Skin boosters Hyaluronic-acid mesotherapy for hydration and glow
Many tiny, shallow injections of hyaluronic acid to hydrate and feed the skin: for glow and smoothness rather than volume, usually after a short course.
Key facts
- Who you’ll see
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- Dr. Svetlana Tagaeva Medical Director
- Dr. Olga Seredina Trichology, cosmetology
- Dr. Daria Banina Cosmetology
- Dr. Katerina Nikolaevskaya Cosmetology
- Dr. Tatiana Pospelova Cosmetology
- Where
- CREAMÉ, 350 Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah 1, Dubai
- Numbing
- Usually, numbing cream first
- Downtime
- Usually little: small bumps, sometimes bruises
- Course
- 2–3 sessions a few weeks apart, then about every 6 months
What skin booster treatment is used for
Skin that has lost its glow and bounce: dull, dehydrated or slightly crepey, with fine lines that stay when your face is still. A question of skin quality, not volume.
Who skin booster treatment usually suits
- Dull, dehydrated skin that has lost its glow and bounce, on the face, the neck or around the eyes.
- Fine, crepey lines that stay when your face is still.
- You want fresher skin rather than a different face, and can plan a short course with a refresh about every six months.
- Men and women alike: the plan starts from your skin, not a package.
- Deep folds, lost volume, movement lines and sagging need other treatments, such as filler, anti-wrinkle injections, biostimulators or a lifting device; we tell you which.
Concerns it may help with
Related treatments
From the Journal
- Filler, anti-wrinkle injections, skin boosters or a device: which does what
- Neck lines, a looser neck and the décolletage: what can help
- Mesotherapy, biorevitalisation, skin boosters, polynucleotides and PRP: what the names mean
- Under the eyes: bags, puffiness, dark circles or hollows, and what helps each
- Aesthetic treatments for men in Dubai: what men ask for, and what is different
- Before a wedding in Dubai: when to book each treatment
- How to choose an aesthetic clinic in Dubai (without getting oversold)
How skin booster treatment works
Hyaluronic acid, the water-binding molecule your skin already makes, usually with nutrients such as amino acids, vitamins and antioxidants. Unlike filler, it isn't cross-linked into a firm gel: it stays fluid and spreads through the skin, placed as many tiny injections into its upper layers. In a placebo-controlled study, three sessions improved hydration and radiance more than saline injections did.
Skin booster types, biorevitalisation and facial mesotherapy: what the names mean
“Skin booster” is a family of treatments, not one product: hyaluronic acid placed as many tiny, shallow injections to improve the skin itself rather than add volume. In Russian-speaking countries the same treatment is often called biorevitalisation. Mesotherapy is a broader name for many tiny injections, and a review notes that what goes into them varies and is often not standardised: whatever the name, ask exactly what is being injected.
Products sold under brand names differ in what they hold. Some are hyaluronic acid with nutrients such as amino acids, vitamins and antioxidants: the kind this page describes. Others hold a high concentration of hyaluronic acid in two molecular sizes, bound together without chemical cross-linking, and are placed at five points on each side of the face, from where they spread. In an open study of one such product in 64 women, without a comparison group, two sessions a month apart improved hydration from the fourth week and softened wrinkles modestly over 16 weeks.
If you came looking for a product by its brand name, bring the name: the doctor will tell you plainly what we use, how it compares, and whether a booster is what your skin needs at all.
Under-eye skin boosters (mesotherapy) and the neck: what they can and can't do
Around the eyes, boosters suit thin, crepey skin and fine lines: it is one of Dr. Daria Banina's skin booster areas. The skin there is delicate, so swelling and small bruises are more likely and, less often, swelling lasts longer or a bluish tint shows where product sits too near the surface; hyaluronic acid can be dissolved. A hollow under the eye is lost volume, a question for filler, and dark circles from pigment are where the evidence for PRP is strongest.
On the neck, boosters suit crepey skin and fine lines, for hydration and smoothness. A looser neck is laxity, a question for a lifting device such as Ultraformer MPT, and bands that show when you tense your neck can be softened with anti-wrinkle injections. The doctor looks at which of these you have before suggesting any.
A session, step by step
- We start with your concern, a look at your skin, photographs in the same light each time, and a check of your health, medicines and past injections.
