Polynucleotides in Abu Dhabi

Polynucleotides in Abu Dhabi are an injectable skin treatment that stimulates your skin’s own repair mechanisms at the cellular level, producing genuine tissue regeneration rather than a temporary filler effect. Also known as PDRN, salmon DNA, or Rejuran, polynucleotide treatments use highly purified chains of nucleic acids derived from salmon milt to trigger fibroblast activity, accelerate tissue repair, and improve skin quality from within. At House of Skincare on Yas Island, polynucleotide therapy is performed by Dr. Khadija Al Zaabi, DOH-licensed Consultant Dermatologist with over 21 years of clinical experience, as part of a physician-directed skin quality programme.

Polynucleotides represent a different category of injectable to dermal filler or skin boosters. They do not add volume. They do not fill lines. What they do is communicate with the cells responsible for producing the structural proteins that make skin look young, instructing those cells to regenerate rather than accumulate damage. The result is a progressive improvement in skin quality over a course of sessions, with results that compound over time rather than simply masking the problem.

Why House of Skincare for Polynucleotides?

Dr. Al Zaabi selects polynucleotide products based on clinical evidence and product purity. The most established product used at House of Skincare is Rejuran, a PDRN-based injectable developed in South Korea and validated in clinical trials for skin quality improvement, fine line reduction, and wound healing. Treatment is performed personally by Dr. Al Zaabi, not delegated to support staff. The injection technique, depth, and distribution pattern are physician decisions made based on your skin’s specific presentation at each session.

House of Skincare holds a 4.9-star patient rating. The DOH licence confirms practice within Abu Dhabi’s regulatory framework. Polynucleotides are a treatment that rewards proper injection technique and clinical knowledge. Getting the depth and placement right determines whether the tissue response is optimal.

What Are Polynucleotides?

Polynucleotides are long-chain fragments of DNA and RNA derived from highly purified salmon or trout milt. Despite their origin, the processing removes all proteins and allergens, leaving only the nucleotide polymer chains. These chains are biocompatible with human tissue because the building blocks of DNA are conserved across vertebrate species. The human immune system does not recognise them as foreign.

When injected into the dermis, polynucleotide fragments activate purinergic receptors on fibroblasts, the cells responsible for producing collagen, elastin, and the extracellular matrix. Activation of these receptors stimulates fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis. At the same time, polynucleotides have a documented anti-inflammatory effect, reducing the chronic low-grade inflammation in the dermis that contributes to skin ageing. The net effect is a skin that becomes progressively denser, more hydrated, and better organised at the cellular level with each treatment.

PDRN (polydeoxyribonucleotide) and PN (polynucleotide) refer to different chain lengths of the same class of molecule. Both are in clinical use. Rejuran is the most clinically studied brand. Dr. Al Zaabi selects the appropriate product based on your skin concern and the treatment area.

What Does Polynucleotide Treatment Address?

Fine lines and skin crepiness: As collagen density in the dermis declines with age, skin loses its structural firmness and fine lines form. Polynucleotides stimulate fibroblast activity to produce new collagen, which progressively thickens and firms the dermal layer. The improvement is most visible in crepey-textured skin and fine lines around the eyes, mouth, and neck.

Skin laxity and thinning: Very thin, fragile skin that has lost density responds well to polynucleotides because the treatment increases both collagen and elastin production. This addresses not just the surface appearance but the structural deficit causing it.

Dehydrated and dull skin: Polynucleotides improve hyaluronic acid synthesis within the dermis, increasing the skin’s intrinsic capacity for water retention. This is different from injecting HA directly. The skin learns to hydrate itself better, which produces a lasting improvement in radiance and plumpness rather than a temporary swelling effect.

Uneven texture and enlarged pores: Improved dermal organisation and increased collagen density over a course of treatment improve skin texture, reduce visible pore size, and smooth uneven surface tone. The effect develops gradually over 4 to 6 sessions.

Acne scarring (atrophic): Polynucleotides support tissue repair and fibroblast regeneration in damaged skin. For shallow atrophic acne scars, repeated treatment thickens and remodels the dermis beneath the scar, improving the depth and texture of the scar over time. Deep ice-pick or boxcar scars require additional treatments such as Potenza RF microneedling for optimal results.

