How to Tell if Your Profhilo Product is Genuine

Do you know how to tell if your Profhilo product is genuine?

HA-Derma, the distributor for Profhilo in the UK & Ireland, recently circulated warning information regarding counterfeit products, reiterating that ‘Patient safety is paramount’.

As possibly the most popular injectable skin treatment, the black market has targeted Profhilo as part of a counterfeiting scam. We recently reported how this has also happened to Botox and Botox Cosmetic - another big name in the aesthetic medicine space.

Read on to find out how you can ensure the Profhilo you’re using is the authorised, genuine article and where to find official suppliers…

‘A real patient safety risk’

In an email sent to its subscribers in late November 2024, our partner, HA-Derma set out details of the current concerns. This included details and images explaining how to spot counterfeit Profhilo products to help ensure the safety of both patients and practitioners. 

It explained the issues, as follows.

“Cases of counterfeit Profhilo products are being reported all over Europe, Asia and South America. Given the nature of the products, counterfeits are a real patient safety risk. It is therefore of utmost importance that Profhilo products are purchased from authorised channels, so that the authenticity, stability and safety of the products can be guaranteed.”

The statement also noted, “HA-Derma has long been committed to safety and satisfaction for both patients and healthcare professionals. We have worked closely with Hamilton Fraser [an insurance firm which specialises in the aesthetic medicine space] and published numerous articles on [the] dangers of counterfeit products and parallel imports as well as educating medical professionals.”

How to spot fake Profhilo products

HA-Derma advised on one key way to tell if your Profhilo product is genuine. If you’re purchasing Profhilo in the UK or Ireland, look for the holographic HA-Derma seal on the external packaging.

As HA-Derma confirms, “To help practitioners have absolute confidence that they are dealing with an authentic Profhilo product distributed in the UK & Ireland via the official distribution channel, all products that have passed through our warehouses have a holographic seal of authenticity attached to the boxes. This label guarantees that the product has been authenticated at every step of their journey from the factory to the practitioner and has not been tampered with before, during or after shipment.”

Adding, “Patient safety is paramount.”

Looking for this sticker is a simple step that will help to keep both you and your patients safe and reassured.

Additional tips for avoiding counterfeit cosmetic injectables

We’ve previously covered some advice on learning how to spot fake injectable products so you can avoid being scammed! The sector is increasingly attracting more illicit activity so it pays to be wary and always order from reputable sources - more on this shortly…

The following tips certainly bear repeating, in light of the increased illegal activity. These apply to all cosmetic injectables, including botox and fillers, too.

1. Are they trying to sell to you via social media? This is not a tactic employed by authorised sources. Whilst genuine vendors may have social media accounts, they’ll usually direct you to their website or provide the details of your local rep for further information

2. Is the price surprisingly low, especially compared to retailers you know are authorised suppliers? Fake injectable products tend to be much cheaper than the genuine ones

3. If the retailer tries to pressure you into making a quick purchase and/or for more units than you need, this is a big red flag. Counterfeiting businesses tend to pop up quickly, try to sell as much as they can, then disappear. They’ll often reappear soon after under a different name to try to avoid detection. A genuine stockist will not use these types of tactics

4. Do they seem legitimate? Take a look at their website - is it professional or are there bad pictures and/or spelling mistakes? Is there a registered pharmacy number on there? All UK pharmacies selling online must list this on their website. You can then cross-check this number. If there isn’t one, again, this is a sign that all is not as it should be

5. What are their contact details? Do they always call you but you can never contact them? Or do they not answer when you call? Is their email address completely unrelated to their website or the products they’re selling? Is it a regular, free web service email, such as a Gmail or Hotmail account? 

6. How are their communication skills? Outside of point 2, if they don’t seem to know much about the product, or if their answers don’t read well, chances are you could be dealing with a counterfeiter

7. If they don’t ship the product within the promised timeframe and stop responding when you chase, they’re likely up to no good! Approach your bank about reversing the payment

8. If you do receive the product, what does it look like? Are the colours the same shade that you’d normally expect when compared to a product you know to be genuine? In the case of Profhilo, does it feature the unique HA-Derma holographic seal? Is the text on the packaging the same as you’d usually expect? Does the packaging feel like its usual quality? Are the text and graphics printed sharply and are they aligned properly or does it look a little blurry or pixelated? Does it look a bit wonky? These are all signs to look for when identifying a fake product.

What genuine Profhilo packaging looks like

Above, you can find an example of what counterfeit Profhilo can look like. You can also see a video showing every aspect of authorised, genuine Profhilo, purchased in the UK. 

Where to buy genuine Profhilo products in the UK

In order to purchase Profhilo products, you must first complete one of the official Profhilo training courses. This can be held by either HA-Derma, or ourselves at Harley Academy. 

Upon successful completion, you’ll receive a certificate. This allows you to then purchase the genuine product from authorised stockists.

As HA-Derma explains, “IBSA DERMA (the manufacturer) sells Profhilo directly to their own subsidiaries and their exclusive distributors only. HA-Derma is the exclusive and only authorised distributor of Profhilo in the UK and Ireland.”

You can purchase Profhilo directly from HA-Derma or their pharmacy partners via their website. These partners include:

• Church Pharmacy
• Healthxchange
• John Bannon Pharmacy (UK and Ireland)
• Mediva Pharmacy
• Millennium Centre Pharmacy, St Helen’s
• Wigmore Medical.

Profhilo training for medical professionals

Profhilo absolutely changed the skin treatment game when it launched, introducing an entirely new product category - the bioremodeller. With its patented NAHYCO technology, it quickly established itself as a firm favourite with patients, aesthetics practitioners and the media. 

Profhilo can be used to enhance collagen production and address:

• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Dehydration
• Skin laxity.

It’s straightforward to administer after specific training, with a solid safety profile and easy to introduce to your treatment menu. Profhilo is also one of the few skin-boosting injectables with name recognition among patients.

Additionally, once you’ve got your Profhilo training certificate, you can move on to our Profhilo Structura course. This innovative regenerative treatment requires all delegates to have successfully completed Profhilo training as part of the entry criteria. Talk to our course advisors about special rates for completing both Profhilo and Profhilo Structura courses with us!

But first things, first! If you’re interested in becoming #HarleyTrained in Profhilo, you can purchase this course online from our website. Alternatively, or if you have any questions, please drop us an email at enquiries@harleyacademy.com, or book a call with our course advisors who’ll be happy to help.

All information correct at time of publication