- Make-up is removed and numbing cream usually goes on; once it has worked, the skin is cleaned with an antiseptic.
- The doctor places tiny amounts into the upper layer of the skin with a very fine needle, point by point across the area. In one controlled study, each cheek took about fifty micro-injections.
- Small bumps along the injection points settle on their own. We go through aftercare and plan the next session, usually a few weeks later.
What to expect
How it feels
Numbing cream usually goes on first, given time to work. Then quick, shallow pricks with a very fine needle, point by point across each area, with small bumps forming as the doctor goes. With the cream, it is usually well tolerated.
Downtime and recovery
Usually little. Small bumps at the injection points, redness and swelling are expected, and bruises are common; in a controlled study, these settled in about six days on average. No make-up for 12 hours, and no hard workouts or strong heat on the first day.
How many sessions, and how often
A short course of two or three sessions, a few weeks apart, then a refresh roughly every six months: un-crosslinked hyaluronic acid is used up faster than filler. Some freshness can show after one session; studies measured the clearer change after three.
Skin booster treatment results: what changes, and when
- On the day Small bumps along the injection points, redness and some swelling; bruises are common. No make-up for at least 12 hours, and no hard workouts, saunas or strong heat.
- The first week The bumps and redness settle, and bruises fade: in a controlled study, these settled in about six days on average.
- After the first session Some freshness can show; the clearer change builds over the course, so it is too early to judge.
- Over the course Two or three sessions, a few weeks apart. Hydration and glow usually improve, and for some people fine lines soften: in a placebo-controlled study, three sessions raised hydration by about a third.
- Three to six months In a controlled study, radiance was still better than on the side injected with saline three months after the third session. Un-crosslinked hyaluronic acid is used up faster than filler, so a refresh roughly every six months keeps the result.
Skin boosters vs polynucleotides, biostimulators and filler: how they compare
Four injectable treatments we offer for the quality and structure of the skin, side by side from each page's key facts. A booster supplies water-binding hyaluronic acid; polynucleotides and PRP signal repair; biostimulators build collagen over months; filler adds volume. The doctor suggests one when one is enough.
| Treatment | How it works | Used for | Downtime | Usual course |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skin boosters | How it works Un-crosslinked hyaluronic acid with nutrients, as shallow micro-injections | Used for Dull, dehydrated or crepey skin and fine lines at rest | Downtime Usually little: small bumps, sometimes bruises | Usual course 2–3 sessions a few weeks apart, then about every 6 months |
| Polynucleotides and PRP | How it works Regenerative injections: purified DNA fragments or your own platelet-rich plasma | Used for Thin or crepey skin, under the eyes, fine lines, rough texture; some hair thinning, after assessment | Downtime Usually little; redness or swelling usually settles within a week | Usual course 2–4 sessions, 2–4 weeks apart, then upkeep |
| Biostimulators | How it works Biodegradable particles that prompt your own collagen | Used for Thinning skin, lost firmness, broad volume loss | Downtime Usually little; swelling or bruising usually settles in 1–2 weeks | Usual course Usually 2–3 sessions, a few weeks apart |
| Dermal fillers | How it works Cross-linked hyaluronic-acid gel, placed by injection | Used for Flat cheeks, a receding chin, a soft jawline, deep folds, thin or uneven lips | Downtime Swelling or bruising for a few days, usually | Usual course Usually one session; lasts 6–18 months |
Who it may not suit
We go through your health and medicines first, because skin booster treatment may not suit you, or may need to wait, if any of these apply:
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding: treatment waits.
- You are allergic to hyaluronic acid, a local anaesthetic or another ingredient, or have severe allergies.
- There is an infection, inflammation, a rash, an acne flare or broken skin in the area: treatment waits until it settles.
- You have an active cold sore: treatment waits until it heals. If you get cold sores, the doctor may suggest antiviral medicine before injections near the mouth.
- You have a bleeding disorder or take blood thinners: bruising is more likely. Never stop a prescribed medicine on your own.
- You have an autoimmune disease, poorly controlled diabetes, skin that heals poorly, or a tendency to keloid or raised scars: the doctor assesses this first.
- You have had filler, anti-wrinkle injections, a peel or laser on the same area recently: we plan the spacing.
Risks and side effects of skin booster treatment
Common and short-lived: small bumps where the needle went in, redness, swelling, tenderness and, most often, bruising. In a controlled study, these settled in about six days on average.
