Latest news with #Rejuran
Forbes
27-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Maker Of Popular Skin Booster Shot Rejuran Becomes Billionaire On K-Beauty Boom
getty The growing popularity of PharmaResearch's skin booster injection Rejuran, which is made from salmon sperm cells, has boosted shares of the biopharma company by about 230% over the past year. The stock surge has made Jung Sang-soo, the company's founder and chairman, South Korea's newest billionaire. With a 30% stake, Jung, who turned 67 in April, is the largest shareholder of PharmaResearch, which is listed on South Korea's technology-rich Kosdaq stock exchange. Forbes estimates Jung's net worth at $1.2 billion as of Tuesday's stock market close. Jung founded PharmaResearch in 2001 and listed it on the Kosdaq in 2015. He studied pharmacy at Chung-Ang University in Seoul and worked at Daewoong Pharmaceutical. Based in Gangneung, east of Seoul, PharmaResearch specializes in using PDRN (polydeoxyribonucleotide) and PN (polynucleotide) to treat wrinkles. 'PDRN and PN are regenerative medicine raw materials with proven safety and efficacy, and their composition is a DNA fragment isolated from salmon sperm cells,' PharmaResearch explained in its quarterly regulatory filing. 'As a tissue repair stimulator, PDRN's representative functions are promoting cell production and secretion of various growth factors…PN is a DNA fraction with a longer nucleic acid chain than PDRN.' Its flagship product is Rejuran, which was launched in 2014 and is sold across Asia. PharmaResearch reported that revenue rose 56% year-over-year to 117 billion won ($85 million) in the first quarter, while net income nearly doubled from the previous year to 36 billion won. About 78% of its revenue came from anti-aging products. 'While general filler procedures focus on artificial volume improvement, Rejuran is differentiated in that it induces skin cell regeneration and ECM (extracellular matrix) stability recovery by directly injecting effective ingredients into the dermis layer,' PharmaResearch said in a regulatory filing. 'This has increased its popularity among consumers who prefer natural skin improvement, and continuous effects through repeated procedures are also factors driving market demand.' Citing data from Precedence Research, PharmaResearch said in the filing the global anti-aging market is expected to grow from about $73 billion in 2024 to $140.9 billion in 2034. One reason for such galloping growth is rising awareness of self-care. Another tailwind is that Korean cosmetics and beauty devices have become wildly popular. 'Recently, interest in skin care treatments has been rapidly increasing among foreign medical tourists visiting Korea, and among these, dermatological treatment accounts for the largest proportion in the field of attracting foreign patients,' PharmaResearch said in the filing. South Korea's cosmetics exports grew 21% year-over-year in 2024 to a record $10.2 billion, according to the country's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The growing K-beauty craze catapulted Jung Sung-jae (no relation to PharmaResearch's founder), founder of beauty device maker Classys, into the ranks of Korea's 50 Richest list for the first time last month with an estimated fortune of $760 million. Classys' flagship product is Ultraformer MPT, a high-intensity focused ultrasound device that provides a non-invasive way to tighten and lift skin by regenerating new collagen. In 2022, Bain Capital Private Equity bought a 60% stake in Classys from Jung and his wife, Lee Yeon-joo, and their two children for 670 billion won (about $560 million at the time). Private equity giants have been circling PharmaResearch with CVC Capital, investing 200 billion won in the company last September for a 10% stake. 'It appears that the company has begun penetration into aesthetics shops in Southeast Asia by tapping into the partner CVC Capital Partners' sales network,' Shinhan Securities analysts Jung Hee-ryeong and Eom Min-yong said in a research note in November. 'Given that Southeast Asia accounts for a large portion of Rejuran exports, the medical device business is expected to see steep growth in 2025.'
