Profhilo
22 June 2022
Hot on the heels of Skinboosters and cocktail skin filler treatments to improve skin texture and elasticity, comes Rejuran Healer. Rejuran Healer is a skin filler containing Salmon DNA as its main ingredient that promises to reverse signs of aging and rejuvenate the skin. Is Rejuran Healer the elixir of youth? Let’s take a critical look at the anti-aging promises of Rejuran Healer and compare this against the other available anti-aging treatments.
Originating from South Korea, Rejuran Healer is a non-invasive anti-aging treatment that reverses signs of aging and repairs damaged skin1. Think of Rejuran Healer as the anti-aging equivalent of Skinboosters, the much-feted treatment for improved skin hydration and texture. However, instead of hyaluronic acid, Rejuran Healer contains polynucleotides (PN), a biological molecule present in all living things. Polynucleotides are essentially molecules consisting of multiple nucleotides (hence the name ‘poly’ and ‘nucleotides’). If the term ‘nucleotides’ rings a bell- then Eureka! That’s right- nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA.
Related post: Rejuran Healer vs Skinboosters
The key concept behind Rejuran Healer is healing and protection. Current aesthetic and anti-aging treatments are centered around treating problems (e.g. Botox to erase wrinkles, face threadlifts to lift saggy skin and jawlines). Rejuran Healer represents a paradigm shift and a very exciting concept change: to heal and protect the skin while correcting signs of aging1.
Literature is replete with studies demonstrating the efficacy of PN used for wound healing in humans and animal studies. In humans, PN has been used to accelerate healing in diabetic foot ulcers2, autoimmune conditions3, pigmentation4, skin grafts5,6 and even hair loss7 !
1) Reversal of signs of aging e.g. fine lines, loss of skin elasticity
2) Smoother skin texture
3) Reduce scars (e.g. acne scars)
4) Shrink pores
5) Improved skin hydration
6) Better skin recovery from injury
1) Improving microcirculation via process called angiogenesis8. PN causes increased expression of a growth factor called Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) needed for the growth of blood vessels. Blood vessels are the highway for oxygen and nutrients for cells to grow and repair.
2) Anti-inflammatory effects on tissues8,9. Inflammation generates free radicals which damages to cells. If these damaged cells are unable to repair themselves, the cells will be removed via apoptosis, our body’s natural repair system. Through multiple mechanisms and cytokines, PN has been shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect and even reduce scar formation
3) Improves skin texture and elasticity. Collagen synthesis is enhanced by fibroblast activation8,10. This also results in treatment of fine lines in the skin.
4) Tissue repair and wound healing. PN salvages DNA and RNA fragments from damaged cells to incorporate them into new DNA for normal cell proliferation and recovery8.
5) Protection from UV damage- UV rays from the sun cause damage to our DNA and this accelerates signs of aging. PN has been shown to enhance DNA repair and clearance of toxic by-products of UV-damaged cells8.
Update: Recently I shared about the benefits of Rejuran Healer in Australian beauty magazine, Beauticate. Read the full article We Investigate ‘Baby Skin’ Salmon Sperm Injections.
Are you intrigued by Rejuran Healer and the benefits of PN? Here’s where it gets interesting and a little squirmy… but anything goes for the quest of youth right?
The PN/DNA in Rejuran Healer is derived from Salmon germ cells (that’s science speak for Salmon sperm cells). The PN/DNA is then subjected to a very rigorous purification process that removes any antigens or proteins that might cause immune or biocompatibility reactions.
Salmon DNA is very similar to human DNA . As alluded to above, the rigorous purification that the salmon cells are subjected to removes any proteins that may cause immune reactions.
In one the earliest studies in 2010 that spawned interest in using DNA and biological molecules for repair and anti-aging benefits, DNA derived from salmon sperm was shown to improve human skin elasticity, hydration and texture from as early as 4 weeks12.
To date, there is no available treatment or product that uses human PN/DNA for anti-aging or aesthetic purposes that is equivalent to Rejuran Healer ethical reasons. Although PN/DNA and other biological molecules are purportedly used as ingredients in skincare and cosmetics, Rejuran Healer is one of the first of its kind and the horizon for developing newer and better natural and non-synthetic products and treatments is near.
The closest anti-aging and healing treatments that uses biological molecules obtained from your own body/blood are Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) aka the Vampire Facials or Stem Cell injections. Both PRP and Stem Cell treatments make use of your own growth factors and cytokines to repair and rejuvenate skin. Both PRP and Stem cell injections are not approved by the Ministry of Health in Singapore for face treatments.
