Dull, rough, or uneven skin — the kind that no amount of exfoliating quite fixes. It's usually a collagen problem, not a surface problem, which is why the answer is to rebuild from within rather than resurface the top.
Smooth, glowing skin depends on an even layer of collagen beneath the surface — it's what gives skin its bounce, its smoothness, and its ability to reflect light evenly. As collagen production slows with age, that layer thins and becomes uneven. Pores look larger because the collagen around them has softened. Tone looks duller because light doesn't bounce back the way it used to. Texture feels rough because the surface isn't as well supported from beneath.
Sun damage accelerates the process by breaking down collagen faster than the body can replace it. So the skin you see in the mirror isn't damaged — it's depleted. The structure that used to hold it smooth is running low.
Retinol, acid exfoliants and good skincare can improve the surface layer — and they're worth using. They speed up cell turnover on the top layer and can make skin look smoother and brighter. But they cannot rebuild collagen in the dermis, which is where texture is actually built. Exfoliating the surface of a collagen-depleted layer gives you a smoother surface of a thinner layer — not a rebuild.
To genuinely improve texture you need something that reaches the dermis and triggers new collagen — which is what RF microneedling does, and what polynucleotides support at a cellular level.
How we treat it
One rebuilds collagen from within; the other supports the skin's own cellular repair. Many people benefit from both, planned as one journey.
Resurfaces from within. Fine needles deliver radiofrequency energy into the dermis, triggering new collagen to smooth texture, refine pores and firm skin. From £180 per session.
How RF microneedling worksRegenerates at a cellular level. Injectable polynucleotides support the skin’s own repair mechanisms, improving hydration, texture and overall skin quality. From £250 per session.
How polynucleotides workDull and rough skin is a collagen problem, so the treatment has to work where collagen is built — in the dermis, below the surface. RF microneedling delivers radiofrequency energy through fine needles directly into the dermis, creating controlled micro-injuries that trigger the skin's own wound-healing response. New collagen forms around each channel, rebuilding the layer that gives skin its smoothness and bounce. That's why it works for texture, pores and mild laxity at once — they're all collagen-depletion signs.
Polynucleotides work at a different level — cellular repair rather than collagen induction. They're DNA fragments that support the skin's fibroblasts (the cells that make collagen), improving hydration and skin quality from the inside out. The two treatments complement each other: RF microneedling triggers new collagen; polynucleotides support the cells that maintain it. Combined, they address both the structure and the quality of the skin.
A free consultation first — Anne or Georgie will look at your skin, assess whether the issue is texture, hydration, or both, and give you an honest plan. RF microneedling takes 30 to 45 minutes: a numbing cream is applied, then the device passes over the skin delivering energy through fine needles. You'll be pink and slightly swollen for a few hours to a day. Polynucleotides involve a series of small injections across the treatment area, with mild swelling for a day or two.
RF microneedling results build over 2 to 3 months as new collagen forms — a course of 3 sessions is typical, spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart. Polynucleotide results also build over weeks, with a course of 2 to 3 sessions. If both are needed, they can be sequenced so each does its job without interfering — it's planned as one journey, not two separate businesses, the same best-of-both-worlds principle we apply across the clinic.
RF microneedling and polynucleotides genuinely improve skin texture and quality — smoother, more even, more hydrated, with healthier-looking skin. But it's a rebuild, not a reset. The result builds over months and needs a course of sessions, not a one-off. Maintenance is part of the plan: a top-up session every 6 to 12 months and consistent daily skincare keep the result. Anne and Georgie will set out honestly what's achievable for your skin before you commit to anything.
RF microneedling rebuilds collagen and smooths the skin's surface. Polynucleotides support the same repair from within, improving texture and elasticity together.
As collagen production slows with age, skin loses its bounce and evenness. Pores look larger, tone looks duller, and texture becomes rough. Sun damage accelerates this. The problem sits below the surface, which is why surface exfoliation alone gives limited results.
Retinol and acid exfoliants can improve the surface layer and are worth using. But they cannot rebuild collagen in the dermis, which is where texture is built. Lasting improvement needs something that reaches below the surface.
RF microneedling rebuilds collagen by resurfacing from within — radiofrequency energy through fine needles triggers new collagen. Polynucleotides regenerate at a cellular level, improving hydration, texture and repair. Both improve skin quality; they work by different mechanisms and can be combined.
Book a free consultation. We'll look at your skin and give you an honest plan — not a sales pitch.
Book a free consultation