Can polynucleotides perfect your pout? Alice tries Newest in her lips

No one wants ‘trout pout’ lips (and thankfully, aesthetics has rethought its previously overliberal use of filler), but what options are there if you want to perfect your pout, without it looking unnatural? Here’s one exciting option. Dr Priya Verma has been using polynucleotides – the biostimulating injectable you’ve probably heard about for improving skin quality – with non-cross-linked HA for lip rejuvenation. Alice went to see her to find out more and to try the Newest lip treatment for herself…

Why use polynucleotides in the lips?

Polynucleotides are the injectable treatment everyone is talking about right now. For the face and neck, they’re celebrated for their ability to improve the appearance of wrinkles and uneven skin tone (without an unnatural finish) by boosting collagen and elastin production, while also improving hydration.

But, as it turns out, “polynucleotides are actually a very versatile product,” reveals Dr Verma, and they are perfectly suited to the more natural effect we want for our lips, too.

“What we’ve seen over the years is that patients are seeking out a lip treatment that is not like conventional dermal filler,” Dr Verma continues. We’ve all seen poorly done lip filler and lips where it becomes migrated or puffy over time. Instead, what you get with using polynucleotides in the lips is just like for the rest of the face – a lovely regeneration of skin cells without that overfilled appearance. Specifically, we’re boosting fibroblast production, which are the cells that make collagen, so we are achieving a really inside-out approach.”

Are these the ‘salmon sperm injections’ though? 

Yes, we are talking about the treatment colloquially referred to as ‘salmon sperm injections’, but it isn’t as unclean or concerning as it may sound… promise.

“Polynucleotides certainly are derived from the gonads of salmon or trout, but they are highly purified DNA fragments,” highlights Dr Verma. “What happens is they go through a rigorous process whereby they remove all of the proteins and the lipids, so that you get the purest form of polynucleotide.”

What brand of polynucleotides does Dr Verma use?

“I use Plinest polynucleotides – a portfolio of products by Dermafocus,” explains Dr Verma. “The one I’m going to use for Alice’s lips is called Newest, which is a combination of polynucleotides with non-crosslinked hyaluronic acid.”

What results can you get with Newest?

For barcode lines 

“For such a long time, patients have wanted a solution to lip wrinkles, but the problem with conventional fillers for these really delicate fine lines is that, yes, they will erase the wrinkle, but it’s at a cost. And that cost is a puffy upper lip, which often can look a bit worse,” reveals Dr Verma. “Or, you could try using ablative laser technologies to resurface the skin, almost like sandpapering those lines down. But that involves a lot of downtime and can lead to complications in the wrong patient groups.”

That’s where Newest polynucleotide with non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid comes in. “It is really nice because it will soften those lines – perhaps not completely erasing them – without long downtime or giving you that filled appearance,” explains Dr Verma.

For volume 

If you are searching for more lip volume, akin to that you can achieve with filler, then be prepared for something a lot more subtle with polynucleotides.

“We can create a little bit of subtle volume just purely through hydration of the skin, but you won’t get the sort of result you would with a conventional filler,” cautions Dr Verma. Adding a little bit of non-crosslinked HA to polynucleotides, as is the case with the Newest treatment, can help plump with results for about six months, but it is not as crosslinked as filler gel will be, so it will not be as long-lasting.

Alice tries Plinest’s Newest treatment for herself 

In the video below, you can see Alice trying the Newest treatment for the first time (she then went back four weeks later for a second visit to complete the treatment protocol).

“For the perioral region, I like to use a cannula (a blunt-tip needle) because it’s quite delicate and means that it’s less of an injection burden for you,” reveals Dr Verma, who starts by numbing the surrounding nerves. “Then, it is literally one entry point about a centimetre away from the corner of your mouth, where I pass the micro-cannula up through five different areas of your perioral region.”

That includes one little line of liquid polynucleotide close to the nasolabial fold, one just above the upper lip, one in the actual lip itself, one in the lower lip and then one below.

Dr Verma is likely to use the whole two millilitres of liquid in the syringe, injecting the same amount at the same depth on each side for a really nice symmetrical treatment. “That gives us really good coverage of the whole perioral region, giving you a bit of rejuvenation in the area above and below the lip, but also in the body of the lip itself,” Dr Verma continues.

Does the treatment hurt?

Your lips are a sensitive area, so, like with any injectable, numbing is going to be required, but don’t be too worried about the pain.

“With any treatment around the lip area, it’s important to make sure that we make patients comfortable,” notes Dr Verma. “Instead of doing a full dental block, we will do some local anaesthetic injections to infiltrate the area so that the nerves are numbed for the short period of the treatment.”

