A cadaver-derived skin booster is an injection of donated human dermis (hADM), the skin's internal framework, made from a deceased donor's skin with the cells removed. The cells are removed to take out the components that drive rejection. Whether there is a change is assessed over several weeks.
At a glance
In a comparison of 20 people, the skin was measured from week 1 through week 20. The schedule recorded in this study is 3 sessions, one month apart.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration includes HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and syphilis in donor testing.
In Korea, a tissue bank is licensed by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Tissue suspected of infection, and tissue from a donor whose cause of death is unclear, is barred from supply and transplantation.
What material is a donated human dermis (hADM) skin booster?
Removing the epidermis and cells leaves collagen and elastin. Unlike matrix made from animal skin, what is injected here consists of particles made from donated human skin. Processing, storage, and preparation differ by product.
The Re2O skin booster and DermaCell are two different products that deliver these particles into the skin. For the procedure, see the Re2O skin booster guide. For how DermaCell differs from cell-based procedures, see the DermaCell guide.
Does removing the cells also resolve the risk of infection?
Removing the cells does not address infection; that is handled separately, through donor testing and processing after recovery. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires written procedures that limit the spread of infection during that processing and handling.
How was this material used in people, and how long was it observed?
A study of the Re2O skin booster in people included 20 participants. 150 mg of dermal particles with the cells removed was mixed with hyaluronic acid, saline, and an anesthetic, and 1.5 mL of that mixture was placed in the mid-dermis on one side of the face. The schedule recorded in this study is 3 sessions, one month apart.
Measurements were taken at 1, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 weeks after treatment. In that window the study recorded density, elasticity, wrinkles, pores, and hydration. Temporary redness and mild swelling settled without treatment, and there were 0 serious adverse events. A researcher who advised on product development took part in the study. It was a split-face comparison: one side received the particles mixed with hyaluronic acid, the other hyaluronic acid alone.
| Item | Trial record |
|---|---|
| Participants | 20 participants |
| Preparation | 150 mg of dermal particles mixed with hyaluronic acid, saline, and an anesthetic |
| Placement | Mid-dermis, 1.5 mL on one side |
| Sessions | 3 sessions, one month apart |
| Measurements | Weeks 1, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 |
| Right after injection | Temporary redness, mild swelling |
| Serious adverse events | 0 |
How is it different from a stem-cell procedure or a filler?
This skin booster places matrix. SVF, often called a stem-cell procedure, uses cells from your own fat. A hyaluronic acid filler fills a hollow with a water-based gel. The three are often lumped together, but the material in the syringe differs.
For what framework-replenishing boosters can and cannot do, see the skin booster that replenishes the skin's framework. To compare materials with Rejuran, see the Re2O and Rejuran comparison. For the treatment pages, see the Re2O skin booster and DermaCell.
| Category | Material placed | Cells | Extra item on the paperwork |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human-dermis skin booster | Donated dermal particles | Matrix only | Donor testing, lot number |
| SVF | Cells from your own fat | Cells included | Harvest site |
| Hyaluronic acid filler | Water-based gel | Gel only | Product name and area |
How are donors and tissue managed?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires establishments that handle human cells or tissue for transplantation or infusion to screen and test donors, follow written procedures that limit the spread of infection, and keep records. Skin is listed among the examples. Donor testing includes HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and syphilis.
In Korea, skin is classified as human tissue. Donation is giving one's own tissue without payment, and donation after death is possible. Unlike solid organs, tissue is processed and stored for a long time. A tissue bank is an institution licensed by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Its work covers recovery, storage, processing, custody and distribution of tissue, as well as donor screening and quality control. Tissue is barred from supply and transplantation when infection is suspected, when the donor's cause of death is unclear, or when it fails suitability testing.
| Condition | Handling in Korea |
|---|---|
| Infected or suspected infection with HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or syphilis | Supply and transplantation barred |
| Donor with dementia or another degenerative neurological disease | Supply and transplantation barred |
| Donor whose cause of death is unclear | Supply and transplantation barred |
| Donor exposed to a hazardous substance | Supply and transplantation barred |
| Tissue with concern for cancer spread | Supply and transplantation barred |
| Failed suitability testing | Supply and transplantation barred |
What is the order on the day of treatment?
The day proceeds as review, skin antisepsis, anesthesia, then injection. During recovery, keep watching the injection site.
- Check for infection at the site, allergies, current medicines, and recent facial procedures.
- Disinfect the skin.
- Use a topical anesthetic when it is needed.
- Inject the prepared particles.
What side effects occur, and when is the procedure postponed?
Changes right after injection are checked at the site. If the site to be injected has an infection, that site is left off that day's plan.
| Category | What to watch |
|---|---|
| Right after injection | Redness, swelling, bruising, tenderness to pressure |
| Contact the treating institution | Pain that increases, heat, discharge, blisters, a rash that spreads |
| Left off that day's plan | Infection at the site to be injected |
※ The immediate items are reactions checked at the injection site. Donor testing is the procedure used to reduce the spread of infection through tissue.
What should you check on the quote and consent form?
On the quote, check first whether the product name is the Re2O skin booster or DermaCell, and whether the lot number is recorded with your consent form. For how to read the price, see what to check on the Re2O price.
What should you match on the paperwork before your consultation?
Check that what you were told matches what is written in the paperwork. Blank fields need to be completed on the day of treatment.
- □ Product name match between the explanation and the paperwork
- □ Source-material wording: donated human dermis (hADM)
- □ Donor screening and testing information received in writing
- □ Receipt of a lot number or a tracking number
- □ Match between the treatment area and this plan
- □ A written list of immediate reactions and of changes that should prompt contact
- □ Keeping a copy of the consent form and the material information
Frequently asked questions
Q1. Is a human-dermis skin booster a stem-cell procedure?
It places matrix with the cells removed, so the material differs from a stem-cell procedure. SVF, often called a stem-cell procedure, uses cells from your own fat.
Q2. Where does the donated skin come from?
It is skin from a donor, given without payment. The paperwork names it donated human dermis (hADM), and the donor-testing record is checked with it.
Q3. Are Re2O and DermaCell the same product?
They are separate products that both use human dermis. You can tell them apart by the product name on the paperwork.
Q4. What does donor testing check?
The United States requires HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and syphilis testing of donors. In Korea, tissue that meets conditions such as suspected infection or an unclear cause of death is barred from supply and transplantation.
Q5. How is it different from a hyaluronic acid filler?
A filler places a water-based gel to fill volume. A human-dermis skin booster places dermal particles. The comparison in people used a mixture that included hyaluronic acid.
Sources
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Tissue and Tissue Products
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Donor testing requirements for human cells and tissue
- Easylaw (Korean government legal information service): Overview of human tissue donation and transplantation
- Mihalečko J et al. (2022), Physiol Res: Acellular Dermal Matrix in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (PMID 36592440, PMC9854008)
- Lee YI et al. (2026), Int J Mol Sci: Injectable Particulated Human Acellular Dermal Matrix Booster for Skin Restoration: An Integrated Randomized, Split-Face, Double-Blinded Clinical Trial and Preclinical Study (PMC12985180)
This article is general information and does not replace individual medical care.
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