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Lindy Klim reveals the bizarre procedure she is getting on her 'ball sack' neck: 'It hurt like hell'
Lindy Klim has revealed the bizarre procedure she undergoes to keep her skin looking youthful. The socialite, 45, took to Instagram on Tuesday to give her 98,000 followers a glimpse into her beauty regimen. Lindy revealed that she had been undergoing 'salmon sperm' facial treatments to maintain her looks. She shared a photo that showed her cheek covered in lines of raised red bumps. Captioning the image, Lindy said the results she achieved with the bizarre treatment were 'amazing', despite being rather painful. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'A month ago, I tried the salmon sperm facial. It hurt like hell and I wasn't sure I could handle going back for a second go,' she wrote. 'But, it's honestly AMAZING,' Lindy continued. 'The difference in my skin is incredible. She then shared a second image that showed her visage with the bumps now receded. Looking fresh faced and glowing, Lindy revealed that she was interested in repeating the treatment on an area that she likened to a part of the male anatomy. 'Fresh faced,' she wrote over the photo. 'Next I might try on my neck lol I hate my ball sack neck.' In spite of the self effacing assessment, Lindy's neck sported a similar youthful glow to her face in the image. Salmon sperm facials are also known as Rejuran treatments or polynucleotide therapy. The treatment uses polynucleotides from salmon sperm, which are injected into the skin to stimulate collagen production. Captioning the image, Lindy said the results she achieved with the bizarre treatment were 'amazing' despite being rather painful The treatment is also said to improve skin elasticity, reduce lines and wrinkles, and improve skin tone. Lindy's admission comes after she recently debuted her shock new romance following her split with second husband Adam Ellis. The model, who recently moved back to Melbourne after living in Bali for several years, confirmed she is now dating medical tech businessman Paul Mullert. 'He's just a normal, nice guy. We've been seeing each other for a few months and just taking it slow,' Lindy told The Daily Telegraph. 'This is a nice little intro into my world.' Mullert was born and raised in Perth and was close friends with late Aussie actor Heath Ledger throughout his childhood. Lindy also revealed the surprising way they met: 'Paul's sister lives in Bali and she said you should go on a date with my brother. It's been amazing back in Melbourne.' Paul had shared a photo to Instagram from the LIV Golf tournament but did not reference Lindy in his post. Lindy had earlier soft-launched the romance in an Instagram Stories image in which her new man had his back turned to the camera. Last year, Daily Mail Australia was the first to reveal a potential marriage breakdown between Lindy and Adam after the celebrity fashionista posted a tell-tale family photo to social media. Followers were quick to note Ellis' absence in the photo. They also noticed the missing large engagement ring on her left hand wedding finger. 'My family, my world,' the Fig Femme founder captioned the photo, which include all four of her children. Lindy shares three children with her ex-husband, Australian Olympic swimmer Michael Klim, Stella, 18, Rocco, 16, and Frankie, 13, and one with her second husband, Goldie, seven.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
From Exosome Therapy to Salmon-Sperm: Beauty's New Frontier
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." If ELLE's beauty editors had the ability to read tea leaves, we'd hope to see a few things—at the very least, a world in which everyone felt seen and heard, and for products to never leak in a suitcase. But to get a real idea of what's to come, we talked to experts to learn about the innovations in skin, hair, and body care that we are most excited about. Think back to a moisturizer that you pinned your beauty hopes and dreams on. Now consider that the secret to actually achieving those aspirations may be to inject salmon DNA—in the form of polynucleotides—into your face. Perhaps you've already clicked on a TikTok headline about someone (most likely Kim Kardashian, one of the most intrepid beauty adventurers of our time), using salmon sperm for beauty. Harnessing DNA research dating from the 1980s, salmon polynucleotides, or DNA fragments, are purified and injected to help stimulate the production of collagen—the protein that gives skin its youthfulness. Injectable polynucleotides, including brands like Plinest, Ameela, and Rejuran, aren't yet FDA- approved (topical versions are permitted), but are available overseas, including in the U.K. and South Korea. At the Soni Clinic in London, they're now the second most popular injectable treatment after Botox. 