As demonstrated in the video, your practitioner will also regularly check in with you about how you are feeling throughout the treatment. Alice’s responses of ‘it’s fine’ and ‘I can only just about feel the liquid’ hopefully help show you that you don’t have too much to worry about when it comes to post-numbing discomfort.

What is the downtime like?

Unlike dermal filler injections, which can make your lips swell up quite a lot initially, polynucleotides can help you avoid that, something that surprised even Alice.

“I thought they might make my lips look huge because it takes a while for the stuff to be absorbed, but in fact I’ve had them done already and they look fine,” she reveals. “I feel very awkward talking, but it sounds all right, and you can understand it just about.”

How quickly can you see results?

“Treatments like polynucleotides are not a quick fix – you won’t see instant results with them,” warns Dr Verma. In fact, it may take weeks or months to see the full benefits as they rely on helping your fibroblasts churn out more collagen and elastin, which can take some time.

“Yes, there’s an element of trust in the regenerative process required for these treatments, but there is plenty of evidence supporting the fact that they are effective at improving the function of our skin cells,” Dr Verma continues. “So, over time, if you are consistent with this treatment, then you’re going to see improvements in the firmness of the skin and you won’t see as much laxity.”

At what age should I get the treatment? 

The sooner the better in many respects…

“When you’re younger, your fibroblast cells are a lot more receptive and active, so they turn out collagen more effectively. But as we get older, those cells reduce and become less effective,” explains Dr Verma. “That means it gets harder to wake them up [with biostimulating injections like polynucleotides] as they become more dormant over time. That can mean you might get more bang for your buck when you’re younger.”

Dr Verma would particularly recommend polynucleotide lip injections for the younger patient who has started noticing that the skin is starting to thin and faintly wrinkle around the mouth, because it’s not about filling, but about promoting better skin health.

“In older patients, I think we’ve just got to be very realistic, especially if they haven’t had a treatment before, as if they’ve got deep-set, vertical or barcode lines, this isn’t going to completely erase them. Instead, it is going to be that step in the correct direction of trying to boost collagen production.”

What does Alice really think about the treatment?

I’ve been having injections in my lips for 20 years, so I was feeling perfectly calm about trying these ones – until a colleague who’d just tried the treatment sent me some pictures. “OMG they’re enormous!” she wailed, “I had to wear a mask to cover them!” I made soothing noises about how the fluid in the injections would soon be absorbed, and how it was bound to look odd to her as she’d never had her lips injected before, and she said she knew that, but right now, well, she was going home to hide. “And make sure you get a dental block,” she added, pointing out that a mutual friend who is super-tough when it comes to tweakments had tried to get away without any numbing and had been reduced to tears.

That gave me pause for thought. I don’t usually have numbing before lip injections, but was delighted to find that Dr Priya Verma uses four strategic injections of local anaesthetic before she starts with the Newest jabs. Apart from the fact that there are going to be injections of the product into, above and below the lips, the product itself stings quite a bit. I can vouch for the fact that local anaesthetic makes the whole process a mere 2/10 on the pain scale. Also, it’s amazingly quick, as you can see in the video, and my lips didn’t swell like my friend’s did, so I had no need to hide under a mask on my way home. There’s another reason why my lips didn’t look hugely puffed up – they’re getting on a bit, they’ve lost a fair bit of volume and having 0.4ml of fluid in each lip (the rest of the 2ml in the syringe of Newest is injected above and below the lips to encourage skin-strengthening in that area) made them look, well, definitely on the large side, but definitely better.

The big question is, how do they look now, a month after my second treatment? I like to think that the lip tissues are in better shape than before, maybe a little bit firmer, but I have to say that the result is very subtle. I’m sure the treatment has done the whole area around my mouth some good, but it’s not easy to see it. Dr Verma made the point when we were filming that you get a better result from a treatment like this when you’re younger, when your fibroblasts (the cells that produce the collagen and elastin) are a good deal more feisty and responsive than they are when you’re 62.

Cards on the table, are polynucleotides or filler better for the lips?

It depends on what you’re looking for – which is why having a really good consultation is so important.

“If you want to have bigger, more volumised lips or you want to change the shape of them, then you might be better off doing a lip filler,” explains Dr Verma.”But, if you’re quite happy with the size and shape of your lips, but you want to reduce and offset the ageing process by ensuring that the skin is getting that regenerative benefit through boosted collagen production, then polynucleotides with HA are the way to go. You get a little bit of hydration, improvement in elasticity and improvement in the fine lines.”

Interested in other helpful tips and tricks for getting the most out of your tweakment experiences? Head to The Guide to view our full selection of articles.

This article is written with the support of Dermafocus.