Polynucleotide Injection

What is it?

In Turkish this treatment is widely known by the everyday name "gençlik aşısı" (literally "youth jab"); what it describes is the delivery of products containing polynucleotides into the skin. It is also commonly called "salmon DNA", because the polynucleotides used are of salmon origin.

The most useful sentence on this page comes first: this is not a filler. A considerable share of patients come with a complaint of volume loss or lines and ask for this treatment; these are two different problems, and confusing them is a known cause of dissatisfaction.

The treatment is carried out by delivering a product containing polynucleotides in small amounts into the layer of the skin close to the surface. The aim is not to add volume to the area but to support the skin's capacity to hold moisture and the quality of the tissue. In practice this distinction means the following: after treatment the aim is for the skin to look more hydrated, livelier and more even in texture; the aim is not for a hollow to be filled, a line to be defined or lost volume to return. The result does not appear immediately. In the first days, temporary blebs and redness may be seen at the injection points; these are due to the fluid delivered and pass within a short time. The expected change develops gradually over sessions spaced apart. For this reason it is not right to judge on the basis of a single session, and it is not realistic to reach a verdict on the result before the series of sessions is complete.

Why Does the Difference from Filler Matter?

Hyaluronic acid fillers create volume where they are placed; they fill a hollow, define a line or give an area projection. This treatment has no such aim. It works on the quality of the skin itself, and when you look at it, its effect appears not as a measurable volume but as a change in the appearance of the tissue. Not knowing this difference leads to two wrong expectations. The first is a person with volume loss having this treatment and finding the result insufficient — because what they were aiming for is not what this treatment addresses in the first place. The second is a person with a skin-quality problem having filler and finding that the appearance of the tissue does not improve. The two treatments are not alternatives to each other; in some people both are planned together, in others only one is needed. Which one suits you is decided by looking at whether your complaint relates to volume or to tissue quality.

1. Distinguishing: it is established whether the complaint relates to volume loss or to skin quality.
2. Treatment: the product is delivered in small amounts into the layer of the skin close to the surface.
3. Early period: there may be temporary blebs and redness at the injection points.
4. Session schedule: the change develops gradually over sessions spaced apart.

Treatment Areas

• Facial skin — tissue quality and hydration balance
• Skin around the eyes — support for thin skin
• Neck and décolletage — skin quality
• Back of the hands — skin texture
• Not possible: correcting volume loss
• Not possible: filling lines, defining contours, adding projection

Procedure Steps

1. Assessment

   Whether the complaint relates to volume or to tissue quality is distinguished. If what you expect is the correction of volume loss, you are told at this stage that this treatment will not take you there.

2. Medical history

   You are asked about any history of allergy, the medicines you take, pregnancy or breastfeeding, and active infection in the treatment area.

3. Preparation

   The area is cleaned with antiseptic; a topical anaesthetic is applied if needed.

4. Treatment

   The product is distributed in small amounts into the layer close to the surface. The procedure is short.

5. Session plan

   Sessions spaced apart are planned. The result is assessed over the course of the series; no decision is made on the basis of a single session.

Duration and Longevity

This treatment does not produce a permanent result. The effect on the skin's tissue quality is maintained for a while after the series of sessions is complete and fades over time; if you want to maintain it, repeat treatment at certain intervals is needed. How many sessions are needed, the intervals between them and how long the effect lasts vary with the person and the condition of the skin.

Who is it suitable for?

• Adults aged 18 and over
• People looking for support for skin quality, hydration balance and the appearance of the tissue
• People with no expectation of volume who are aiming for a tissue-focused change
• People who can continue with a process made up of sessions
• People who accept a gradual and limited change

Who is it not suitable for?

• People who want to correct volume loss — this treatment does not add volume
• People who want lines filled or contours defined
• People who expect a clear result from a single session
• People with an active skin infection in the treatment area
• Pregnant and breastfeeding people, and people with a known hypersensitivity to the product used
• People with a serious allergy to fish or seafood: the polynucleotides used are of salmon origin; this must be reported before treatment.

Aftercare

• Do not apply make-up to the treated area in the first hours.
• The blebs at the injection points pass within a short time; do not massage the area.
• Avoid strenuous exercise, saunas and Turkish baths on the first day.
• Keep using sunscreen.
• Keep to the intervals between sessions; irregular sessions reduce the benefit expected from the process.
• If you notice any sign of an allergic reaction such as widespread redness, itching, swelling or shortness of breath, seek medical care immediately.

Possible Side Effects

• Temporary blebs, redness and tenderness at the injection points
• Small bruises
• Short-lived swelling
• A feeling of tightness lasting a few hours after treatment
• Rare: an allergic reaction to the product used. In people with a fish or seafood allergy this possibility is assessed separately.

Frequently Asked Questions