Post-inflammatory and sun-damaged skin: The anti-inflammatory properties of polynucleotides reduce the chronic dermal inflammation that drives premature ageing in patients with significant UV history or previous skin conditions. This makes the treatment particularly appropriate for Abu Dhabi patients with years of high sun exposure.

Under-eye hollowing and skin quality: The periorbital area responds well to polynucleotides injected at low depth, improving skin quality, reducing the crepey texture under the eye, and addressing mild dark circles caused by thin skin rather than vascular pooling. This is different from tear trough filler, which addresses volume loss. Both can be used together when both issues are present.

Polynucleotide Products Used at House of Skincare

Rejuran: A polydeoxyribonucleotide injectable developed in South Korea. Rejuran is the most extensively studied PDRN product with published clinical trial data on fine line reduction, skin thickness improvement, and collagen stimulation. It comes in several formulations: Rejuran S for acne scarring, Rejuran I for the periorbital and under-eye area, and Rejuran HB as a skin healer. Dr. Al Zaabi selects the appropriate formulation based on your skin concern.

Nucleofill: A European polynucleotide product with a different molecular weight range. Used where the clinical presentation calls for its specific properties.

Product selection is a clinical decision made at your consultation. Dr. Al Zaabi recommends the product most appropriate for your skin concern and anatomy, not the most expensive option.

How Many Sessions Do You Need?

A standard polynucleotide course consists of 4 to 6 sessions, spaced 2 to 4 weeks apart. The response is cumulative. You may notice improved hydration after the first or second session, but the full structural improvement in collagen density and skin quality becomes apparent 8 to 12 weeks after the final session in the initial course as the fibroblast response fully matures.

Maintenance is recommended every 4 to 6 months after completing the initial course, to sustain the fibroblast stimulation and extend the results. Patients with ongoing UV exposure or significant ageing concerns benefit from two maintenance sessions per year.

The degree of improvement correlates with how depleted your dermal collagen is at the start of treatment and how consistently the full course is completed. Patients in their 30s who use polynucleotides preventatively see strong results. Patients in their 40s and 50s with significant volume loss or deep lines benefit more from combining polynucleotides with a biostimulator such as Profhilo or Sculptra as part of a staged treatment plan.

What to Expect at Your Session

Topical anaesthetic cream is applied to the treatment area and left for 20 to 30 minutes before any injection. The polynucleotide solution is then injected in a grid or linear pattern at mid-dermal depth using a very fine gauge needle. The injection points are closely spaced to ensure uniform distribution across the treatment area.

The session takes 20 to 40 minutes depending on the areas treated. Mild swelling and multiple small injection papules are visible immediately after the session. These resolve within 24 to 48 hours as the solution disperses. Mild bruising is possible, particularly in the periorbital area. Patients can return to normal activities the same day or the following morning.

Before Your Session

Stop blood-thinning supplements (omega-3, aspirin, vitamin E) 5 to 7 days before where medically appropriate.
Avoid alcohol for 24 hours before.
Arrive with a clean face, no makeup.
Inform the clinic if you have a known fish or seafood allergy, as polynucleotides are derived from salmon milt. Dr. Al Zaabi will assess suitability at consultation.

After Your Session

Do not massage or apply firm pressure to injected areas for 24 hours.
Avoid strenuous exercise and saunas for 24 hours.
Apply SPF 50 daily from the morning after treatment.
Small raised papules at injection points are normal and resolve within 24 to 48 hours. Do not attempt to drain or press them.
Resume your normal skincare routine from day 2 post-treatment.

Alternative and Related Treatments

Profhilo: Profhilo uses ultra-high-concentration non-crosslinked hyaluronic acid to remodel tissue and improve skin quality. It is the appropriate choice when the primary goal is rapid, visible hydration and laxity improvement. Polynucleotides and Profhilo are frequently combined in a staged programme at House of Skincare, with each treatment addressing different aspects of skin quality decline.

Sculptra: For patients with significant, diffuse facial volume loss, Sculptra stimulates collagen through a poly-L-lactic acid mechanism over a longer time frame of 3 to 6 months. It treats broad volume deficit rather than the surface skin quality issues that polynucleotides address. The two are complementary in advanced facial ageing.

Potenza RF Microneedling: For acne scarring, Potenza RF microneedling delivers radiofrequency energy into the dermis to remodel scar tissue and stimulate collagen production at depth. It is more aggressive than polynucleotides for established scars and is often used together with PDRN in a combined scar revision protocol at House of Skincare.