Related post: Platelet Rich Plasma and Vampire Facials
Let’s get down to basics.
The basic building unit of DNA is nucleotides. Polynucleotides are long chains of nucleotides. Polydeoxyribonucleotides (PDRN) is a subtype of polynucleotides. Rejuran contains PN and PDRN.
1) Reduced fine lines and wrinkles 2) Improved skin texture and elasticity 3) Better skin hydration 4) Reduced scars 5) Skin repair and healing
Rejuran Healer can be injected into the skin of your face and neck for repair and to address signs of aging.
The face if first numbed with numbing cream then disinfected.
I inject Rejuran Healer into the skin via an injector gun or the manual technique. The technique for Rejuran Healer injections that I use will depend on the skin condition of the patient being treated. Both manual injection technique and injector machine techniques have their respective strengths and weaknesses.
In my practice, LED light is then shone over the patient face after Rejuran Healer is injected to reduce redness, calm the skin and reduce recovery time. You can read about the benefits of LED light in LED Light Therapy Explained.
As soon as after 1 session, in approximately 4 weeks after the injection is performed. Bear in mind that Rejuran Healer works by repairing and healing skin damage so results are not immediate unlike fillers. For best results, 3 to 4 treatments spaced 4 weeks apart is advised. Thereafter, maintenance treatment every 6 to 12 months is advised.
If you are want to protect your skin against aging and reverse signs of aging at the same time, then Rejuran Healer is your best bet- more so than Skinboosters which mainly hydrate the skin. Think of Rejuran Healer as an aggressive treatment towards anti-aging, to prevent the skin and tissues from the problems of aging like wrinkles, loss of elasticity, poor skin texture…etc.
This is not to say that Rejuan Healer is only suitable for older patients who have signs of aging. In fact, Rejuran Healer is a very good treatment for younger patients who are also looking for a way to prevent aging, keep skin young and healthy and delay the onset of aging related treatments like Botox for wrinkles.
The most common would be temporary redness, needle marks and bumps immediately after the injections. These fade within 1-3 days for most patients.
Rejuran Healer has received Singapore HSA approval and Korean FDA approval. US FDA and EU CE approval has not been obtained for Rejuran Healer currently.
Yes you can combine Rejuran Healer with other anti-aging aesthetic face treatments. Rejuran Healer is essentially a treatment that heals and repairs aged and damaged skin so Rejuran Healer can be done in combination with other treatments to enhance their results. A good combination would be combining Rejuran Healer with laser treatments and chemical peels to improve skin pigmentation, glow, texture, pores and elasticity.
Although the treatment regimes sound familiar, they are very different.
The main component of Rejuran Healer is PN/PDRN/DNA for repair, healing and anti-aging. For Skinboosters, the main component is Hyaluronic acid for hydration and texture improvement. My post Rejuran Healer vs Skinboosters will explain the differences in greater detail.
Yes, I combine both Rejuran Healer and Skinboosters for some patients. The combination can be done in the same session or seperately if you prefer. You can read Karen’s review of her anti-aging cocktail with me (Rejuran Healer+ Skinboosters+ Microbotox) here.
Related post: Skinboosters/ 水光针- all you need to know about it!
Rejuran Healer comes in syringes of 2ml. At my clinic, the cost is $800 for a 2ml syringe.
My post, Salmon DNA in Skincare and Needleless Rejuran and Rejuran Healer will explain this in detail.
You may have heard of Profhilo, the latest anti-aging and skin hydrating treatment to make its way to Singapore from Italy. Here’s a quick review on the differences between Profhilo vs Rejuran Healer.
First things first, what is Profhilo?
Profhilo is an anti-aging injectable that hydrates the skin and improves skin firmness and elasticity. Profhilo contains a combination of high and low molecular weight hyaluronic acid and has been found to bioremodel the skin. The unique molecular structure of Profhilo stimulates the formation of 4 types of collagen, elastin and proliferate adipocytes (fat) stem cells causes bioremodelling of the skin while hydrating skin from within.
Related blogpost: Is Profhilo the Injectable Skincare of the Future?
Rejuran Healer on the other hand, contains namely salmon DNA fragments (i.e polynucleotides or PDRN) that also bioremodel the skin, albeit through different mechanisms. The treatment protocols, injection techniques and cost also differ for Profhilo vs Rejuran Healer. My blogpost Profhilo vs Rejuran vs Skinboosters: Injectable Moisturisers Explained will break down the all the details between these 3 top treatments in Singapore.
Speak to your aesthetic doctor to understand the best option for your skin!
