Your skin changes in stages after Profhilo, from tidy little bumps on day one to a glow by week two and firmer skin after the second session. Here is what to expect, week by week.
Back at your desk the afternoon after treatment, you catch your reflection in the dark laptop screen. There they are: neat little raised bumps along each cheekbone, five a side. They look deliberate, because they are. Cannelle Skin Clinic in Summertown, Oxford places Profhilo exactly there, and by tomorrow morning they will have melted away.
| Performed by | Course | Back to work | Result lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Mattia Parducci, GMC 7635663 | Two sessions, four weeks apart | Same day | Six to nine months |
What follows is one of the most pleasing slow reveals in aesthetic medicine. Profhilo results arrive in stages over the coming weeks and months, from a first flush of hydration to firmer, brighter skin that holds its glow. Knowing what to expect at each point makes the whole course far more enjoyable.
It also explains why Profhilo keeps appearing in 2026 beauty coverage. The UK conversation has turned towards treatments that encourage the skin’s own collagen rather than add volume. Profhilo sits neatly in that story, because it changes the skin and leaves the shape of your face exactly as it is.
The appointment takes twenty to thirty minutes. Dr Mattia Parducci (GMC 7635663), our Lead Aesthetic Doctor, performs every Profhilo treatment himself. He maps five Bio Aesthetic Points on each side of the face and places a small amount of gel at each. The points are chosen so the gel spreads evenly and sits well clear of blood vessels and nerves.
Those points are why the bumps look so tidy. Profhilo is a free-flowing gel rather than a stiff filler, and it begins to disperse almost as soon as it goes in. Each bump is simply a little reservoir of hyaluronic acid waiting to spread. Most people find they have settled within a day.
The clever part is what the gel is made of. IBSA, the company behind it, patented a heat process in 2015 that combines high and low molecular weight hyaluronic acid without chemical cross-linking agents. The resulting hybrid complexes hold a great deal of water and last longer in the skin than plain hyaluronic acid would.
For the rest of day one, skip make-up, heat and strenuous exercise for twenty four hours. Someone heading to a dinner that evening usually goes bare-faced, with a little redness that has mostly faded by dessert. Dr Mattia and the team talk you through aftercare before you leave and stay on hand afterwards.
By the end of the first week the bumps are a memory and the gel has spread beneath the skin like a fine veil. Hydration is the first thing you notice. Skin feels softer when you cleanse at night, and moisturiser seems to sink in rather than sit on top.
Around the second week the glow starts to show. Light lands more evenly on the cheek, and the dull, flat look of tired skin begins to lift. People who wear foundation often notice it first. By the afternoon, make-up is still sitting smoothly instead of gathering in the fine lines around the eyes.
A clinical study of the same treatment on the neck found that skin hydration had increased one month after the first injection. It is satisfying to see that measured. The numbers match what so many people describe in the mirror at around this point.
Light lands more evenly on the cheek, and the dull, flat look of tired skin begins to lift.
Week three is often the moment someone else notices. A colleague asks whether you have been away, or a friend says you look rested after a hectic month. The skin is visibly plumper across the cheeks, and the faint crepe under the eyes looks smoother when you smile.
Four weeks after the first appointment comes the second, which completes the course. It feels exactly like the first, with the same ten points and the same tidy bumps. You are back to your day just as quickly. This second dose is what gives the skin enough to build on.
Behind the glow, something slower is happening. The hyaluronic acid encourages your skin to produce fresh collagen and elastin, a process known as bio-remodelling. Over the following weeks, skin becomes firmer and more elastic. Early laxity across the lower face, neck or hands looks visibly softened.
The fullest Profhilo results usually show a few weeks after that second session. This is the stage when people describe their skin as bouncy again. A pinch springs back, the jawline looks a touch crisper in side light, and photographs taken by a window look healthier without any obvious change to the face.
The neck and décolletage follow the same rhythm, and they are often where the change feels most rewarding. Crepey skin above a neckline looks smoother and holds the light again, and the backs of the hands lose some of their papery look. Our article on the neck and décolletage explores that area in more depth.
From here the result simply settles in. Profhilo typically lasts six to nine months, depending on your skin and lifestyle. In the neck study, the gain in hydration was still there four months after the first injection. That long, steady glow is what people enjoy through the season.
A single maintenance session once or twice a year keeps the skin at that level. Many people time it with the change of season. Skin is freshly hydrated as the heating goes on in autumn, or as the light gets brighter in spring. One session is usually enough to carry the result forward.
