Is Rejuran Worth More Than a Skin Booster Injection?

Rejuran and a standard hyaluronic-acid skin booster are not the same treatment at two price points. They work on different problems: one adds water-holding capacity to the dermis, the other supports tissue repair and thickness over a repeated schedule. In the one trial that compared them directly, overall aesthetic improvement did not differ significantly between the two, and both groups saw their gains in elasticity and hydration shrink over time.

I'm Dr. Kim Yeonjin, lead physician at UH CELL Clinic's Gangnam location. When a patient asks me whether Rejuran is simply a stronger version of a skin booster, I start by looking at what their skin is doing right now, because the two injections are built to answer different questions.

What Each Injection Actually Does

A skin booster, in the sense most patients mean it, distributes hyaluronic acid in fine layers across the mid-dermis. Hyaluronic acid holds many times its weight in water, so the immediate effect is a rise in tissue hydration. Patients with dryness or fine, dehydration-related lines tend to notice a difference within the first week or two, which is one reason this category built its reputation on fast, visible skin quality.

Rejuran Healer uses a different active ingredient: polynucleotides purified from salmon DNA. A 2025 review published in the journal Applied Sciences summarized purified polynucleotide injections, typically formulated around 20 mg/mL, as associated with increased skin thickness, reduced wrinkle depth, and improved skin texture, with reported adverse effects generally limited to localized bruising and injection-site pain. The same review described the mechanism as running through the adenosine A2A receptor pathway, which is involved in reducing local inflammation and supporting tissue repair rather than simply adding volume or water.

That mechanistic difference is why I don't treat the two as interchangeable. A skin booster corrects a hydration deficit. Polynucleotide injections are aimed at tissue quality and repair capacity, which is a slower-moving target.

What the Comparison Trial Actually Found

The clearest head-to-head evidence comes from a randomized, double-blind, split-face trial led by Lee YJ and colleagues, published in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment in 2022. The study injected a polynucleotide filler on one side of the periocular area and a non-crosslinked hyaluronic acid filler on the other, then scored both sides on a visual analog scale and a global aesthetic improvement scale.

The result was not a clear win for either side. Differences in overall aesthetic score between the two groups were not statistically significant, and elasticity and hydration improvement rates in both groups declined as time passed. Repeated sessions at set intervals, not a single injection, were the implicit design behind lasting results in the trial.

That finding matters for how I set expectations in consultation. A patient who wants one injection to solve dryness now typically responds faster to a skin booster. A patient whose concern is skin thickness or overall tissue quality over months is choosing a treatment where the evidence points to comparable, not superior, aesthetic outcomes relative to a booster, achieved through a different biological route.

Separately, a 2024 survey by Rho NK and colleagues in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, which questioned 235 Korean board-certified dermatologists familiar with skin boosters, found injectable polynucleotide to be the most commonly used skin booster category in that group's practice. Wide adoption among Korean dermatologists reflects common practice, and the right choice for an individual still depends on dermal thickness, sensitivity, and treatment history. I check all three in consultation before deciding on active ingredient, injection depth, and interval.

Choosing Between the Two on a Short Trip

Injection marks and bruising vary by individual, and they tend to be more visible around the eye area, where skin is thinnest regardless of which product is used.

Our Gangnam location operates inside the UH FLAT SIGNATURE Gangnam building, so a patient can move from the treatment room back to a hotel room without leaving the building. UHC hotel guests can choose one of two recovery options free of charge: a 30-minute oxygen chamber session or a vitamin IV drip. Using both in the same stay means the IV drip is billed separately at 55,000 KRW. For a stay of two to three days, I generally recommend scheduling any injection early in the itinerary, which leaves more days for visible marks to settle before departure.

FAQ

Can I get Rejuran and a skin booster in the same visit?

Combining them can make sense depending on skin condition, but injecting multiple products into the same depth on the same day increases the chance that swelling and injection marks overlap. I usually separate them by treatment area or by a short interval instead of layering both at once.

How many sessions does it take to see a real difference?

Both categories are evaluated across a repeated schedule rather than a single session. The Lee YJ trial tracked results over multiple time points with sessions spaced two weeks apart, and the exact number and interval I recommend depends on the treatment area, dermal thickness, and how the skin responds to the first session.

When should I contact the clinic after either injection?

Contact us rather than applying pressure or heat yourself if redness or pain keeps intensifying instead of settling, if a firm lump has not reduced after several weeks, or if you notice any discharge at the injection site.

Individual response to injections and recovery time vary from patient to patient. Please consult a licensed physician for an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan before scheduling either procedure.