REJURAN (BIO-REGENERATION)
Rejuran® is the brand name of a new class of injectable treatments called 'polynucleotides'. It is the only TGA-approved polynucleotide product available in Australia. Unlike the brand names of anti-wrinkle or filler products, Rejuran is not classified as a medicine or an S4 drug and therefore it can be discussed on websites, social media and in marketing.
Rejuran is very different to facial volumisers, bio-remodellers or bio-stimulators. It is made from marine-derived DNA fragments - the so called 'polynucleotides'. Despite what you might have read online, the DNA isn't from salmon sperm, it's actually from the testicle tissue of the fish.
When injected, the DNA fragments signal to the dermis of your skin via a number of different cellular pathways. In simple terms, they help support your skin's own regenerative capabilities. Polynucleotides can help promote healing, repair and rejuvenation. Therefore Dr Jake sometimes refers to Rejuran as a 'skin bio-regenerator'.
WHAT IS REJURAN & WHAT ARE POLYNUCLEOTIDES?
Rejuran is a clear, colourless and odourless solution. It contains polynucleotides or 'PN' for short. Dr Jake visited the Rejuran manufacturing plant in South Korea in 2023. The salmon used are wild and are not farmed or bred. Instead the salmon are harvested when they literally swim into the factory after mating and at a time in their lifecycle when they would naturally die anyway.
Polynucleotides are purified, bio-active DNA fragments. You can think of polynucleotides as 'building blocks' that when added together make up strands of DNA. Injectable polynucleotides are very runny liquids in appearance and look and feel like a watery-serum. Therefore they are completely different to other traditional injectable products such as facial volumisers.
Rejuran is injected as multiple tiny dots just under the surface of the skin known as the 'dermis'. Immediately after a treatment you will see multiple raised dots all over the skin. This 'bumpy' look to the skin is very noticeable but only lasts for approximately 24-48 hours. Click here to see what Dr Jake's patient looked like immediately after a forehead and eye treatment
When injected, polynucleotides help stimulate your body's own regenerative and repair mechanisms. Rejuran has been used in Asia since 2014 and over 10 million syringes have been used to date. A huge advantage of polynucleotides is that they have never caused a vascular occlusion. This means the risk of blindness or stroke (that is associated with fillers) is essentially zero.
Korean doctors with nearly a decade of experience using Rejuran have noticed how it also seems help improve issues like sensitive skin and redness. It's therefore also a very useful product when used in combination with laser treatments to improve healing and downtime from these treatments, but also to optimise the overall results. Those who suffer with rosacea or melasma should therefore consider adding Rejuran into their overall skin treatment plan as it may help improve the health of the skin barrier in combination with other treatments.
KEY FEATURES OF REJURAN CONSULTATIONS
Consultations
New patient consultation + Rejuran treatments = 45 mins.
Existing patient consultations + treatments = 30 mins.
Skin quality improvement
Common areas to use Rejuran include the skin of the under eyes, forehead, rest of the face, neck and décolletage (upper chest). Improved texture, firmness, crepiness can be expected as well as improving inflammation or redness.
How many treatments?
Initially 3 treatments are recommended, 2-4 weeks apart. This is followed by once every 3-6 months for maintenance.
Safety
Rejuran treatments will be visible for approximately 48 hours. Serious complications like vascular occlusions and blindness are not associated with polynucleotides.
REJURAN TREATMENT AREAS
DOWNTIME & AFTER CARE AFTER REJURAN
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Rejuran is injected as tiny dots all over the areas treated. Local anaesthetic cream will be applied prior and the injections associated with some very minor discomfort.
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Bruising is always possible with these tiny injections, especially around the eye area. Dr Jake recommends booking an LED Healite treatment post-procedure to help accelerate the healing process but this isn't mandatory. Avoiding any blood thinners 7 days prior including fish oils, aspirin and NSAID medications is also strongly advised.
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As a result of how Rejuran is injected, you will have multiple visible bumps over the skin area treated. These are self-limiting and in normal skin will disperse on their own in approximately 48 hours. If you have thinner or peri-menopausal skin, this may take a day or so longer. So whilst you can go to work or socialise (and use make up the day after), you may feel self-conscious or have people asking what treatment you had done. So these treatments should be planned accordingly if you need to be discrete.
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How do wrinkle treatments work?Wrinkle treatments are performed using tiny injections. They work by temporarily and reversibly blocking nerve signals to specific areas of the facial muscles, allowing the muscles to relax. As a result, the skin overlying the muscles also relaxes, smoothing out the visible lines. Over a period of on average 4 months, the treatment wears off and wrinkles slowly return.
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How should I prepare for my wrinkle treatment?As for all injectable treatments, please come with no make up, foundation or similar on your skin. This will reduce the risk of an infection. To reduce the risk of bruising: - avoid alcohol for 24 hours prior - stop any fish oil supplements at least 5 days prior - stop any garlic, ginger, gingko biloba or ginseng in high doses - avoid any anti-inflammatory medicines (neurofen, ibuprofen, naproxen, etc) for 5 days before your treatment if possible. Prescription medicines that can make bruising much more common include warfarin or other anti-coagulants. If these are prescribed by your GP, it's not recommended to stop them. You can still have injectables but you should expect bruising to be much more common and obvious.
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What can't I do after a wrinkle treatment?You can go back to your normal daily activities after a treatment except for two simple rules: 1) Don't massage, rub or wash the areas injected until the next day after your treatment. This also includes not doing things like having a massage, facial or similar straight after an anti-wrinkle treatment. (for at least 12 hours afterwards) 2) Avoid sports, exercise or vigorous activity for 12 hours afterwards. These rules help prevent the anti-wrinkle product spreading and affecting other muscles of the face that we don't want to treat. Failure to follow these increases the chance of complications, most importantly eyelid or eyebrow drooping. These are both avoidable and reversible side effects but can take several weeks or even months to settle. Avoiding alcohol after any injectable treatment until the following day also reduces your risk of worsened bruising.
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What are the potential side effects?The most common side effects include: - Mild discomfort during the procedure - very temporary swellings and redness (that disappear within minutes) - bruising (always a risk when a needle is used) Rarer side effects include: - In less than 1% of cases, patients can very rarely experience eyebrow or eyelid heaviness (called a 'ptosis'). This is very rare, temporary and often resolves in three or four weeks on it's own. This might be caused by a failure to follow the after care rules described above. In this scenario, some special eyedrops might be prescribed to you to help lift the heavy eyelid but you'll need to be reviewed in person first.
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Do wrinkle treatments hurt?The injections only take minutes to perform and no special measures are needed. Dr Jake uses the smallest needles available and most patients are pleasantly surprised at how easy the process is.
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Are there any people who shouldn't have a wrinkle treatment?There are just a few but important conditions that are contraindications to wrinkle treatments: - Pregnancy or breastfeeding. (Patients trying for a baby, undergoing IVF or who are unsure if they are pregnant will also be refused treatments) - Rare neurological diseases such as Myasthenia Gravis Those taking the following medicines should also not have these treatments: - Aminoglycoside antibiotics (Gentamycin, Neomycin, Streptomycin, etc) - Penicillamine (used to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis) - A known allergy to human albumin A detailed medical history will be taken prior to your treatment but it is your responsibility to declare any medical problems to us in good time.
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How often should I have treatments?If the recommended dose is done on the day of your treatment, the results will last 2-4 months on average. Most people therefore come every 3-4 months to help maintain a consistent appearance.