'Americans [fly] over for these treatments. I see several a week now,' says plastic surgeon Ashwin Soni, MBBS, founder and owner of the clinic. Phoebe McDowell, the Beauty and Interiors Director at the Style magazine of The Sunday Times in London, confirms that polynucleotides are the new, buzzy thing in the U.K.: 'If I could get one thing for the rest of my life, it would be this. It's a graceful, sensible treatment to commit to and one that won't cause me any regret later on in life.' New York dermatologist David Kim, MD, who travels to South Korea to learn about new treatments, says that polynucleotides have multiple benefits: '[They] have been shown to have a lot of anti-inflammatory, antiaging effects. It helps with collagen synthesis and tissue regeneration, and it adds hydration to your skin.' Because polynucleotides don't add volume like filler or freeze muscles like Botox, dermatologists say there isn't much danger of overdoing things. 'The risk of you looking crazy is very little to none,' Kim says. 'You look glowier and radiant without changing the way you look.' The results can last up to six or seven months, too. If you're wondering why salmon in particular may be the future of skin care, it's in the genes, Soni explains. 'Wild salmon are constantly changing, and adapting to a changing environment in the ocean,' he says. 'When you look at the number of genes in the helix, [we are] really quite similar.' There are many collagen-stimulating beauty treatments that focus on the different kinds of collagen in your body. Sculptra, for instance, targets Type I collagen, which is the supportive and structural kind. Polynucleotides look extremely natural because they stimulate Type I as well as Type III, which sits in the superficial top layers. The under-eye area is notoriously hard to treat in aesthetics, but Sam Bunting, MBBS, a dermatologist based in London, loves how polynucleotides look there. 'You can use [it] to tackle the early changes around the eyes in a way that looks entirely natural, with very little downtime. [It] was the missing link in our tool kit until now.' McDowell adds: 'The results creep up on you, terrifically subtly. I often roll my eyes when beauty pieces roll out that classic line: 'And people were just saying you look really well.' But people were just saying that I looked really rested and healthy, like I had a holiday and swerved off booze. I looked more radiant and firm, fresh, and youthful looking.' Some American doctors are holding out for stronger science, along with the FDA nod. Gabriel Chiu, DO, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, says, 'I'm just wondering if it's as efficacious as using another filler or product,' such as PRP (platelet-rich plasma); he'd love to see comparative studies. Although not focused on PRP, a small study done in South Korea and published in April 2020 in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment tested polynucleotides versus filler in a randomized, double-blind trial. Participants had one half of their eye area injected with standard hyaluronic acid filler, and the other with a polynucleotide filler. In the results, the polynucleotide-treated sections showed higher improvement rates in elasticity, pore size, and hydration, although there was no significant difference between the two in the 'global aesthetic improvement scale,' the study reported. Lara Devgan, MD, a plastic surgeon in New York and a member of the ELLE Beauty Advisory Board, adds a further note of caution. 'I've seen news reports of med spas ordering salmon-derived DNA products…and injecting them in people. This is interesting as a talking point, but don't do this. It's very early. You never want to have that experiment happen on your face or body.' It's up to you if you want to fish for compliments. Thick, luscious, shampoo-commercial-worthy hair is like talent: You're either born with it or you're not. But some doctors think they might have found their Miracle-Gro: exosomes. These vesicles are produced by cells and are chock-full of lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids that help your body run as efficiently as possible. In aesthetics, exosomes have been touted for everything from wound healing to skin rejuvenation, and they're often derived from stem cells. Now exosomes might hold the key to something that's always felt just out of reach: reversing hair loss. Aside from a hair transplant, PRP (platelet- rich plasma) injections have been a go-to hair loss treatment for years. 'PRP has growth factors and signaling proteins to stimulate hair growth. Exosomes are actually [even] more concentrated than PRP,' Chiu says. One of Chiu's patients switched from PRP to exosome therapy and claimed to see nearly five to six times more improvement in both hair growth and density. For hair growth, some dermatologists inject exosomes into the scalp or apply them after microneedling, which creates small channels that allow for more even distribution. (Note that exosomes aren't yet FDA-approved, despite early enthusiasm from doctors. In July 2020, the FDA issued an alert notifying consumers that there were no exosome products approved to treat any disease or condition, and cautioning that some may be illegally marketed and not proven safe or effective.) According to Chiu, with this method, exosomes can reach the base of the hair follicle, which maximizes absorption. Exosomes are even beginning to be whipped into topical products. Though Chiu cautions that these products aren't nearly as efficacious as getting exosomes through your doctor, Andrea Hui Austin, MD, a dermatologist in San Francisco, has seen major improvements in her patients after trying Plated, a topical exosome hair serum. 