Less common: a larger bruise, small lumps under the skin and, around the eyes, longer swelling or, rarely, a bluish tint where product sits too near the surface. Hyaluronic acid can be dissolved with an enzyme that is always on our shelf.
Rare, but important to know: infection, including slow-healing infections reported after contaminated mesotherapy injections; an allergic reaction; inflammatory lumps that appear weeks or months later; and, as with any hyaluronic-acid injection, product entering a blood vessel, which can damage the skin and, very rarely, sight. That is why a doctor injects here, with sterile products.
Results vary, and the evidence is modest: a 2023 systematic review found only one randomised trial among 15 studies and rated the evidence low in quality, and a 2025 meta-analysis of hyaluronic-acid injections found clear gains in hydration and radiance but no clear change in elasticity or pigment.
Aftercare
- No make-up for at least 12 hours; leave the small bumps to settle on their own.
- For the first day, no hard workouts, saunas, steam or hot yoga; in the Dubai summer, stay out of the midday heat.
- A gentle moisturiser for the next few days, and sunscreen every day, reapplied when you are outside.
- Leave a gap before laser or radiofrequency on the same area; we plan the timing with you.
- Message us straight away if pain grows instead of easing, the skin looks mottled or blotchy red, a lump becomes hot and red, or your vision changes.
How pricing works
We don't publish prices. The cost depends on the areas treated, such as the face, the neck or around the eyes, and on the number of sessions, which we decide together at the consultation. You know the full plan and its cost before you start, and we suggest only what your skin calls for.
Doctors who do skin booster treatment
Five of our doctors do skin boosters. Each starts with your skin, chooses the areas and the depth, and suggests the shortest course that does the job.
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Dr. Svetlana Tagaeva
Medical Director · Practising since 2008
Skin boosters: Mesotherapy
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Dr. Olga Seredina
Trichology, cosmetology · More than 15 years in practice
Skin boosters: Biorevitalisation and mesotherapy
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Dr. Daria Banina
Cosmetology · In cosmetology since 2014
Skin boosters: Face, neck and around the eyes
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Dr. Katerina Nikolaevskaya
Cosmetology · In cosmetology since 2001
Skin boosters: Hyaluronic acid for hydration and skin quality
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Dr. Tatiana Pospelova
Cosmetology · 20 years in practice
Skin boosters: Skin boosters and mesotherapy
Our take
Skin boosters are for the quality of the skin itself — not for volume, movement or lift.
The change is honest rather than dramatic: usually fresher, better-hydrated skin, not a different face. If what bothers you is a deep fold, a frown line or a softer jawline, a booster won't answer it; we'll tell you which treatment fits, or that nothing is needed yet.
Questions people ask
Where can I get skin booster injections (mesotherapy) in Dubai, who does them, and how do I choose a clinic?
At CREAMÉ, 350 Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah 1, five of our doctors do skin boosters: Dr. Svetlana Tagaeva, the Medical Director, Dr. Olga Seredina, Dr. Daria Banina, Dr. Katerina Nikolaevskaya and Dr. Tatiana Pospelova. Wherever you go, look for a doctor with a DHA licence who assesses your skin before suggesting anything, and a plan that starts small: a short course, not a package. You should hear the risks plainly, the rare serious ones included, and know who to contact afterwards. Here, a doctor leads every injectable plan through to the follow-up, and the enzyme that dissolves hyaluronic acid is always on our shelf.
How much do skin booster injections (hyaluronic-acid mesotherapy) for the face cost per session in Dubai?
We don't publish prices. The cost depends on the area, such as the face, the neck or around the eyes, and on the number of sessions, set together at the consultation. A course is usually two or three sessions, then a refresh about every six months. You know the full plan and its cost before you start.
What are skin booster injections good for: the benefits and side effects on the face, and are they worth it?
They are good for the quality of the skin itself: usually better hydration and glow, and for some people softer fine lines. In a placebo-controlled study, three sessions raised hydration by about a third. Side effects are mostly small bumps, redness, swelling and bruising that usually settle within days. They are worth it when your concern is skin quality; for deep folds or sagging, other treatments do more.
How much time do skin booster injections take to work, and how long do results last?
