Stephanie Holmes trials Sunekos, an injectable moisturiser designed to give skin a radiant inner glow. Here’s how it went.
The promise
Part of the growing trend of “undetectable” cosmetic treatments, Sunekos is a series of injections targeting crow’s feet, fine lines and skin texture. Rather than a filler, it’s like
an injectable moisturiser, combining hyaluronic acid and six amino acids to give hydration at a cellular level.
While filler bonds to cells, Sunekos stays in liquid form and is designed to hydrate and give you a dewy, fresh look.
Unlike similar treatments such as Profhilo, it can be used in fragile skin areas, including under the eyes, right up to the lash line.
Results are subtle – it’s more about giving an inner glow and an airbrushed look, rather than changing the face shape like dermal fillers or relaxing/freezing muscles like Botox. It’s said to work to improve the health of the skin from within.
Clinicians say it offers improved radiance, firmness and smoothness. It’s also a treatment that requires little downtime.
Sunekos is available at 130 clinics in New Zealand.
The Face Place, a cosmetic medicine clinic on Auckland’s Quay St. Photo / Supplied
I tried Profhilo Structura in late 2024 but hadn’t had any other injectables before or since. I found Profhilo’s results to be subtle, so was interested to see if Sunekos would offer more noticeable results.
I was booked in at The Face Place on Auckland’s Quay St, a clinic founded by Dr Catherine Stone in 2001 and New Zealand’s first dedicated cosmetic injectables clinic. It’s now owned by Dr Jenni Irvine.
The Quay St offices feel high-end and luxurious, with views of the ferry building’s bustle, over the Waitematā Harbour and out to Rangitoto.
My clinician was Janny-Lee Brussow, who worked as a beauty therapist and then a hospital nurse before becoming a cosmetic nurse in 2022.
I’d filled out my consultation forms online before my first appointment to save some time (things like health conditions and prescription medications), but still needed to allow two hours for the first appointment.
The course of treatment is three appointments at two-week intervals, then a final session four months after the first appointment.
After taking off my makeup and getting some “before” photos, Janny-Lee applies numbing cream to my face and leaves me with a cup of peppermint tea while it takes effect. Then she gets to work injecting the Sunekos into my upper lip, cheeks, chin and around my eyes.
Even with the numbing cream there is still a level of pain, but it’s a series of short, sharp pinpricks. I find the pain is sharpest in the cheeks, barely noticeable under the eyes, and intense in the lower eyebrows, but it only lasts momentarily. For me, it was less painful than Profhilo, which at the time I likened to being more painful than a flu injection, but less painful than a bikini wax.
Janny-Lee advises not to do any exercise or drink alcohol after the treatment – anything that raises blood pressure could encourage bruising – and avoid touching my face for a couple of hours. I can wash my face as normal that night and apply makeup the next day.
Stephanie Holmes after her first session of Sunekos. The treatment leaves bumps at the injection sites (left) but after 20 minutes (right) the redness has mostly subsided.
Immediately after I’m done, I’m left with red, circular bumps at each injection site, which gives an unattractive reptilian look, but the redness disappears after about 20 minutes and the bumps go down overnight.
The next day, the only sign I’ve had anything done is a tiny pinprick bruise on each cheek. There’s no pain or tenderness.
The next three appointments follow the same pattern, and then Janny-Lee says I can either return in six months for a top-up treatment, or wait a year for a full course. There’s also the option to have a targeted course of treatment around the eyes.
The place
The price
At The Face Place, the full treatment course of four appointments costs $2799 with a cosmetic nurse and $3499 with a doctor.
The verdict
It doesn’t take long for some results. A week after my second treatment, I get the first compliment on my skin.
“Have you done something new with your makeup?” a friend asks. “Your skin’s looking amazing.”
What I’ve actually done is started wearing less makeup as my skin is looking so good. I used to wear a combination of BB cream and foundation; after the second appointment, I go down to BB cream only and still haven’t gone back.
During the first three appointments I felt my skin, which always tends to the oily side, was even oilier than usual but that settled down in the months between the final appointment.
Looking at the before and after photos, it’s hard to see a real difference – perhaps the lines around my eyes and cheeks are softer? – but I have definitely noticed a brighter glow.
My skin feels hydrated, smooth and dewy and I’m sure my under-eye dark circles are less noticeable.
Stephanie Holmes’ official photos taken before (left) and after (right) a four-month treatment course of Sunekos at The Face Place.
However, I know there’s still a long way to go for my skin – I have scarring from adult acne, and pigmentation from too much time in the sun. I’m not sure Sunekos will be the magical fix to those problem areas.
In fact, Janny-Lee says the real work is done at home; she says there’s no point spending thousands of dollars on clinic treatments and cosmetic procedures if you’re not using good skincare (she suggests it should be medical-grade).
That’s definitely my downfall so, while I have loved the results from Sunekos, I think my next goal is to nail a good home skincare routine before getting another course of treatment.
Stephanie Holmes’ Sunekos treatment was free of charge for the purpose of this review.
More beauty
From expert recommendations to Viva team test drives.