Korean PDRN: Salmon Injection or Rejuran — Which One Your Skin Is Asking For

I'm Dr. Hyunji Kim, director and lead physician at Delphic Clinic in Gangnam, a minute from Sinnonhyeon Station. I trained at Korea University Medical Center, I am a member of the Korean Academy of Aesthetic Surgery & Laser Medicine and the Korean Filler Society, and my daily work is lifting, laser and anti-ageing care. Korean PDRN treatments are among the skin boosters I recommend most.

Korean PDRN is a topic I explain almost daily, usually because a patient has seen 'PDRN', 'PN', 'salmon injection' and 'Rejuran' used as if they were the same thing. They are related, not identical, and the difference affects which one I would choose for you. This page is the explanation I give in consultation.

PDRN, PN, salmon: untangling the words on Korean menus

Clinic menus in Seoul often use 'salmon injection' as a catch-all. In practice there are two families. PDRN (polydeoxyribonucleotide) products, such as our PDRN Salmon Injection, which also delivers growth factors. And PN (polynucleotide) products, of which Rejuran is the most widely known brand.

Both are derived from salmon DNA, which is why they are grouped together. They differ in formulation and in how the skin tends to look during the first days, which is often what decides the choice for a traveller.

Two ways I use salmon DNA at Delphic

For Rejuran specifically, including its different versions for the eyes and other areas, see my Rejuran first-timer's guide.

Choosing between them: my consultation questions

Answer these for yourself before you arrive. They are the same questions I ask, and they usually point clearly to one option.

• Is your main concern acne marks and pores, or thin skin and fine lines?
• Is your skin currently irritated or reactive?
• Can you avoid drinking, saunas and hard workouts for a week after treatment?
• Would small visible bumps for a day or two disrupt your plans?
• How many times can you realistically come back for a series?

A skin booster should match the skin in front of me, not the name that is trending this season.— Dr. Hyunji Kim, Delphic Clinic

The week after: habits that protect the result

After a PDRN Salmon Injection I ask patients to avoid heavy drinking, smoking, saunas and jjimjilbang, hot baths and strenuous exercise for about a week. That can be the harder part of a Seoul holiday, so plan your nights out around it.

Improvement builds over several weeks rather than appearing overnight, and a series usually does more than a single session. That slow build is also why online reviews of Korean PDRN are so split, which I discuss in how to read Korean PDRN reviews.

When a skin booster won't help

• Significant sagging: this is a lifting problem, not a skin-quality problem.
• Deep hollows: volume loss needs a volume solution.
• Dense pigment or melasma: a pigment plan comes first.
• Pregnancy, breastfeeding or active infection at the injection site: we postpone.
• A known allergy to fish-derived ingredients: tell me before anything else.

Sealed vials and other things worth checking

Because salmon-derived products look similar once drawn into a syringe, it is fair to ask to see what goes into your skin. At Delphic the 3cc PDRN vial is opened in front of you, and I am happy to show you the Rejuran packaging too.

If you want a deeper first-timer walkthrough of the PDRN option on its own, my polynucleotide in Korea guide covers it step by step.

These are our real prices for the PDRN Salmon Injection. International patients pay the same price as Korean patients.

When someone asks me for the "best Korean PDRN", this is how I answer.

If you are unsure which salmon-derived treatment suits your skin, book a free 1:1 consultation at Delphic Clinic and I will tell you honestly, including when neither is the answer. English and Chinese interpreters are on site, locals and international patients pay the same price, and same-day treatment is possible. We are one minute from Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 3.