'I had a young 20-year-old girl who'd lost almost all her hair, and suddenly her hair is regrowing,' she says. That kind of result has doctors thinking big about the future of hair loss. 'We've done a really good job in the last 20 years or so at slowing down hair loss,' says New York plastic surgeon Nigar Ahmedli, MD. 'What we haven't been able to do is to reverse it. I think that would be the gold standard, right?' One recent morning, beauty editors gathered around a peculiar sight: a piece of wrinkled, raw chicken skin. A demonstrator inserted a wand-like heating applicator under the skin. Instead of getting burned, the chicken skin rebounded like a rubber band. We were witnessing Renuvion, the first-of-its-kind, minimally invasive skin-tightening treatment to hit the market. In a post-Ozempic world, loose skin is a hotter topic than ever. 'Whenever you lose weight, there is a certain degree of loose skin,' says Andrew Ordon, MD, a plastic surgeon in California. Renuvion works by applying radio frequency (electromagnetic waves) and helium plasma (an energy source made from helium gas) under the skin. Helium fills the empty space where fat used to be, allowing it to precisely heat and contract skin in tandem with radio frequency. A benefit of using helium is that it heats and then cools quickly, protecting skin from potential heat damage. Before Renuvion, plastic surgeons had been missing a major puzzle piece. Ordon explains that loose skin has always been challenging, since the main remedy was surgically cutting it off. The ideal candidate for Renuvion is an Ozempic patient who hasn't lost enough weight to necessitate more invasive body-lift procedures. 'Having some sort of noninvasive option for skin tightening is something that has always been a goal of the industry,' says Los Angeles plastic surgeon Catherine Chang, MD. Though Renuvion is 'one and done,' according to Ordon, it's still technically an invasive procedure, because the probe goes under the skin. In cases where large parts of the body are being treated, patients may need anesthesia. Downtime depends on how much of your body you treat, but doctors agree that it's fairly minimal—about a week, in comparison to loose skin surgery, which generally takes months to recover from. David Shafer, MD, a plastic surgeon in New York, says patients can expect a few days of soreness, and they may have a bit of swelling or bruising that will clear up within the first week or two. It's important to go to a trusted plastic surgeon to avoid rare complications like burns. Patients see results immediately, but they continue to get better over the course of six to nine months, according to Chang. This type of treatment could eventually become even more versatile. 'The same technology could be used on smaller areas, like eventually maybe the eyelids or the face,' Shafer says. As long as the demand for skin-tightening procedures continues to skyrocket, medical technology will continue to innovate.$58.00 at at at Now You Might Also Like The 15 Best Organic And Clean Shampoos For Any And All Hair Types 100 Gifts That Are $50 Or Under (And Look Way More Expensive Than They Actually Are)
Elle
21-05-2025
- Health
- Elle
From Exosome Therapy to Salmon-Sperm: Beauty's New Frontier
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. If ELLE's beauty editors had the ability to read tea leaves, we'd hope to see a few things—at the very least, a world in which everyone felt seen and heard, and for products to never leak in a suitcase. But to get a real idea of what's to come, we talked to experts to learn about the innovations in skin, hair, and body care that we are most excited about. Think back to a moisturizer that you pinned your beauty hopes and dreams on. Now consider that the secret to actually achieving those aspirations may be to inject salmon DNA—in the form of polynucleotides—into your face. Perhaps you've already clicked on a TikTok headline about someone (most likely Kim Kardashian, one of the most intrepid beauty adventurers of our time), using salmon sperm for beauty. Harnessing DNA research dating from the 1980s, salmon polynucleotides, or DNA fragments, are purified and injected to help stimulate the production of collagen—the protein that gives skin its youthfulness. Injectable polynucleotides, including brands like Plinest, Ameela, and Rejuran, aren't yet FDA- approved (topical versions are permitted), but are available overseas, including in the U.K. and South Korea. At the Soni Clinic in London, they're now the second most popular injectable treatment after Botox. 