In consultations about skin texture, exosomes and Rejuran come up side by side. The choice is not which name is newer; it turns on what is used on the skin today.
3-line summary
Rejuran is an injection that places PN (sodium polynucleotide) obtained from fish DNA.
Exosomes are delivery particles that cells send outward, and in cosmetic advertising, wording that could be mistaken as human-derived is restricted.
Whether to place both on the same day is decided after seeing the skin response.
Rejuran is a PN injection; exosomes are delivery particles
Both are introduced as procedures that add something to the skin, but what is in the syringe and what is in the bottle differ. Rejuran injects PN, large molecular fragments obtained from fish DNA. Products called exosomes apply or inject small particles that cells wrap in a membrane and send outward. The material differs from a procedure that transfers living stem cells.
| Item | Rejuran | Exosome product |
|---|---|---|
| What is used | PN injection | Delivery particles |
| Source material | Fish DNA | Origin differs by product |
| Same-day check | Today's product name | Whether it is applied or injected |
Because products are split even under the Rejuran name, ask the vial name used today. Authorization wording and contraindications continue in the Rejuran Healer guide; particles and how they are used continue in the exosome treatment guide. The treatment page is the Rejuran treatment information.
Cosmetic labeling and injection data
Korea's cosmetic labeling and advertising guidance listed exosome wording that could be mistaken as an ingredient from the human body as a prohibited example. Wording that states an origin outside the human body, such as plant exosome or milk exosome, was left as a permitted example. This guidance is for labeling and advertising; classification of the vial used in clinic today is determined by that product's documents.
U.S. regulators state that exosome products that treat a disease or condition require prior authorization. That authorization list currently leaves exosome treatment products unlisted. They have also published reports of serious adverse events from products used without authorization.
There is a comparison that placed PN injections in crow's-feet wrinkles in people. A paper that pooled several PN injections recorded changes in wrinkles, skin texture, and elasticity, and reactions were generally mild and short-lived. One of the authors of that paper is a clinical instructor who teaches PN products. There are experiments that looked at pathways linked to collagen synthesis in cells and animals, and among the authors are people affiliated with related companies.
A comparison that applied exosomes to the face was done after a needle procedure, and the manufacturer provided research funding.
| What to check | Rejuran | Exosome product |
|---|---|---|
| What was seen on the human face | PN injection, crow's-feet wrinkles 12 weeks | Applied after a needle procedure, manufacturer research funding |
| Korean advertising rules | Consulted as an injection product | Restriction on human-derived exosome wording |
| U.S. public guidance | — | Treatment-product authorization list left unlisted |
※ The table is guidance for comparing the labeling of the product used today.
What actually happens on the day
When two names are heard in the same visit, the side that will actually be used today is chosen first. After the site is set and disinfected, Rejuran goes in by injection, and an exosome product is applied or injected. If a needle is used, a pricking sensation and same-day redness and swelling follow. A topical schedule is completed without needle marks that day.
The estimate changes with the amount placed, the number of sessions, and the area treated. Decision factors can be seen in the pricing information. How pain and recovery are experienced can be read together with the Rejuran pain and recovery guide.
When both names come up in the same consultation
The check starts from the name offered, then the source material, how it is used, and whether it is the same day.
- □ Whether the name offered today is Rejuran or an exosome product
- □ If it is an exosome, whether the source is human, or plant or milk
- □ If it is an exosome, whether it is topical use or injection
- □ Whether both will be placed on the same day, or continued after seeing the response
- □ Pregnancy or breastfeeding, infected skin, anticoagulants or immunosuppressants, fillers already placed
After injection, redness, swelling, pain, and bruising are common. The number of sessions is set after seeing the response to earlier sessions. The next day, strong cleansing and saunas are postponed. Shared precautions can be found in the procedure safety information.
Frequently asked questions
Q1. Does it hurt?
PN injections report redness, swelling, and pain at the injection site. An exosome schedule that uses a needle also brings same-day redness and swelling. If it is only applied, the day is completed without injection marks.
Q2. How many sessions?
There is no session-count table shared by both procedures. The next session is set after seeing the site and the response.
Q3. How long does it last?
The same duration number is not attached to both procedures. The period a PN-injection comparison study followed was 12 weeks, and the facial exosome comparison was a short schedule seen together with a needle procedure.
Q4. Can they be received together?
Whether to overlay PN and delivery particles in the same site is decided after seeing the response. Whether to set them on the same day is decided after seeing that day's skin condition.
Q5. Who should postpone the schedule?
Pregnancy or breastfeeding, active infection at the treatment site, anticoagulants or immunosuppressants, allergy to the relevant ingredient, and fillers already placed are disclosed in advance. That day's session is postponed or switched to another schedule.
Results, duration, and suitability vary with individual skin condition, age, and lifestyle, and the same outcome cannot be guaranteed.
Procedures may cause temporary redness or swelling, and contraindications may apply, so please confirm these during your consultation.
This article is general information and does not replace individual medical care. Please confirm diagnosis and treatment suited to your condition during a consultation.
Source materials
- Human crow's-feet PN injection comparison, PMID 31680395 — Abstract confirmed. No Europe PMC retraction marking. 30 people, split-face, 12 weeks. Product name in the abstract is RJR (purified PN filler). The abstract does not write the Rejuran trade name itself. No conflicts of interest (original-text COI).
- Systematic review pooling the aesthetic use of PN, PMID 39645667 — Abstract and public version. 9 papers, 219 people; evidence quality low or moderate. Reports wrinkles, skin texture, elasticity, and mild, short-lived reactions. Among the authors is an education officer of a PN product distributor. The included 2014 Rejuran trial (PMID 25473210) was later retracted.
- Fish-DNA origin of PN and collagen pathways in cells and animals, PMID 40943641 — Abstract confirmed. No Europe PMC retraction marking. Not a study that measured treatment effects in people. Among the authors are people affiliated with related companies and clinics.
- Extracellular vesicle research reporting guidelines, PMID 38326288 — Abstract and public-version nomenclature table. Membrane-enclosed particles that cannot replicate on their own. Recommends using the name exosome only when an intracellular pathway is confirmed. Not a skin aesthetic trial. Subsequent corrigendum PMID 38726651.
- Facial photoaging comparison trial, PMID 40414798 — Abstract and public version. After radiofrequency microneedling, one side plasma, the other a topical exosome. Manufacturer research funding. The body states that statistical analysis of the clinical evaluation was omitted because the sample was small. Not data that isolated the effect of the exosome alone.
- Korea's MFDS press reference (2025.1.21.) — PDF body. Prohibits expressions for human-derived ingredients (exosomes, etc.); prohibited examples ‘exosome cosmetics · exosome’; permitted examples ‘plant exosome · milk exosome’. A labeling and advertising guideline; it does not evaluate treatment effects.
- Korea's MFDS Cosmetics Labeling and Advertising Management Guidelines (2025.8.14. Guidance for Civil Petitioners) — PDF body prohibited-expression table. The same exosome prohibited and permitted examples as the press release. Guidance for businesses.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration consumer alert (2020.7.22., page updated 2024.4.9.) — Body confirmed by search (bot requests return 404). States that exosomes that treat a disease or condition require authorization, and that authorized exosome products have not been placed on that list. U.S. regulatory scope.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration safety notification on exosome products (2019.12.6.) — Body confirmed by search. Reports of serious adverse events from products used without authorization in Nebraska. Not a tally of a specific product in Korea.
Related reading
Sources
Discuss options for your current needs
We review your current health and prior procedures before explaining appropriate options and their limits.