Winter is where Profhilo really earns its place. Central heating, cold wind and short days all pull moisture from the skin, and that is when a dull, tight complexion usually appears. Skin that has been through a Profhilo course keeps its softness through those months, and it photographs well in low December light.
Profhilo works on skin quality, so it pairs beautifully with other treatments. For expression lines across the forehead or around the eyes, anti-wrinkle injections are the right partner. For uneven, rough-feeling skin, our page on textured skin shows what else can join the plan.
It all begins with Dr Mattia looking at your skin in good light and asking what you would like it to do: glow, firm up or both. If another booster would suit you better, he will tell you why. Most people start with two sessions four weeks apart, and your consultation gives the real number for you.
Profhilo starts from £350 a session. The recommended course of two is £650. A course of three suits more advanced dryness, or the face and neck together, and costs £870. For a closer look at pricing, our guide to what Profhilo costs breaks it down.
Patients drive in from Bicester and Woodstock, and a good number walk over from Jericho. Summertown makes an easy base for anyone in Oxfordshire keeping their skin bright through the winter. Everything else sits on the Profhilo treatment page, and the Profhilo prices are listed in full there too.
Book a first appointment at our Summertown clinic and Dr Mattia will look at your skin, plan your course and walk you through every stage of the weeks ahead. Call 01865 537885 or message us on WhatsApp.
These are the questions people ask us most once their first Profhilo session is booked or just behind them. Anything not covered here, Dr Mattia is happy to answer at your appointment.
Hydration is usually the first change, often within a week, and a visible glow tends to follow around the second week. Firmness and elasticity take longer, because they depend on fresh collagen and elastin. The fullest result usually shows a few weeks after the second session, and it keeps improving gently for a while after that.
The small raised bumps at each injection point are the gel waiting to spread, and most people find they settle within a day. A little redness or tenderness can come with them and fades quickly. Skip make-up, heat and strenuous exercise for the first twenty four hours, and your skin is usually back to its usual self by the next morning.
Profhilo is designed as a course. The first session floods the skin with hydration and starts the bio-remodelling process, and the second, four weeks later, gives your skin enough to build lasting firmness and glow. After that, a single maintenance session once or twice a year usually keeps the result where you want it.
Results typically last six to nine months, depending on your skin, your routine and your lifestyle. Many people book a single maintenance session once or twice a year, often around the change of season, to keep their skin hydrated and firm. Dr Mattia plans that rhythm with you once your first course is complete.
Profhilo spreads through the skin rather than sitting in one place, so it improves hydration, firmness and glow without adding volume or altering your features. Friends tend to notice that you look well rather than different. If you would like more shape in the cheeks or jaw, Dr Mattia can talk you through filler as a separate option.
Yes. Profhilo is most often used on the face, and it works beautifully on the neck, décolletage and backs of the hands, where skin tends to look crepey or dehydrated. A course of three can cover the face and neck together. Our article on the neck and décolletage looks at that area in more detail.
Profhilo starts from £350 for a single session. The recommended course of two, four weeks apart, is £650, and a course of three is £870. Dr Mattia confirms the right course for your skin at your first appointment and gives you a clear price before anything begins, so you know exactly what the whole plan costs.
Dr Mattia Parducci, our Lead Aesthetic Doctor (GMC 7635663), performs every Profhilo treatment at Cannelle himself, so you are never handed to a non-medical injector. He maps the injection points, places the gel and reviews your skin as the course goes on. You can read more about the treatment on our Profhilo page.
Our clinic is located in Summertown, Oxford, just north of the city centre in one of Oxford’s most sought-after neighbourhoods. Discreet and easy to reach, we offer a premium setting for bespoke skin, aesthetic and wellness care.
We welcome patients from across Oxford city and Oxfordshire, including Summertown, Headington, Kidlington, Abingdon, Bicester, Witney and the surrounding towns and villages. Whether you’re coming for routine skin-health treatments or specialist aesthetic consultations, our location is well connected and simple to access.
Our clinic, Cannelle Skin Clinic, is just minutes from Oxford city centre and easily reached by car, bus or rail. Oxford’s mainline stations Oxford Station and Oxford Parkway are a short taxi or bus ride away, and regular services link to London, Reading, Didcot, Banbury and beyond.
By car, we’re conveniently accessed via key local routes with nearby parking options; by public transport, frequent bus routes along Banbury Road drop you within a short stroll of the clinic.
Whether you’re travelling from within Oxfordshire, further afield in the UK or internationally, our clinic offers a calm, personalised and professional environment for your visit.
