I’ve tried pretty much everything in my pursuit of perfect skin over the years: Botox, Profhilo, chemical peels, LED masks, £600 sessions with Hollywood super-facialist Adeela Crown, half the ultra-luxury face creams in existence... And all without a moment of hesitation.
The one treatment I couldn’t quite wrap my head around, however? The so-called ‘SalmonSperm Facial’, that recently went viral thanks to its countless celebrity fans, including Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Aniston. Not only does it sound, quite frankly, disgusting, but I had also heard whisperings of it being on the rather more uncomfortable side – and as someone with a decidedly low pain threshold and former needle phobia, I thought I’d best sit this one out.
That is, until I saw the glorious glow emanating from the face of my friend and go-to aesthetician, Dr Wassim Taktouk, who had recently tried the treatment himself, to spectacular effect. Next thing I knew, I was hotfooting it to his Knightsbridge clinic
with a sense of steely determination, and the hope that I, too, might emerge looking even half as fabulous.
But first, a little background on the treatment. If you're wondering 'is salmon sperm good for your skin?' The answer is that despite what its name might suggest, it does not involve your face being slathered in actual salmon sperm (phew!), but the skin being injected with polynucleotides.
What are Polynucleotides?
‘Polynucleotides are micro-chains of salmon DNA, that are derived from salmon sperm,’ explains Dr Taktouk. ‘When injected, polynucleotides have a number of benefits, such as drawing water to the area and thus hydrating the skin, stimulating the production of collagen and elastin, encouraging new vessel formation so you get more blood and nutrients to the area, and they are also free radical neutralizers. I usually recommend
2-3 treatments, 2-3 weeks apart.'
How long does a salmon sperm facial last?
The overall effect is improved skin and a refreshed look, with results lasting between 3-6 months.’ There are a number of different brands of polynucleotides available on the market, but Dr Taktouk uses Ameela in his clinic, that offers different doses depending on the area to be treated.
My honest review of the salmon sperm facial
From left to right: Clementina immediately after getting the treatment, after one round of treatment, after two rounds of treatment.
I opted for the full face, naturally, and arrived at the elegant Taktouk Clinic an hour prior to my appointment to be covered in a thick layer of numbing cream.
I won’t lie: it was still unpleasant. On a scale of Botox to Profhilo, it was verging on the latter; a sharp sting as the needle pierces the skin combined with an uncomfortable pressure as the product goes in. A fear of the unknown and anticipation of pain definitely played into it psychologically, too, but I was still relieved to find the whole treatment only took a few minutes. It’s telling of the incredible and almost- immediate results that I practically ran back for my next appointments.
As soon as the next day, once the slight swelling had subsided, I noticed a glow that no amount of expensive face cream has ever been able to provide. Friends commented on how healthy and ‘well’ I looked, colleagues complimented my ‘amazing’ skin, my dark under-eye bags were nowhere to be seen, and I stopped using concealer altogether.
The biggest moment, however, came a couple of weeks after my second round of polynucleotides, when a photo taken of me on the morning after my big, blow-out, alcohol-fuelled birthday weekend showed not the sleep- deprived, hungover gremlin I expected, but someone looking as refreshed as if they’d just been on a relaxing, two-week beach holiday. Needless to say, the treatment itself will never have quite the same sting again.
How much is the salmon sperm facial?
Prices vary from clinic to clinc but for Ameela polynucleotide treatment at the Taktouk Clinic, fees start from £495.
More skincare stories this way...
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- How to build a skincare routine in your 30s
Read now: How to practise self-compassion and build a stable sense of confidence
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Clementina Jackson
Site Fashion Editor
Clementina Jackson is Acting Site Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, working across news and features, trends, e-commerce and SEO. She was previously Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health, and Acting Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, where she was named as a PPA 30 Under 30 award winner for her work on size inclusivity. An experienced fashion, travel and luxury lifestyle journalist, Clementina has also written for Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Condé Nast Traveller, Tatler, Red and Italy Segreta.
