Skin Booster (“Youth Vaccine”)

The skin booster, known in Turkey as the “youth vaccine” (gençlik aşısı), is an effective aesthetic and anti-ageing treatment in which hyaluronic acid, a basic building block of the skin, and supporting ingredients are injected into the middle layer of the skin (dermis). It restores lost hydration, vitality, elasticity and radiance and addresses early signs of ageing such as fine lines and dullness.

The word “vaccine” reflects the idea that the treatment helps protect the skin against the wearing effects of ageing and activates its own repair and renewal mechanisms. It is not a filler: the aim is not to inflate the face or change its shape, but to improve skin quality at a cellular level for healthier, more hydrated and smoother skin. That makes it an ideal starting point for anyone who wants to invest in their skin, slow visible ageing and preserve their natural beauty. At our clinic in Beşiktaş, Istanbul, I believe every skin is as unique as a fingerprint, so each patient receives a personalised protocol.

Thirsty Skin: How Loss of Hydration Relates to Ageing

One of the main secrets of young, plump, smooth skin is good hydration, and the body’s key natural moisturiser is hyaluronic acid. Like a sponge, it can hold up to 1,000 times its own weight in water, acting as a water reservoir in the lower layers of the skin. It adds volume, fills spaces between tissues and keeps the skin smooth, firm and supple, while creating the moist environment cells need to be nourished and to clear waste.

From the late twenties and early thirties, the amount of hyaluronic acid in the skin falls every year. As the reservoir empties, the skin loses radiance and looks duller, paler and tired; it becomes dry and may flake; elasticity falls, since collagen and elastin also need a moist environment to work well; and fine lines, especially dehydration lines around the eyes, on the cheeks and on the décolletage, appear. The skin loses inner fullness and its barrier weakens, making it more vulnerable to pollution, wind and dry air, which can lead to sensitivity, redness and irritation.

City life and dry office environments can speed up this loss. Many patients tell me that however much moisturiser they use, they cannot reach that deep feeling of hydration. Creams and serums act mainly on the upper layers and cannot reach the deeper reservoirs. A skin booster delivers pure hyaluronic acid and other valuable nutrients by injection directly to the depth the skin needs – like watering dry soil deeply.

Skin Booster

“Skin booster” is a general term covering a range of products and protocols based mainly on pure hyaluronic acid that increase the skin’s capacity to hold water, improve its quality and slow the signs of ageing. They are available under different names and formulations, such as IAL-System, Jalupro, H-100 and Aquashine. They are not fillers; their aim is “bio-revitalisation” – improving the skin’s biological health and function – so results look very natural.

The key ingredient is always pure, non-cross-linked or very lightly cross-linked hyaluronic acid, which spreads evenly through the lower layers of the skin rather than forming a mass, hydrating a wide area. Many modern formulations are rich cocktails that also contain:

• Amino acids such as glycine, proline, lysine and leucine, the building blocks of collagen, which encourage fibroblasts to produce new, healthy collagen (products such as Jalupro are known for this).
• Vitamins and minerals such as B vitamins, zinc and copper, which support the skin’s metabolism and antioxidant defences.
• Antioxidants such as mannitol and glutathione, which protect against free-radical damage and help hyaluronic acid last longer in the skin (H-100 is known for its high mannitol content).
• Peptides, short amino acid chains that regulate cell communication and trigger repair.

There is no single “right” skin booster; every skin needs something different. I analyse your skin – dryness, loss of elasticity, depth of fine lines and age – and choose the most suitable product and protocol. After cleansing and disinfecting, the product is injected with very fine needles using a mesotherapy technique into the face, neck, décolletage or backs of the hands, after an anaesthetic cream for comfort. It takes about 20–30 minutes.

The Procedure and Session Plan

The effectiveness of a skin booster depends on choosing the right product and following a regular session plan, as its effect is cumulative. It begins with a consultation evaluating your skin type, concerns, lifestyle and medical history – hydration, elasticity, fine lines and overall quality – and we discuss which product (IAL-System, Jalupro, H-100 etc.) suits you and the session plan.

On the day, the skin is thoroughly cleansed and disinfected, and a local anaesthetic cream is applied about 20–30 minutes beforehand. The product is then injected into the dermis with very fine, short needles (usually 30G–32G), in small doses about 1–2 cm apart across the area. Small papules may be visible; they show the hyaluronic acid has spread evenly beneath the skin and usually disappear within a few hours to a day. The injections take 15 to 30 minutes. Slight redness or tenderness usually passes within a few hours; small bruises are uncommon and fade within a few days. You can return to social life straight away.

• Initial course: usually 2–4 sessions, 2 to 3 weeks apart, to refill the skin’s reservoirs, stimulate fibroblasts and achieve visible revitalisation.
• Maintenance: a single session every 3 to 6 months, depending on your skin, to maintain the hydrated, radiant look and keep skin quality high.

Who Is It For and What Results Can You Expect?

Skin boosters suit almost any adult who wants to invest in their skin and address the first signs of ageing naturally – men and women, usually from their late twenties, who notice dullness, dryness or loss of vitality. I recommend them especially for:

• Dehydrated, dry skin that feels tight however much moisturiser is used; pure hyaluronic acid hydrates the lower layers directly.
• Dull, pale skin affected by smoking, stress, lack of sleep or environment, which gains instant brightness.
• Fine lines and wrinkles, especially new dehydration lines around the eyes, cheeks, forehead and mouth.
• Early loss of elasticity, helped by fibroblast stimulation and new collagen and elastin.
• Improving skin quality even without a specific problem – an excellent preventive anti-ageing treatment.

It can be used on the face, neck, décolletage and the backs of the hands. It is not given during pregnancy or breastfeeding, to people allergic to its ingredients, or where there is an active infection in the area.

Immediately after treatment, the skin looks more hydrated, plump and radiant; the small bumps disappear within a few hours. The longer-term effect develops over weeks as new collagen and elastin are produced: usually within 1–2 months of completing the course, firmness increases, fine lines visibly decrease and texture becomes smoother. The effects usually last 6 to 12 months, depending on the product, session plan and lifestyle, and regular maintenance sessions help preserve the result. Results vary between individuals.

This page is for general information. Suitability, possible side effects and expected results are assessed at a medical consultation; results vary between individuals.