'Americans [fly] over for these treatments. I see several a week now,' says plastic surgeon Ashwin Soni, MBBS, founder and owner of the clinic. Phoebe McDowell, the Beauty and Interiors Director at the Style magazine of The Sunday Times in London, confirms that polynucleotides are the new, buzzy thing in the U.K.: 'If I could get one thing for the rest of my life, it would be this. It's a graceful, sensible treatment to commit to and one that won't cause me any regret later on in life.' New York dermatologist David Kim, MD, who travels to South Korea to learn about new treatments, says that polynucleotides have multiple benefits: '[They] have been shown to have a lot of anti-inflammatory, antiaging effects. It helps with collagen synthesis and tissue regeneration, and it adds hydration to your skin.' Because polynucleotides don't add volume like filler or freeze muscles like Botox, dermatologists say there isn't much danger of overdoing things. 'The risk of you looking crazy is very little to none,' Kim says. 'You look glowier and radiant without changing the way you look.' The results can last up to six or seven months, too. If you're wondering why salmon in particular may be the future of skin care, it's in the genes, Soni explains. 'Wild salmon are constantly changing, and adapting to a changing environment in the ocean,' he says. 'When you look at the number of genes in the helix, [we are] really quite similar.' There are many collagen-stimulating beauty treatments that focus on the different kinds of collagen in your body. Sculptra, for instance, targets Type I collagen, which is the supportive and structural kind. Polynucleotides look extremely natural because they stimulate Type I as well as Type III, which sits in the superficial top layers. The under-eye area is notoriously hard to treat in aesthetics, but Sam Bunting, MBBS, a dermatologist based in London, loves how polynucleotides look there. 'You can use [it] to tackle the early changes around the eyes in a way that looks entirely natural, with very little downtime. [It] was the missing link in our tool kit until now.' McDowell adds: 'The results creep up on you, terrifically subtly. I often roll my eyes when beauty pieces roll out that classic line: 'And people were just saying you look really well.' But people were just saying that I looked really rested and healthy, like I had a holiday and swerved off booze. I looked more radiant and firm, fresh, and youthful looking.' Some American doctors are holding out for stronger science, along with the FDA nod. Gabriel Chiu, DO, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, says, 'I'm just wondering if it's as efficacious as using another filler or product,' such as PRP (platelet-rich plasma); he'd love to see comparative studies. Although not focused on PRP, a small study done in South Korea and published in April 2020 in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment tested polynucleotides versus filler in a randomized, double-blind trial. Participants had one half of their eye area injected with standard hyaluronic acid filler, and the other with a polynucleotide filler. In the results, the polynucleotide-treated sections showed higher improvement rates in elasticity, pore size, and hydration, although there was no significant difference between the two in the 'global aesthetic improvement scale,' the study reported. Lara Devgan, MD, a plastic surgeon in New York and a member of the ELLE Beauty Advisory Board, adds a further note of caution. 'I've seen news reports of med spas ordering salmon-derived DNA products…and injecting them in people. This is interesting as a talking point, but don't do this. It's very early. You never want to have that experiment happen on your face or body.' It's up to you if you want to fish for compliments. Thick, luscious, shampoo-commercial-worthy hair is like talent: You're either born with it or you're not. But some doctors think they might have found their Miracle-Gro: exosomes. These vesicles are produced by cells and are chock-full of lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids that help your body run as efficiently as possible. In aesthetics, exosomes have been touted for everything from wound healing to skin rejuvenation, and they're often derived from stem cells. Now exosomes might hold the key to something that's always felt just out of reach: reversing hair loss. Aside from a hair transplant, PRP (platelet- rich plasma) injections have been a go-to hair loss treatment for years. 'PRP has growth factors and signaling proteins to stimulate hair growth. Exosomes are actually [even] more concentrated than PRP,' Chiu says. One of Chiu's patients switched from PRP to exosome therapy and claimed to see nearly five to six times more improvement in both hair growth and density. For hair growth, some dermatologists inject exosomes into the scalp or apply them after microneedling, which creates small channels that allow for more even distribution. (Note that exosomes aren't yet FDA-approved, despite early enthusiasm from doctors. In July 2020, the FDA issued an alert notifying consumers that there were no exosome products approved to treat any disease or condition, and cautioning that some may be illegally marketed and not proven safe or effective.) According to Chiu, with this method, exosomes can reach the base of the hair follicle, which maximizes absorption. Exosomes are even beginning to be whipped into topical products. Though Chiu cautions that these products aren't nearly as efficacious as getting exosomes through your doctor, Andrea Hui Austin, MD, a dermatologist in San Francisco, has seen major improvements in her patients after trying Plated, a topical exosome hair serum. 