IBSA Farmaceutici's original Profhilo transformed the mid-dermal treatment of skin quality. Profhilo Structura takes the same NAHYCO platform technology into entirely different territory: the deep structural fat compartments of the face, addressing the kind of volume and support loss that original Profhilo was not designed to reach. It represents a significant evolution in what bio-remodelling can achieve.
What It Targets
Facial ageing involves loss at every anatomical level — bone resorption reduces skeletal support, deep fat compartments deflate and descend, the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) laxens, and the dermis thins. Original Profhilo works magnificently at the dermal level, improving skin quality, hydration, and laxity. But it was not formulated for deep compartment regeneration — that is Structura's domain.
Profhilo Structura is specifically indicated for regeneration of the lateral cheek fat compartment — one of the deepest and most structurally important fat pads in the mid-face. Loss of volume here is responsible for the flattening of the cheek, the widening of the nasolabial fold, and the overall hollowing that characterises mid-facial ageing. Restoring it with a regenerative injectable — rather than simply filling it — represents a philosophically and clinically different approach.
The NAHYCO Technology at Depth
Like original Profhilo, Structura uses IBSA's patented NAHYCO thermal cross-linking technology, which combines high and low molecular weight hyaluronic acid without chemical cross-linking agents. The Structura formulation is engineered for deeper tissue placement, with a rheological profile suited to the supraperiosteal plane of the lateral cheek fat compartment rather than the mid-dermis.
An observational pilot study published in PMC (2024) evaluated Profhilo Structura injected into the lateral cheek fat compartment in patients treated twice within 30 days and followed up three months after the second treatment. Results demonstrated measurable restoration of cheek volume and improvement in the nasolabial fold, with participants reporting high satisfaction and no serious adverse events. The researchers concluded that the treatment was both efficacious and well-tolerated as a regenerative approach to lateral cheek fat compartment restoration.
How It Fits Into a Treatment Plan
Profhilo Structura is not a replacement for conventional HA volumisation where immediate, precise volume placement is the goal. It is an alternative — or more often a complement — for patients who prefer a regenerative approach, who have experienced unsatisfactory results with conventional filler in the mid-face, or who are seeking to address early-to-moderate volume loss before it becomes significant enough to require large-volume filler. Its gradual action (results develop over six to eight weeks following the second session) makes it particularly appropriate for patients who value discretion.
Used in combination with original Profhilo — Structura treating the deep compartments while classic Profhilo addresses dermal quality — practitioners are now able to treat the full depth of mid-facial ageing with a single product family. This coherent, layer-by-layer approach to bio-remodelling represents a genuine advance on what was possible even three years ago.
Availability and What to Expect
Profhilo Structura requires precise anatomical placement at depth, and should be performed only by practitioners with thorough knowledge of facial fat compartment anatomy and injection technique at the supraperiosteal level. The treatment protocol mirrors the original Profhilo course: two sessions four weeks apart, with review at eight to ten weeks post-second treatment. Tracy can advise whether Structura, original Profhilo, conventional filler, or a combination approach best addresses your specific concerns.