Polynucleotides are the skin booster the aesthetic world has been talking about since Rejuran left Korea: a gel of purified DNA fragments, usually from salmon, injected in tiny droplets under the skin to improve its quality rather than its shape. The sales pitch is regeneration: a repair signal that makes the skin build its own collagen, works under the eyes where hyaluronic acid boosters cannot go, and gives a natural result with no volume. Some of that holds up. Two things a US patient should know before booking: no injectable polynucleotide is FDA-approved, and the evidence, though encouraging, is small.
What it is and what it is for
The product is a clear gel of polynucleotides, long chains of DNA fragments extracted and purified from salmon or trout sperm cells; PDRN is the pharmaceutical-grade form of the same molecule, and Rejuran, Plinest and Nucleofill are the brands. Injected intradermally in a grid of tiny droplets, it is meant to act as a scaffold and signal for fibroblasts, improving hydration, elasticity and texture over weeks. Typical uses are crow’s feet and under-eye crepiness, cheek and neck skin quality, acne scarring, and, less commonly, the scalp for hair thinning.
It is not a filler. Nothing is lifted or plumped, which is why people who feel done with filler are drawn to it, and it is closest in purpose to Skinvive, with two differences: polynucleotides are used under the eyes and on the neck, where hyaluronic acid boosters are avoided, and Skinvive is FDA-approved.
The regulatory position
In the United States, no injectable polynucleotide product is approved. The FDA’s list of approved dermal fillers covers hyaluronic acid, calcium hydroxylapatite, poly-L-lactic acid and PMMA and includes no polynucleotide, PDRN, salmon DNA or Rejuran product, and the agency’s position on products not approved for US use is that their safety and effectiveness cannot be assured. Rejuran is approved in South Korea and used widely across Asia and Europe under those regulators, which is where most of the experience and the marketing come from. A US clinic offering injectable polynucleotides is using a product outside the approval system; ask where it comes from and how it is stored, and understand there is no federal check on purity or sterility. Topical PDRN serums are a different thing: cosmetics, legal, and unrelated in effect to an injection. In Canada, no injectable polynucleotide holds a Health Canada licence.
What the evidence says
A 2025 systematic review in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology found nine studies covering 219 patients, most of them on crow’s feet, with the rest on hair loss, acne scars, nasolabial folds, post-inflammatory pigmentation and cheek rejuvenation. Polynucleotide injections showed promising outcomes in reducing wrinkles and improving texture and elasticity, statistically significant in several studies, with mild and transient side effects, no severe adverse events, and moderate to high satisfaction. The authors rated the studies low to moderate quality and said further high-quality research is needed to draw firm conclusions, with standardized protocols still lacking.
A 2025 observational study of 42 patients given two under-eye sessions three weeks apart found significant patient-reported improvement in lower eyelid and crow’s feet scores at one, three and six months, peaking at three, with minimal side effects; its authors note it had no control group, no blinding and one injector. That is an honest summary of where it stands: probably a real effect on skin quality, an effect size and a best protocol that are not settled, and a marketing story running well ahead of 219 patients. Compare that with PRP, which has a longer record for similar mild gains, and with Skinvive, which went through FDA trials for its claim.
What a course looks like
Numbing cream, then a grid of tiny intradermal injections across the treated area, twenty to thirty minutes. Small bumps at the injection points settle within a day or two; bruising is common under the eyes. Two to four sessions two to four weeks apart is the usual course, with improvement building through it and for a few months after, holding six to twelve months before a maintenance session. There is no standard protocol in the literature, so clinics differ.
What it costs
$500 to $1,200 per session in the US cities where it is offered, $1,500 to $4,000 for a course, with under-eye-only treatment at the lower end. Canadian pricing is similar in dollars. Because the product arrives outside the approval system, prices spread more widely than for approved injectables, and an unusually low price is a reason to ask about the source.
Choosing a clinic
Ask which product, where it is sourced, and how it is stored. Ask how many courses the injector has done and to see their own under-eye results at three months. Ask what they would recommend instead if you want an approved option: Skinvive for the cheeks, PRP with microneedling for texture, or under-eye filler if the problem is hollowing rather than crepiness. A clinic that can explain the trade-offs is a clinic that understands what it is injecting.
Where to compare polynucleotide treatments
Polynucleotides are on the menu at roughly one in seven med spas in the largest cities, mostly injector-led practices with a Korean or European skincare focus. Compare clinics in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Houston and Atlanta, or browse polynucleotides providers in your city.