Some freshness can show after the first session; the clearer change builds over the course. In a controlled study, radiance was still better than on the side injected with saline three months after the third session. Un-crosslinked hyaluronic acid is used up faster than filler, hence a refresh roughly every six months. Before an event, finish the course at least two weeks ahead.
How many skin booster sessions are recommended, and how often?
Usually two or three sessions a few weeks apart, then one roughly every six months to keep the result. An expert consensus on hyaluronic-acid skin boosters suggests the same shape: up to three sessions, then maintenance every four to six months. The number depends on your skin and the area, and we suggest the shortest course that does the job.
Do skin booster injections hurt, and is there downtime or recovery time?
You feel a series of quick, shallow pricks; with numbing cream first, it is usually well tolerated. Downtime is usually little: small bumps and redness are expected and bruises are common, lasting about six days on average in a controlled study, so plan around them before an event.
What aftercare do skin booster injections on the face need, day by day?
On the day: no make-up for at least 12 hours, no hard workouts, saunas or strong heat, and leave the small bumps alone. For the next few days, a gentle moisturiser, daily sunscreen and patience with any bruise. Message us straight away if pain grows, the skin looks mottled, or a lump becomes hot and red.
Can skin booster injections be used under and around the eyes, and what about swelling and other side effects?
Yes: around the eyes is one of Dr. Daria Banina's skin booster areas, for thin, crepey skin and fine lines. Swelling and small bruises are the usual side effects there. Less often, swelling lasts longer, or a lump or a bluish tint shows where product sits too near the surface; hyaluronic acid can be dissolved. Hollow tear troughs need volume, which a booster won't give.
Can skin boosters be used on the neck or the lips?
On the neck, yes: Dr. Daria Banina does skin boosters for the face, the neck and around the eyes, for crepey skin and fine lines. Lips are planned differently: they are her particular focus, with hyaluronic-acid filler for shape, volume and balance, and at the consultation she'll tell you what your lips need, if anything.
Skin boosters vs hyaluronic-acid filler: which one for smile lines and nasolabial folds?
Usually filler. Both are hyaluronic acid, but filler is cross-linked into a firmer gel that stays where it is placed and adds volume, which a deep fold from the nose to the mouth often needs. A skin booster stays fluid, spreads through the skin and improves its quality, but won't fill a fold. The two can be combined.
Skin boosters vs anti-wrinkle injections: which is right for wrinkles and forehead lines?
It depends on whether the line comes with movement. Lines that appear when you raise your brows come from the muscle: anti-wrinkle injections relax it for three to four months. Lines that stay when your face is still are partly in the skin, where boosters can help. Sometimes the answer is both.
Skin boosters vs polynucleotides, PRP or biostimulators (collagen stimulators): how do they differ?
A skin booster supplies the skin: hyaluronic acid, often with amino acids, vitamins and antioxidants. Polynucleotides and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) signal your own cells to repair, which suits thin, delicate skin, often under the eyes. Biostimulators prompt new collagen over two to three months, for gradual firmness that usually lasts around two years, depending on the type. The doctor chooses by what your skin needs.
Skin boosters vs microneedling or laser: can I combine them for acne scars, pigmentation or melasma?
Yes, and for those concerns the energy treatment does most of the work: a 2025 meta-analysis found no clear change in pigment after hyaluronic-acid injections. Sylfirm X, our radiofrequency microneedling, is what we use for acne scarring and melasma; MOXI, our resurfacing laser, for tone and texture. A booster can add hydration, on a separate day.
Can I have skin booster injections during pregnancy or while breastfeeding?
No, we wait. The US Food and Drug Administration says the safety of dermal fillers in pregnancy and breastfeeding is unknown, and a controlled study of a skin booster that we cite left out pregnant and breastfeeding women. Once you have finished breastfeeding, we can plan a course.
Skin boosters vs mesotherapy: are they the same thing?
Not exactly. Mesotherapy is a broad name for techniques of many tiny injections, and a review notes that what goes into them varies and is often not standardised. The skin boosters we use are one kind: un-crosslinked hyaluronic acid, usually with nutrients such as amino acids and vitamins, which a randomised study we cite calls a hyaluronic acid-based mesotherapy product. So ask exactly what is being injected. Here, boosters are for the face, the neck and around the eyes; thinning hair starts with a trichology assessment instead.
Facial mesotherapy with hyaluronic acid: how many sessions, how long does it last, and what are the side effects?
