Skin Quality Treatments
How boosters, polynucleotides and peels differ, which skin concerns each one is suited to, what a course involves and what you'll pay.
What Can Skin Boosters and Polynucleotides Do, and How Much Are They in Lanark?
Skin boosters and polynucleotides are tiny amounts of injectable product that improve the skin itself, from its hydration and texture to fine, crepey lines, rather than adding volume or altering your features. Most people have a course of two or three sessions a few weeks apart, and the improvement builds slowly. At Lanark Smile Studios a polynucleotide skin session is £200. BabyGlow costs £300 per session or £600 for three, and our under-eye treatment is £145, or £300 for a course of three.
Improving Skin, Not Changing Shape
Most aesthetic treatments for the face alter either shape or movement. Filler builds up the lips or cheeks, while anti-wrinkle injections calm the forehead muscles whose movement creases the skin. Skin treatments have a different aim: making the skin itself look healthier, with better hydration, smoother texture, less crepiness and a more even surface.
No one should see a different face when they look at you afterwards. People are more likely to say you look well rested. So these treatments suit anyone who wants to care for their skin while keeping their features as they are, and they're the wrong choice if you're after lift or added volume.
Polynucleotides
Polynucleotides are strands of DNA, purified to a high standard and generally sourced from salmon or trout, which are injected in small quantities just beneath the skin. They're intended to support the skin's natural repair, so that over time it looks thicker, smoother and more hydrated. People often choose them for thin, crepey skin on the neck and around the eyes, areas where conventional filler can look heavy or puffy.
They haven't been around as long as fillers or anti-wrinkle injections, and the research is still growing. Your dentist will be honest with you about that and won't promise a specific outcome. As the source is fish, please mention any fish allergy before you're treated. A polynucleotide skin session costs £200. 1
Unsure Which Treatment Suits You?
Book a free skin consultation at our Lanark practice.
BabyGlow Skin Boosters
BabyGlow is a skin booster, a light hydrating gel that's placed as lots of tiny droplets across an area rather than concentrated in one place. Because it's spread so thinly, your contours stay the same. What it does is improve moisture and radiance across the skin, which makes it a good choice for skin that looks dry, dull or tired, as a boost before a wedding or holiday, or as regular upkeep.
Most people have it as a course: £300 for a single session or £600 for three. 1 If you're really looking for volume, for instance in hollow cheeks, that calls for a different treatment, which can be planned at the same time.
Treating the Under-Eye Area
Under the eyes, the skin is thinner than anywhere else on the face, and it's often the first place tiredness shows. The under-eye and dark circles treatment we offer works on that thin, crepey skin with injectables designed for skin quality, softening its texture and the shadows it casts. It costs £145 per session, or £300 for a course of three. 1
It's important to know its limits. If the groove under the eye has deepened into a real hollow, that's lost volume, and tear trough filler (£300) may suit you better. Dark circles that come from genetics, allergies or lack of sleep may only partly improve. Your dentist will assess what's behind yours and tell you frankly which approach, if any, is likely to work.
Chemical Peels, Without Needles
Rather than being injected, a peel is applied to the surface of the skin. It removes dull outer cells, which brightens the complexion and can help with patchy tone and rough texture. Our Radiance chemical peel costs £130. 1 It's an option if you'd like fresher-looking skin without injections, and it can be combined with boosters as part of a longer skin plan.
After a lighter peel, you can expect some pinkness and fine flaking for a few days. The skin becomes more sun-sensitive afterwards, so wear SPF every day, and we'd generally avoid a peel right before a summer holiday. Peels act only on the surface. They won't soften expression lines or restore lost volume.
Which Treatment for Which Concern
| Your concern | Treatment often discussed | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Dry, dull-looking skin | BabyGlow | £300, or £600 for a course of three |
| Thin skin, fine lines, crepey texture | Polynucleotides | £200 |
| Crepey skin and shadows under the eyes | Under-eye and dark circles treatment | £145, or £300 for a course of three |
| Uneven tone, rough surface | Radiance chemical peel | £130 |
| Hollowing beneath the eyes | Tear trough filler | £300 |
| Crow's feet and frown lines | Anti-wrinkle injections | Two areas from £200 |
Use this as a general guide only. 1 Concerns often overlap, and the right plan, which may combine treatments, is agreed once your dentist has seen your skin in person. The consultation is free; you book it with a £20 deposit, which is returned to you within a week of the appointment. Please give us at least 48 hours' notice if you need to cancel or move your appointment. We only hold on to the deposit if you don't attend and haven't let us know. Every aesthetics fee is on our facial aesthetics page.
What a Course Looks Like
A typical course is two or three sessions spaced a few weeks apart. Unlike filler, nothing changes shape on the day. Instead, each session nudges hydration and texture along over the following weeks, so the benefit adds up visit by visit. For that reason, BabyGlow and the under-eye treatment are offered as courses of three, which also work out cheaper than paying for each session separately.
Judge the result once the course is finished, not after the first appointment. At your review, your dentist will go through before and after photos with you and say whether the odd maintenance session might help hold the improvement. Everyone's skin responds in its own way, and results vary. 2
Recovery and Risks
Small bumps and redness where the injections went in are normal and generally settle within a day or two. Bruising is possible, especially under the eyes, so allow a few days before any special occasion. Numbing cream is applied first. For the next 24 hours, avoid hard exercise, saunas and alcohol, and don't rub the treated area unless we've told you to.
Less common complications include infection, an allergic reaction (fish-derived polynucleotides included), or swelling and bruising that take longer to go down. Your dentist will explain the risks of your specific treatment before you go ahead. If anything concerns you afterwards, ring the practice on 01555 662441.
Who Can Have Treatment
Treatment is for adults of 18 or older who are in good general health. We postpone treatment during pregnancy or breastfeeding, while there's an active skin infection or cold sore, or if a medical condition or medication makes it inadvisable. Your medical history is taken face to face before anything is planned. Some of these products are prescription-only and can only be prescribed after that in-person assessment.
If expression lines or lost volume bother you most, your dentist can talk you through filler or anti-wrinkle options, and our lip filler guide deals with the lips. You'll find us at 72 High Street, Lanark, and we see patients from across Clydesdale. You can book online or phone 01555 662441.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.