Skinvive Is the First Injectable of Its Kind Available In the U.S.

If you could just inject eight hours of sleep into your skin, wouldn’t you? Skinvive, a buzzy new hyaluronic acid filler approved by the FDA in May 2023 may be the closest thing to a whole night’s sleep and your recommended three liters of daily water that you can get. (Other than, you know, actually sleeping and drinking water.)

Skinvive is often referred to as a "skin booster" rather than a filler since its job isn’t to rebuild volume like other fillers on the market but rather to hydrate your skin and give you a glowy "I did not stay up late looking at TikToks in bed" look that lasts around six months.

"Although Skinvive and other similar fillers have been available in Europe and other parts of the world for some time, it is the first of its kind available in the US market," says Carmen Castilla, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and clinical instructor at Mount Sinai in New York City. "It’s a class of fillers that has been missing in our cosmetic treatment arsenal to date."

While the treatment isn't available yet (it will be rolling out to your local dermatologist's office at the end of September), we asked the experts what to expect before it inevitably becomes everyone’s favorite cosmetic pick-me-up.

• Carmen Castilla, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and clinical instructor at Mount Sinai in New York City.
• Michele Green, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City.
• Corey L. Hartman, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, AL.

• What is Skinvive and what are its benefits?
• Who is a candidate for Skinvive?
• What are the risks?
• How much does Skinvive cost?
• Skinvive FAQs

Essentially, Skinvive is a dermal filler that changes the appearance of your skin, rather than the shape of your face. The fillers you may be more familiar with, like Juvederm or Restylane, "are used to fill and augment various areas of the face and don’t impact the quality of the skin," says New York City-based dermatologist Michele Green, MD. These are the types of fillers used to plump up someone’s lips or make their cheekbones more prominent.

Skinvive, on the other hand, is meant to leverage the moisture-attracting qualities of the hyaluronic acid molecule to increase hydration in the skin and improve texture. Instead of injecting the solution into the dermis to fill in volume loss, your dermatologist would place droplet injections of Skinvive superficially (just on the outer layer of your skin, or your epidermis). "Once it is deposited into the skin, it diffuses into an even layer," says board-certified dermatologist Corey L. Hartman, MD. “Skinvive will not add volume, thus will not change your facial shape.”

"The clinical trials for Skinvive demonstrate marked improvements in skin hydration and texture in the cheeks that lasted for six months," says San Diego-based dermatologist Melanie Palm, MD, a clinical investigator for Skinvive. In the trial, 63% of patients reported satisfaction with how radiant their facial skin looked at six months compared to 11% before. Additionally, researchers observed an increase in aquaporin (a water channel protein) — a marker of skin hydration.

Picture yourself, but glowier. "When Skinvive is injected into the treatment area, it also stimulates collagen production, which improves elasticity and reduces the appearance of fine lines," adds Dr. Green. In other words, hydrated skin improves other skin woes like a lack of elasticity and dullness — so by targeting hydration with Skinvive and a solid skincare routine, you may see an improvement in those areas, as well.

"In clinical studies, patients report satisfaction with the glow of their skin through six months," says Dr. Hartman. He goes on to say that some patients wanted a touch-up at the one-month mark while participating in the clinical trials.

There is little to no downtime for Skinvive treatments. "Patients in the clinical studies were able to resume their daily activities immediately after treatment," says Dr. Green. Like with Botox or other injectables, "It is recommended to avoid heavy exercise, makeup, and sun exposure for the first 24 hours," she adds.

Skinvive is approved for all Fitzpatrick skin types (I-VI), so anyone looking for a boost can benefit. "Anyone who is noticing skin dullness or is looking to improve cheek smoothness and increase hydration within the skin to improve skin quality would be good candidates," says Dr. Hartman.

Dr. Castilla reiterates that anyone who wants to target volume loss might not be satisfied with the results they might get from Skinvive. "However, volume loss and changes in skin quality are both signs of aging and often go hand-in-hand," she says. "These patients would likely achieve better final results from combining a filler to target volume loss and Skinvive to help with skin quality."

Dr. Castilla adds that although the two treatments have yet to be studied in combination, she expects that she will eventually incorporate them into a comprehensive treatment plan. "Right now, it is indicated for use on the cheeks but will likely be used in other areas such as the neck, chest, or the backs of the hands."

The risks of Skinvive are the same as most other cosmetic injectables — which is to say mild and usually temporary. Dr. Green says redness, tenderness, and firmness may appear at the injection site. "Patients [can also] experience mild swelling for two to three days max and have reported no additional bruising associated with the procedure,” adds Dr. Hartman. “We recommend that patients apply ice packs to the treated areas for five to 10 minutes twice daily for three to five days after the treatment."

As Skinvive becomes more commonplace, you may be able to get it at medspas or from your aesthetician. However, it’s always safest to stick with a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon "as the risk of unwanted side effects or cosmetic results are greatly decreased," says Dr. Green.

Exact pricing is not available yet because it’s so new, stateside. Dr. Castilla expects the price to be similar to other fillers per syringe ($600 - $1,000 or more, depending on location).

You may see some plumping shortly after, but full results wouldn’t develop for a few weeks. "It’s important to know that since the improvement is in skin quality, the results tend to be more subtle than a volumizing filler," adds Dr. Castilla.

Profhilo is another hyaluronic acid filler targeting dull skin that celebrities are flocking to the UK for. (It’s not FDA-approved just yet.) Profhilo has a higher concentration of hyaluronic acid, says Dr. Palm, and may help to target more dramatic signs of dehydration and aging.

Allergan Aesthetics, which produces the popular filler brand Juvederm, is producing Skinvive under the Juvederm umbrella of hyaluronic acid fillers.

Now, a dermatologist's entire routine:

More on buzzy treatments:

• I Tried Profhilo Injections and My Skin Has Never Looked Better
• Are Phenol Peels Worth the Risks? What to Know About the Controversial Treatment
• Micro-Coring Is a 30-Minute Treatment That Can Help Tighten Skin