What Is Rejuran (Polynucleotide) Skin Treatment — Salmon Sperm Facial? A Plain-English Explanation

The "salmon sperm facial" is polynucleotide therapy — PDRN, purified DNA fragments derived from salmon, micro-injected into the skin with fine needles. At The Aesthetic Edge it is delivered using Rejuran, a Korean-developed PDRN line. It adds no volume and changes nothing about your face shape; it signals the skin's own repair processes, and hydration, elasticity and fine lines improve over the following weeks.

Almost every part of the popular name is misleading, which is why so many people arrive at a consultation with a picture in their head that does not match the treatment. Here is the plain version.

Is it actually a facial?

No, and this is the most useful correction to make early. A facial is something applied to the surface of your skin — cleansed, massaged, masked, steamed. This is an injectable. The active substance is placed into the skin through fine needles, in a series of small, shallow injections across the treatment area, after numbing cream has been applied and left to work.

It is also not a laser and not a machine treatment. There is no device, no light and no heat involved. Anyone describing it in the language of machine settings is describing something else.

That single distinction changes what you should expect from the appointment, what recovery looks like, and why it is administered by a doctor rather than by a therapist.

Is there really salmon sperm in it?

No. The name is marketing shorthand that stuck because it is memorable. What is injected is polynucleotides: purified fragments of DNA derived from salmon, processed to remove proteins and other biological material first. Nothing about the treatment involves sperm, and what ends up in the syringe is a highly purified, pharmaceutical-grade product rather than a raw biological extract.

The Rejuran line includes more than one formulation, aimed at different concerns and different areas. Which one fits what you are asking about is confirmed by your doctor at the consultation, rather than one product being used for everybody who walks in.

What does it do, in one sentence?

It signals rather than fills. A filler is a gel placed under the skin to occupy space and change contour. Polynucleotides add no volume at all — the DNA fragments act as a signal that prompts your skin's own repair and regeneration processes, so the improvement is in skin quality: hydration, elasticity, texture and fine lines.

Because the change comes from your skin's own response rather than from a product sitting in it, nothing happens the moment the needle comes out. Results build gradually over the weeks after each session.

What actually happens at the appointment?

Four stages, in order.

Consultation and skin assessment. The doctor examines your skin, confirms that polynucleotides suit the concern you have described, and screens for allergies and any conditions that would rule injecting out. This is the stage where you may be told a different treatment fits better.

Cleanse and numb. Your skin is cleansed, numbing cream is applied and then left long enough to actually work. That waiting time is not padding — the under-eye area is considerably more sensitive than the cheeks, which is part of why the numbing is not rushed.

Micro-injection. The solution is placed into the skin as small, shallow injections across the treatment area, at a depth chosen for the concern being treated. Depth, dose and placement are clinical decisions rather than a fixed recipe.

Course and review. Sessions are spaced two to four weeks apart and reviewed at each visit, with a typical course running to two to four sessions in total.

What does recovery look like?

Modest, but not invisible. Expect small raised bumps and redness where the needle entered — these are an expected part of the treatment rather than a sign something went wrong, and they usually settle within 24 to 48 hours as the product disperses.

Bruising is possible at any injection point, and more likely if you take blood-thinning medication, typically clearing within a few days. Tenderness or mild swelling is common in the first day or two, particularly around the eyes, and settles on its own.

Plan the timing around this. If something matters in your calendar, do not book an injectable treatment for the day before it.

When should you ring the clinic?

Please do not sit at home working out what something means. Allergic reactions and infection are uncommon but possible with any injectable, and the treatment is derived from salmon.

Report increasing pain, heat, spreading redness, or any unexpected reaction promptly rather than waiting for your next scheduled visit. The same applies to swelling that worsens instead of settling, discharge, a fever, or anything that simply does not match what you were told to expect. None of that is common. None of it is yours to assess alone, and the clinic already knows your case.

Who is not a candidate?

Treatment is deferred or declined with a known fish or product allergy, an active skin infection or open wounds in the area, certain skin conditions, and during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Tell your doctor about any fish allergy specifically, along with your other allergies and your medical history — the consultation screens for this.

There is also a category of person for whom this is simply the wrong tool. If your main concern is volume loss, sagging or deep folds, polynucleotides do not address it, because they do not add volume or lift anything. A different plan would serve you better, and you should expect to be told so plainly rather than sold the treatment you asked for.

How does it differ from skin boosters or Profhilo?

Skin boosters and Profhilo are hyaluronic acid. They hydrate by holding water within the skin. Polynucleotides work through a different route entirely, prompting the skin's own repair and collagen response rather than supplying hydration directly.

Which one suits you comes down to whether your real problem is dryness or overall skin quality and repair, and that is a question for the consultation rather than for a comparison chart.

One honest caveat

This is a newer treatment, and the evidence base is still building. Early studies and clinical experience are encouraging for hydration, elasticity and fine lines, but long-term comparative data is more limited than it is for older, better-studied treatments. That is worth saying plainly rather than leaving you to discover it later.

What it costs, and where to start

The price depends on the area being treated and how many sessions your skin needs, which is why there is no single figure to quote here — you will have the full plan and its cost confirmed in person before anything is booked. The consultation is ₹500, waived against treatment.

If the trending name is what brought you here, the useful next step is having someone look at your actual skin and tell you whether this treatment addresses what is bothering you. Book a consultation at Indiranagar or Bellandur.