Can Rejuran help my acne?
Not an acne drug. More like a repair shot that calms skin.
I have eczema and breakouts. Still worth it?
That mix is where I often see it help.
So can I skip my acne cream?
No. It sits beside your acne and eczema plan.
Some of my patients have two skin problems that fight each other: eczema and acne on the same face.
Short answer:
- Rejuran is not an acne medicine. It is purified salmon DNA (polynucleotide, PN) injected into the skin. In lab studies, PN turns down inflammation signals and helps the skin barrier.
- In my clinic, patients with eczema-prone skin who also break out often settle down after Rejuran. That is an observation, not a trial. I found no trial of Rejuran for active acne.
- It does not replace moisturiser, eczema medicine or acne medicine. It is not injected into a flaring, weeping patch.
Why is acne harder on eczema-prone skin?
Eczema-prone (atopic) skin has a weak barrier. It dries out easily and reacts to things other skin ignores [3]. Now add acne.
The usual acne creams, like retinoids and benzoyl peroxide, can dry and sting. In my experience, many people with this skin stop them because they sting. And each spot sits in already inflamed skin, so it stays red longer and leaves more marks. That is clinical judgement, not a measured fact.
What does Rejuran actually do in the skin?
Rejuran is PN: long pieces of salmon DNA. Its shorter cousin, PDRN, works mainly through the adenosine A2A receptor, a switch on cells that calms inflammation and helps repair [1]. Longer PN works more on the skin’s support network, so how much of that switch applies to Rejuran is less clear [2].
For eczema, the evidence is early:
- In mice with a chemically caused eczema, PN put on the skin lowered the eczema score and water loss. It also brought back filaggrin, a protein the barrier needs [3].
- In skin cells and immune cells in a dish, PN lowered several eczema-type inflammation signals [4].
- In people, I found one report of four patients with eczema who had PN injections. Redness and itch improved, but there was no comparison group [5].
An expert panel, several of them linked to Rejuran’s maker, lists eczema barrier repair as a use but calls the evidence limited [6].
Is there a trial of Rejuran for active acne?
No trial I could find. The studies are about acne scars. One small placebo-controlled trial in 20 women with acne scars left out anyone who had active acne in the past five years [7]. For active, severe acne, I found one single-patient report combining PN’s cousin PDRN with isotretinoin and laser [8].
In a survey of Korean dermatologists, most use PN for scars, mainly to prevent them [9]. One author advises the maker.
Why do I think it helps this skin?
Rejuran does not kill acne bacteria or unclog pores. Medicines do that.
My reading: eczema-plus-acne skin has angry spots and a barrier that is slow to recover. If Rejuran calms the background inflammation and helps the barrier, each spot has less to spread into and may fade with fewer red or dark marks. That is my clinical judgement built on lab studies, not a proven fact.
What I tell my patients with eczema and acne
These are general starting points, not advice for your face:
- Medicine comes first. Acne gets acne medicine: a gentle retinoid, an antibiotic cream like clindamycin, or isotretinoin for severe or cystic acne. Eczema gets moisturiser and eczema medicine. Rejuran sits beside them.
- Not during a flare. Red, weeping, cracked or infected skin is a reason to postpone. So are inflamed, pus-filled spots in the area.
- Ask about sessions. The maker publishes no schedule [10]. Korean dermatologists most often reported three sessions [9]. Ask the number, interval and total price first.
- Expect stinging, small bumps for a day or two, and sometimes bruising. Tell the clinic you have eczema before numbing cream goes on.
- If you take isotretinoin, tell the injecting doctor. The timing is their call.
What do Korean clinics mean by “acne Rejuran”?
Some Korean clinics sell “acne Rejuran” packages. They say it calms breakouts. Before you pay, ask:
- Which product, how many cc, and how many sessions?
- What is the plan for my acne and eczema medicine alongside it?
If the plan is Rejuran alone for active acne, ask again.
How Rejuran compares with Juvelook is in Rejuran vs Juvelook: which should a first-timer get? and the full side-by-side. What to put on afterwards is in skincare after Rejuran, Juvelook or filler.
Have a question about your own skin? Ask me on LINE or by email — details on the Contact page.
Read next
- Rolling, Boxcar or Ice Pick: What Acne Scar Do I Have?
- Can RF Microneedling Treat Acne Scars and Large Pores?
FAQ
Can I get Rejuran while I have active acne?
Not into inflamed, pus-filled spots or infected skin; those are a reason to wait. The usual plan is to let acne medicine calm things first, then treat the quieter skin. Severe, cystic acne gets medicine first. That timing is clinical judgement; no trial has tested it.
Does Rejuran treat eczema?
It is not approved for eczema. Its licensed purpose, on the maker’s page, is temporary improvement of facial wrinkles [10]. For eczema there are mouse and lab studies and one four-patient report, so it is used off-label, beside standard eczema care.
Is a PDRN cream enough instead?
A PDRN cream may be pleasant on eczema-prone skin, but PDRN molecules are large and I doubt much reaches the deeper skin [1]. More on that is in the Rejuran vs Juvelook article above.
References
- 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
- Kim ST. Comparison of polynucleotide and polydeoxyribonucleotide in dermatology: molecular mechanisms and clinical perspectives. Pharmaceutics 2025;17(8):1024. 10.3390/pharmaceutics17081024
- Ha YJ, Tak KH, Lee JL, et al. Polynucleotides enhance skin barrier function and reduce inflammation in a 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-induced mouse model of atopic dermatitis. Skin Res Technol 2025;31(6):e70189. 10.1111/srt.70189
- Ha YJ, Tak KH, Lee JL, et al. Polynucleotides attenuate atopic dermatitis-like inflammatory signaling in keratinocytes and macrophages. Biomedicines 2026;14(8):1826. 10.3390/biomedicines14081826
- Bae K, Cho Y, Soo K, et al. Efficacy of polynucleotide-based therapy in atopic dermatitis management. J Cosmet Dermatol 2026;25(1):e70648. 10.1111/jocd.70648
- Rho NK, Chilukuri S, Chan G, et al. Expert perspectives: evidence-based applications of polynucleotides (PNs) in aesthetic medicine and dermatology. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2026;19:557226. 10.2147/CCID.S557226
- Araco A, Araco F. Preliminary prospective and randomized study of highly purified polynucleotide vs placebo in treatment of moderate to severe acne scars. Aesthet Surg J 2021;41(7):NP866-NP874. 10.1093/asj/sjab125
- Crisanto de Oliveira RR. Safety and feasibility of the ISO-LPR protocol (isotretinoin, laser, and polydeoxyribonucleotide) in severe nodulocystic acne: a case report. JAAD Case Rep 2026;71:118-122. 10.1016/j.jdcr.2026.03.018
- Rho NK, Han KH, Goo BL, Kim HS. Real-world use of polynucleotide injections in scar prevention and management: a nationwide survey of KAAD dermatologists. J Cosmet Dermatol 2026;25(5):e70887. 10.1111/jocd.70887
- Pharma Research. REJURAN product page (composition, purpose). pharmaresearch.com. Accessed 2026-10-11.
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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