Rejuran (Salmon Sperm Facial) Aftercare: The First Week, Day by Day

The first week after Rejuran is mostly about small injection points settling. Expect raised bumps and redness where the needles went in, usually gone within 24 to 48 hours, with possible bruising and mild tenderness for a few days after that. The result itself is not part of week one — that builds gradually over the following weeks.

This matters because people arrive expecting the aftercare of a peel or a laser, and it is nothing like it. Nothing has been taken off the surface of your skin. Something has been placed into it through fine needles, so the recovery you are managing is the recovery of many tiny puncture points, not of a treated surface.

What should the first few hours feel like?

Numbed, then not. Numbing cream is applied before treatment and left to work, so most people describe brief stinging at each injection point during the session rather than sustained pain. As the numbing wears off over the next hour or two, expect the treated area to feel tender and a little tight, and to look bumpier than you were braced for in a bright bathroom mirror.

That bumpy look is the product sitting in small deposits under the injection points. It is the expected appearance of the treatment done correctly, not a sign it has been done badly.

Day 1: what will I see in the mirror?

Small raised bumps at every injection point, redness around them, and possibly some mild swelling — most noticeably around the eyes, which is both the area this treatment is most often chosen for and the area that swells most readily on anybody.

Plan the day accordingly. If you have an event, a client meeting or a family function within 48 hours of your appointment, move the appointment rather than the expectations.

Day 2: when do the bumps go?

Usually within 24 to 48 hours, as the product disperses into the skin. By the end of day two most people find the injection points have flattened and the redness has faded considerably. Tenderness and mild swelling settle over the first day or two on their own.

If the bumps are still clearly raised past that window, that is worth mentioning at your next visit or in a phone call — not because it necessarily means anything is wrong, but because we would rather look than guess.

Days 3 to 5: what about bruising?

Bruising is possible at any injection point and typically clears within a few days. It is more likely if you take blood-thinning medication, which is one of the reasons your medication list is asked for at the consultation rather than treated as a formality. If you are on anything that thins the blood, tell us before treatment, not afterwards.

Bruises that are fading, changing colour and getting smaller are behaving the way bruises behave. Bruising that is spreading, or getting more painful rather than less, is in the ring-the-clinic list below.

Days 5 to 7: when will I see the actual result?

Not this week, and that is by design. Polynucleotides work by signalling your skin's own repair processes, so the hydration, elasticity and texture changes build gradually over the weeks after each session rather than appearing at the end of recovery. Judging the treatment on day seven is judging it before it has done its work.

The course is typically two to four sessions spaced two to four weeks apart, and each visit includes a review — which is the sensible place to discuss what you are and are not seeing, with someone who can look at your skin.

What can I put on my face, and when can I wear makeup?

Follow the aftercare instructions you are given at your appointment, and ask before you leave if they were not clear. We deliberately do not publish a generic list of do-this-don't-do-that here, because the specifics reasonably vary with the area treated, your skin and what else you already use — and a list copied off the internet is a poor substitute for instructions given by the clinician who treated you.

If you have gone home and realised you are not sure about a particular product, a workout, a facial appointment or a holiday, ring and ask. It is a two-minute phone call, and it is the reason the number exists.

What should make me ring the clinic rather than wait it out?

Allergic reactions and infection are uncommon after this treatment, but they are possible with any injectable, and injection points are breaks in the skin. So there is a short list worth knowing by heart.

Ring the clinic promptly, rather than waiting for your next appointment, if you notice:

• Pain that is increasing rather than settling day by day.
• Heat in the treated area.
• Redness that is spreading outwards rather than fading.
• Swelling that is getting worse after the first couple of days instead of better.
• Any reaction you did not expect, whatever it looks like.
• Feeling generally unwell or feverish in the days after your session.

Two things about that list. First, please do not try to work out for yourself what any of it means — that is not a fair thing to ask of yourself, and the assessment is ours to make. We would far rather see something that turns out to be nothing than hear about it a week late. Second, none of these signs is a reason to feel foolish for calling. Calling early about something minor is exactly the behaviour we are asking for.

If something is worsening rapidly, or you cannot reach us because it is out of hours, do not wait for the clinic to open — seek medical care locally. And if you develop difficulty breathing, or swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, treat that as an emergency and get to emergency care immediately rather than telephoning us first. Rejuran is derived from salmon, which is why a fish allergy is screened for specifically at the consultation, and why this sentence is here even though such reactions are uncommon.

What if my next session is due and something is still settling?

Tell us when you book, and expect the plan to bend around it rather than the other way round. Sessions are reviewed each visit precisely so that the schedule can respond to what your skin is doing. A session is easier to move than a problem is to undo.

Where to start

If you have not had the treatment yet and this page is your research, the comparison worth having at a consultation is with skin boosters and Profhilo — both hyaluronic acid, both working by holding water in the skin, both with their own recovery pattern. Which one suits you depends on what your skin actually needs.

The consultation is ₹500, waived off against treatment, and it is where your medication list, your allergies and your calendar all get taken into account before anything is injected. Book an appointment when you have a clear fortnight to let the first session settle.