Rejuran or Juvelook: which one first?
Juvelook is a Sculptra cousin; Rejuran is a skin repair shot.
So how do you pick?
I ask what bothers you most, then match it.
Can’t I just use a PDRN cream?
Nice cream, but I doubt much of it gets in.
The first thing I ask is not “Rejuran or Juvelook?” It is “What bothers you when you look in the mirror?”
Short answer:
- Juvelook builds; Rejuran repairs. Juvelook slowly asks your skin to make collagen. Rejuran is a repair signal made from salmon DNA.
- Lost volume or fine lines on thin skin usually point to Juvelook. Fine lines around the eyes often do best with Juvelook plus Botox.
- Sun-damaged or easily irritated skin usually points to Rejuran. Neither is approved by the US FDA.
What is the difference between Rejuran and Juvelook?
Rejuran is polynucleotide (PN): long fragments of purified salmon DNA. It leaves nothing solid behind. It mainly nudges how the skin’s support network is remodelled [1]. Its licensed purpose, on the maker’s own page, is modest: temporary improvement of facial wrinkles [2].
Juvelook mixes tiny PDLLA particles with non-crosslinked hyaluronic acid [3]. The hyaluronic acid gives a little moisture early. The particles break down slowly, and that slow breakdown is what calls in the cells that build collagen.
Both are licensed in Korea. Neither is approved by the US FDA.
What I tell my patients: what is bothering you?
These are my usual starting points, not rules, and not advice for your face:
- “My face looks flat or hollow.” For lost volume, I usually suggest Juvelook Volume, a separate version made for deeper volume. Check which version you are quoted.
- “I have fine lines around my eyes.” I usually suggest Juvelook together with Botox. Botox calms the muscle that folds the skin when you smile. Juvelook works on the skin itself.
- “My skin is thin and creased.” I mean fine creases in thin skin, not a deep smile line. That is Juvelook territory too. A deep fold is a separate conversation.
- “My skin is damaged or always irritated.” If what you want is real recovery, for sun damage or sensitive, reactive skin, that is when I suggest Rejuran.
Why not just use a PDRN cream at home?
Rejuran’s maker also sells skincare with PDRN (pieces of salmon DNA).
Here is the problem. A PDRN molecule weighs about 50,000 to 1,500,000 daltons (a unit for how heavy a molecule is) [4]. An old rule says skin usually lets in only things under about 500 daltons [5]. Think of your skin’s front door as letting in only very small things. PDRN is a truck.
The one measurement I found tracked a PDRN cream into the top layer of skin (the epidermis), in lab skin and a small pilot in people [6]. I found no published measurement of how much reaches the deeper layer (the dermis), where injections go. So I suggest the route I am more sure of: putting it in directly with a needle. That is my clinical judgement, not a promise.
Rejuran is the longer-chain version. Its DNA pieces are longer and heavier (polynucleotide, PN). Longer pieces work mainly on rebuilding the skin’s support network, while shorter PDRN works mostly by switching on repair signals in cells [1].
What to put on afterwards is in skincare after Rejuran, Juvelook or filler.
How many sessions, and what can go wrong?
Juvelook: the published studies used three sessions about a month apart and judged results three months after the last one [7]. Expect slow change, not a same-day glow.
Rejuran: the maker publishes no session schedule [2], so each clinic sets its own. Ask for the number of sessions and the total price before you start.
How long it lasts: no study has followed either one beyond about six months after the last session. Plan on repeat treatment.
Downsides: both can bruise, swell and leave small bumps for a day or two. Rejuran stings, so numbing cream is usual. Juvelook can leave firm lumps weeks later, often linked to depth and placement [8]. Rare vision problems after PDLLA-HA injection have been reported, which is why technique matters [9].
Who should wait: pregnancy or breastfeeding, an infection or inflamed spots in the area, a bleeding disorder or blood thinners, or a history of keloid scars. A doctor who examines you decides.
The full side-by-side, with home care, is in Juvelook vs Rejuran. The human-collagen option is in Re2O vs Rejuran vs Juvelook, and every Korean stand-in for a famous Western treatment is in Is there a Korean alternative to Sculptra?
Have a question about your own skin? Ask me on LINE or by email — details on the Contact page.
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FAQ
Can you do Rejuran and Juvelook together?
Some clinics do both on one day. Both swell, so doing them together adds downtime and makes it hard to tell which one caused a reaction. Many doctors space them out instead, often starting with repair when the skin is irritated. That order is clinical judgement, not a tested rule.
Which lasts longer, Rejuran or Juvelook?
Nobody knows yet. The Juvelook studies measured results three months after a three-session course, and no study in this group followed people beyond about six months after the last session. Both are kept up with repeat treatment.
Are Rejuran and Juvelook FDA approved?
No. Both are licensed in Korea, but neither is approved by the US FDA. If a clinic says “FDA-approved”, ask which country’s regulator they mean.
References
- Kim ST. Comparison of polynucleotide and polydeoxyribonucleotide in dermatology: molecular mechanisms and clinical applications. Pharmaceutics 2025;17(8):1024. 10.3390/pharmaceutics17081024
- Pharma Research. REJURAN product page (composition, purpose). pharmaresearch.com. Accessed 2026-10-11.
- VAIM. JuveLook technology page. juvelook.com. Accessed 2026-10-11.
- Squadrito F, Bitto A, Irrera N, et al. Pharmacological activity and clinical use of PDRN. Front Pharmacol 2017;8:224. 10.3389/fphar.2017.00224
- Bos JD, Meinardi MM. The 500 Dalton rule for the skin penetration of chemical compounds and drugs. Exp Dermatol 2000;9(3):165-169. PMID 10839713
- Ye R, Wang Q, Du L, et al. Topical medium-length PDRN enhances dermal extracellular matrix repair in photodamaged skin. PLoS One 2026;21(7):e0350905. 10.1371/journal.pone.0350905
- Yi KH, Rosellini I, Min JLJ, Kim HS. A clinical study on the efficacy and safety of injectable PDLLA for nasolabial fold correction. J Craniofac Surg 2026 (online ahead of print). 10.1097/scs.0000000000012819
- Lee KWA, Chan LKW, Lee AWK, et al. Poly-D,L-lactic acid (PDLLA) application in dermatology: a literature review. Polymers 2024;16(18):2583. 10.3390/polym16182583
- Lau KHE, Young S, Goh A, et al. Consensus opinion on safe injection technique and management of PDLLA-HA200-induced visual impairment. J Craniofac Surg 2026;37(5):1103-1109. 10.1097/scs.0000000000012271
Disclaimer: This is general information, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. Brand names are discussed for information only and are not endorsements. Injections and prescription medicines should be chosen and given only by a licensed professional who has examined you, and what suits another person may not suit you.
14 years in practice · replies to messages herselfA doctor in Korea, in practice since 2012 — your K-Beauty Doc. Physician in non-surgical aesthetic medicine, practising in Ansan, South Korea. Every article here is written from clinical practice and the published literature. Not medical advice.
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