'I had a young 20-year-old girl who'd lost almost all her hair, and suddenly her hair is regrowing,' she says. That kind of result has doctors thinking big about the future of hair loss. 'We've done a really good job in the last 20 years or so at slowing down hair loss,' says New York plastic surgeon Nigar Ahmedli, MD. 'What we haven't been able to do is to reverse it. I think that would be the gold standard, right?' One recent morning, beauty editors gathered around a peculiar sight: a piece of wrinkled, raw chicken skin. A demonstrator inserted a wand-like heating applicator under the skin. Instead of getting burned, the chicken skin rebounded like a rubber band. We were witnessing Renuvion, the first-of-its-kind, minimally invasive skin-tightening treatment to hit the market. In a post-Ozempic world, loose skin is a hotter topic than ever. 'Whenever you lose weight, there is a certain degree of loose skin,' says Andrew Ordon, MD, a plastic surgeon in California. Renuvion works by applying radio frequency (electromagnetic waves) and helium plasma (an energy source made from helium gas) under the skin. Helium fills the empty space where fat used to be, allowing it to precisely heat and contract skin in tandem with radio frequency. A benefit of using helium is that it heats and then cools quickly, protecting skin from potential heat damage. Before Renuvion, plastic surgeons had been missing a major puzzle piece. Ordon explains that loose skin has always been challenging, since the main remedy was surgically cutting it off. The ideal candidate for Renuvion is an Ozempic patient who hasn't lost enough weight to necessitate more invasive body-lift procedures. 'Having some sort of noninvasive option for skin tightening is something that has always been a goal of the industry,' says Los Angeles plastic surgeon Catherine Chang, MD. Though Renuvion is 'one and done,' according to Ordon, it's still technically an invasive procedure, because the probe goes under the skin. In cases where large parts of the body are being treated, patients may need anesthesia. Downtime depends on how much of your body you treat, but doctors agree that it's fairly minimal—about a week, in comparison to loose skin surgery, which generally takes months to recover from. David Shafer, MD, a plastic surgeon in New York, says patients can expect a few days of soreness, and they may have a bit of swelling or bruising that will clear up within the first week or two. It's important to go to a trusted plastic surgeon to avoid rare complications like burns. Patients see results immediately, but they continue to get better over the course of six to nine months, according to Chang. This type of treatment could eventually become even more versatile. 'The same technology could be used on smaller areas, like eventually maybe the eyelids or the face,' Shafer says. As long as the demand for skin-tightening procedures continues to skyrocket, medical technology will continue to innovate. A version of this story appears in the November 2024 issue of ELLE. 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Los Angeles Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Are salmon sperm facials really good for your skin?
Just when it seemed that the skincare industry had exhausted itself with absurd products and cyborgian procedures, Kim Kardashian brought a new one into the cultural consciousness. In the summer of 2024, Kim Kardashian announced on 'The Kardashians' that she had salmon sperm injected into her face, spurring reactions of glee and intrigue that echoed from Rodeo Drive to TikTok. Salmon sperm facials — which are sometimes called salmon DNA facials for civility's sake — have become the latest addition to med spa menus across Los Angeles. Formula Fig in Culver City and West Hollywood recently added what is called 'the longevity treatment,' which is its take on the popular facial, for $550. Done by Dorfman, a Beverly Hills-based med spa that boasts a celebrity client list, offers the procedure for $750. Kanodia Med Spa, also Beverly Hills-based, offers the facials starting at $1,000. The procedure is performed through microneedling, which forms channels in the skin before the product is applied topically to the face. Using salmon DNA as an injectable is not yet FDA-approved, so doctors and med spas apply it in conjunction with microneedling and laser treatments. (The substance itself carries an orange-ish tint.) The procedure promises youthful, smooth skin and has been rapidly gaining popularity, thanks partly to endorsements on social media and by celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and Charli XCX. The idea to use salmon sperm for regeneration is older than you might think. The study of salmon DNA for wound healing was originally pioneered in Italy in the 1980s, said Dr. Zakia Rahman, a clinical professor at Stanford's School of Dermatology. In the last few years, there has been a resurgence of scientific interest in the substance as a beauty treatment in Korea. In fact, many doctors source salmon DNA from there. Dr. Donald Yoo, a facial plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, uses a substance called Rejuran, which is procured from one ocean-side factory in a beachfront town in Gangneung, Korea. In October of last year, he visited the factory during the salmon spawning season to witness the extraction process, which kills the salmon as the DNA is removed. 'During the tour, they showed us the streams where the salmon were captured, the factory where they process the salmon DNA, and actually had us handle some of the live salmon prior to processing,' he says. Dr. Yoo argues that the uncanniness of salmon sperm is what has made the procedure so popular. His office in Beverly Hills offers the treatment for a starting price of $850. 'There's a little bit of that shock factor involved,' says Dr. Yoo. 'The reason that it's growing is the fact that science has given it a good, strong basis.' What basis is that? It begins with polynucleotides, which are fragments of DNA derived from salmon sperm. They were previously used in wound healing after clinical studies showed that they accelerated the tissue repair process. Salmon DNA, as it turns out, shares striking similarities with human DNA, causing it to stimulate collagen production, according to a 2022 peer-reviewed study in the journal Marine Drugs. 'It decreases inflammation,' says Dr. Yoo. 'It promotes cell proliferation and blood vessel proliferation.' When applied to the face, it can result in a soft, radiant, even-toned complexion. For years, scientists in Europe and South Korea have performed clinical studies of salmon DNA on skin to investigate its effect on collagen reproduction. One study conducted on wound healing in mice showed that administering polynucleotides expedited healing and collagen density. However, despite the growing interest in this treatment, Dr. Rahman is not convinced of its efficacy. 'You have to be careful before jumping on a trend to see if it's scientifically valid,' said Dr. Rahman. After reviewing the scientific research, she explains that because of how the nucleotides function on the cell level, they can potentially be harmful to patients with rosacea and can actually cause some inflammation within the cells. She notes that, when it comes to absorption, polynucleotides are also relatively large, as opposed to more commonly used skin treatment ingredients like retinoids and vitamin C. 'The reason why retinoids and vitamin C work so well is that they're very small and they can penetrate the skin,' says Dr. Rahman. 'So this, if you were just to apply it topically, probably wouldn't get absorbed.' From a scientific perspective, it's not clear that salmon DNA has the potential benefits that are advertised, she said, adding that established methods still yield the best results. 'If you're using a topical retinoid or topical vitamin C, they're much less expensive,' she says. 'A lot of the laser treatments that we do, which are FDA-cleared for things like collagen stimulation and resurfacing of the skin, are actually much more cost-effective.' She also has sustainability concerns. After all, salmon sperm is finite. 'Do we really want to kill more salmon for their gonads?' she asks. Nevertheless, the trend has become widespread in Europe and South Korea, and in the last year, it has developed a loyal fan base in the U.S. On Instagram, the hashtag #salmonspermfacial has over 5,000 posts featuring before-and-after photos. On TikTok, viral testimonials about salmon DNA facials rack up hundreds of thousands of likes. Jorian Palos discovered salmon DNA facials after searching for a way to lessen her eye bags and discoloration. She tried the treatment at a med spa chain called Skin Station in Orange County. She said the process was slightly disquieting. 'It was painful, just because it's salmon semen essentially going under your eye.' Though she was happy with her results, the recovery was also intense. 'My face was bruised under my eyes for about a week,' she said. 'It turned purple, and then it turned yellow.' Shirel Swissa did not have as an intense recovery. She routinely microneedles and vouches for the treatment. 'Right now, my skin is the smoothest and clearest it's been in forever,' she says. 'There's no texture. It also helps with my active acne.' As for the sperm element, Swissa is unbothered: 'It smells a tiny bit fishy. It's not overpowering, but it's tolerable.' Dr. Yoo says it's good to be skeptical of the latest health trend, but predicts that, based on the results he's seen, salmon sperm facials will stick around. 'It's an exploding field,' he said. No pun intended.
