with a potential third, if necessary, followed by maintenance sessions every six to 12 months. The longevity of polynucleotides depends on lifestyle choices and individual metabolic rate, meaning how quickly your body will break down the product.

My follow-up treatment ends up taking place two months after the first one due to unforeseen circumstances, by which time my pesky eye bags have started to reclaim their territory. Pleasingly, though, my skin feels more hydrated and firmer, and the texture has noticeably improved. 

A month after the second session, my bags appear less pronounced, and I look less tired in photos – confirmed by my sharp-eyed daughter.

Claudia says I may need to ultimately consider lower blepharoplasty surgery (basically eye bag removal), which involves reshaping the lower eyelids by removing or repositioning excess skin and fat tissue. 

For now, polynucleotides are as invasive as I’m prepared to go – and while I may not be as bright-eyed as bride-to-be Lucy, I’m hoping I’ll still look suitably ‘refreshed’ – in the most natural way possible – come her wedding day in September.

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