One of the UK’s leading cosmetic clinics has launched a new treatment using salmon sperm to slash the appearance of stretch marks and scars.
Polynucleotides – the key ingredient – are already popular in cosmetic treatments, usually under the eyes.
Now they’re being offered at Dr Leah Cosmetic Skin Clinics for patients looking to improve surgical scars.
Dr Leah Totton, founder of three clinics and former winner of The Apprentice, explained the treatment stimulates collagen and elastin, leaving skin firmer and dark circles reduced.
The 37-year-old said reading about a trial using polynucleotides on surgical scars inspired her to bring similar treatments to her clinics.
Researchers testing the method on thyroidectomy scars, which often leave prominent marks on the neck, found it worked best when applied within days of surgery.
Evidence showed reduced raised and bumpy scarring, leaving marks barely visible afterwards.
The 2018 double-blind trial, conducted on 42 patients by Ji Hee Kim and Jong Ju Jeong at Yonsei University College of Medicine in Korea, combined polynucleotides with laser treatment and found no keloids, hyperpigmentation, infections or inflammation.
Dr Totton’s clinics have become a hub for polynucleotide treatments, with one of her aestheticians serving as the UK trainer for the procedure.
The mother-of-one said her “mum tummy makeovers” using polynucleotides are popular with mothers seeking post-pregnancy skin improvements.
“At the moment we are doing a lot of mum tummy makeovers, using polynucleotides with other tightening treatments to improve skin quality and stretch marks on the stomach,” she told Need To Know.
“The combination of salmon sperm injections and tightening treatments improve the skin texture and increase the firmness across the stomach area, which is in high demand among patients seeking natural-looking results after pregnancy.
“I really feel like the future of aesthetic medicine is cosmetic medicine, botox, filler, non-surgical facelifts, but also regenerative medicine.
“I do not know if the NHS will use this, because it is a funding issue, but it will be something I think will be offered privately after surgery to improve the appearance of scars.”
The popularity of polynucleotide treatments is booming, with demand at Dr Leah’s clinics up 182% in 2023-24.
Dr Matthew Jarvie-Thomas from The Cosmetic Clinic added: “The results are always completely natural and can never look ‘fake’ or contrived in any way.
“The collagen stimulation from polynucleotide treatments continues for months, meaning the results are also long-lasting and work preventatively as well as restoratively.”
Dr Totton, from Derry, Northern Ireland, sold her business in 2022 in a deal reportedly worth £7m but remains involved, overseeing clinics and approving new treatments.
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