For the hyaluronic-acid mesotherapy we do, our skin boosters: usually two or three sessions a few weeks apart, then a refresh roughly every six months. Small bumps, redness, swelling and bruises are the usual side effects, settling in about six days on average in a controlled study. Rarely, slow-healing infections have been reported after contaminated mesotherapy injections, which is why a doctor injects here, with sterile products.
Mesotherapy vs PRP, for the face or for the scalp and hair loss: which one, and where do I start?
On the face, they work differently: a skin booster supplies hyaluronic acid for hydration and glow, while PRP, made from a little of your own blood, signals your skin to repair, and a plan can use both. For thinning hair, start with the cause: a trichology assessment with Dr. Olga Seredina, who examines the scalp with trichoscopy. When injections suit the cause, the treatment for the scalp here is PRP.
Are skin boosters for men too?
Yes, and the treatment is the same. The plan starts from what bothers you, such as dull, dehydrated skin or fine lines on the face, the neck or around the eyes, and the doctor sets the areas and the number of sessions.
Skin booster reviews: what does the research show?
We don't publish testimonials, so here is what the research shows. In a placebo-controlled study, three sessions raised hydration by about a third and improved radiance more than saline did. A 2023 systematic review found only one randomised trial among 15 studies and rated the evidence low in quality, and a 2025 meta-analysis found clear gains in hydration and radiance but no clear change in elasticity or pigment. The side effects were mostly small bumps, redness and bruises that settled within days.
Skin boosters before and after: what changes after one session and after a course?
We don't show photographs of results on our site, so here, in words, is what usually changes. For a few days, small bumps, redness and sometimes bruises, which in a controlled study settled in about six days on average. Some freshness can show after the first session; the clearer change, usually better hydration and glow, and for some people softer fine lines, builds over a course of two or three sessions. In a placebo-controlled study, radiance was still better than on the saline side three months after the third session. It is fresher skin, not a different face.
Can skin boosters leave lumps, and can they be fixed?
Small bumps along the injection points are expected and usually settle within days. Lumps that last are less common: a small lump under the skin or, around the eyes, a bluish tint where product sits too near the surface; hyaluronic acid can be dissolved with an enzyme that is always on our shelf. Rarely, an inflammatory lump or an infection appears weeks or months later, and a lump that turns hot and red needs to be seen straight away. A doctor injects here, with sterile products.
Sources
- Baspeyras M, Rouvrais C, Liégard L, et al. Clinical and biometrological efficacy of a hyaluronic acid-based mesotherapy product: a randomised controlled study. Arch Dermatol Res. 2013;305(8):673–682.
- Duteil L, Queille-Roussel C, Issa H, Sukmansaya N, Murray J, Fanian F. The effects of a non-crossed-linked hyaluronic acid gel on the aging signs of the face versus normal saline: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, split-faced study. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2023;16(2):29–36.
- Ghatge AS, Ghatge SB. The effectiveness of injectable hyaluronic acid in the improvement of the facial skin quality: a systematic review. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2023;16:891–899.
- Zhou R, Yu M. The effect of local hyaluronic acid injection on skin aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2025;24(1):e16760.
- Belmontesi M, De Angelis F, Di Gregorio C, et al. Injectable non-animal stabilized hyaluronic acid as a skin quality booster: an expert panel consensus. J Drugs Dermatol. 2018;17(1):83–88.
- Signorini M, Liew S, Sundaram H, et al. Global Aesthetics Consensus: avoidance and management of complications from hyaluronic acid fillers — evidence- and opinion-based review and consensus recommendations. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2016;137(6):961e–971e.
- Singsing ME, Duncan SG, Vachon MJ, Goff HW. Clinical features of mesotherapy-associated non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections: a systematic review. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2022;8(4):e059.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dermal fillers (soft tissue fillers). Content current as of 6 July 2023.
- Sparavigna A, Tenconi B. Efficacy and tolerance of an injectable medical device containing stable hybrid cooperative complexes of high- and low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid: a monocentric 16 weeks open-label evaluation. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2016;9:297–305.
- Sollitto CF, Narduzzi M, Wolinsky C. A systematic review of platelet-rich plasma versus platelet-rich fibrin for periorbital rejuvenation. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2025;24(11):e70524.
Updated 30 October 2026