Rejuran Side Effects: Which Ones Should Worry You? Price, Reviews and Methods
Rejuran side effects are usually mild: redness, swelling, soreness, bruising and small bumps that typically settle within a week. Allergy, infection and lumps that stay are less common, and they are the ones to plan for.
What do studies say about Rejuran side effects?
Are Rejuran side effects what's holding you back from booking, especially with a flight home a few days after the injections?
Read this before you say yes to a session in Seoul.
You'll know which reactions are ordinary and how long they last, which review claims hold up, what decides the price, and how the methods differ in risk. That should tell you whether Rejuran fits your skin, your health history and your budget.
Hello, I'm Dr. Won Woo Choi, Medical Director at WELLS Clinic, a board-certified dermatologist with a Ph.D. in Dermatology from Seoul National University.
WELLS has been in Apgujeong since 2008. A dermatologist handles consultation, diagnosis and treatment here, and the Rejuran I work with is HB+, which has lidocaine in the formula, and Rejuran Tox.
I wrote this because online threads tend to lump a next-morning bump and an infection together, and those two call for very different responses.
Rejuran side effects are usually mild and short-lived: redness, swelling, soreness, itching, bruising and small bumps at the injection points, typically settling within a week. Allergy, infection and lumps that stay are less common, and those are what to plan for.
If one thing in your history is nagging at you, send a daylight photo of the area on WhatsApp with your allergy list, and ask whether anything there rules Rejuran out for you.
Send a clear photo and your travel dates, and we will tell you what fits the time you have in Seoul.
Send your photo and allergy list on WhatsApp
The closest thing to a summary is a systematic review of polynucleotides in esthetic medicine, the ingredient family Rejuran belongs to. It covered nine studies and 219 patients. Reported effects were local pain, swelling, itching, bruising and redness, typically resolving within a week, and none of the studies reported a severe adverse event linked to treatment.
The authors also rate that evidence as low to moderate quality, and that limit matters. A study of 219 people can describe the ordinary reactions well, but it is too small to tell you how often a rare one happens. I read it as reassurance about the first week, and nothing more than that.
It also helps to know why the bumps appear. Polynucleotide is a thick fluid placed in small deposits in the skin, so each deposit can sit as a small raised point until the skin absorbs it. Much of what you see on day one is simply the needle and the product.
Your first week, reaction by reaction
The timings below are a general guide, and they run longer in thin skin or if you bruise easily.
| Reaction | Usual course | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Small raised bumps | Often flatten within hours to a few days | Leave them alone; don't massage |
| Redness and swelling | Usually fade within a few days | Cool compress, skip heat and alcohol early on |
| Soreness or itching | Usually brief | Avoid pressing or scratching the area |
| Bruising | Can last about a week | Concealer once the punctures have closed |
The pattern to watch is direction. An ordinary reaction looks its strongest early and then improves each day. Redness that spreads, pain that climbs after the second day, warmth, pus or fever is moving the wrong way, and it deserves a medical opinion the same day.
For the slower question of what improves over a course, I've written separately about what changes with Rejuran, and in what order.
What do reviews get right about Rejuran?
Three claims come up again and again in review threads, and they don't all hold up.
"It stings more than other boosters." Partly true, and the formula matters. In HB+, the lidocaine cut post-injection pain by an average of 53% on the VAS scale compared with Rejuran Healer, so what one person read about Healer may not describe HB+.
"The bumps mean it's working." This one is false. Bumps show where the product was placed. They tell you nothing about how your skin will look in two months, and flat skin on day two doesn't mean a wasted session.
"I eat salmon, so I can't be allergic." Don't rely on this. Rejuran's polynucleotide is salmon-derived, and diet doesn't settle how your body responds to an injected product. Mention any fish allergy or past reaction to an injectable before treatment, even if it seems minor.
If you're reading threads from Singapore or elsewhere nearby, keep one thing in mind: the reactions described belong to the product and the injection. What changes when you travel is how far you'll be from your injector when day three arrives.
Do the methods carry different risks?
Yes, and the differences are practical. Rejuran Healer has no lidocaine in it, so the sting tends to be more of an issue, usually with numbing cream beforehand. HB+ adds hyaluronic acid and lidocaine, which means a lidocaine allergy becomes a relevant question.
Eye-area versions such as Rejuran i are made for thin skin, and I'm describing them here as general knowledge. Skin that thin shows every bruise and holds swelling longer, so I'd never schedule one close to an event or a flight.
Rejuran Tox combines Rejuran HB+ 3 cc with a skin smoothing injection 3 cc in one session. That second part is a neuromodulator, so it brings its own possible effects, generally temporary, such as a brief change in expression if it reaches a muscle it wasn't aimed at. You can choose a Korean-made or a US original product, and your dermatologist decides the dose.
Lifting devices have a different list altogether because they work with energy instead of an injected product. If you're weighing them on the same trip, read about Ultherapy side effects and Thermage side effects separately.
Who should put Rejuran off?
Risks and side effects to know
Common reactions are the ones in the table above, and for many people they fade within a week. Less common problems include infection, an allergic reaction, and firm lumps that last. In medium to dark skin, any inflammation can also leave brown marks that fade slowly, so sun protection during those weeks matters. How your own skin behaves can differ from any of these averages.
As general medicine, you should hold off or skip it if you have an infection or inflamed skin at the site, a recent laser or peel in the same area, recent isotretinoin use, pregnancy or breastfeeding, or a known allergy to salmon-derived ingredients or lidocaine. Add a bleeding tendency or blood thinners to what you disclose, because those change how much you'll bruise.
If a reaction appears once you're home, photograph it in daylight with the date, then see a doctor locally for anything spreading, hot or painful. Facial skin that turns pale or dusky, or any change in vision, is an emergency. The CDC's advice on medical travel is to confirm before you leave that you can get follow-up care at home, and to get copies of your records from the clinic, so ask for the product, amount and date in writing to show your own doctor.
Write your medications and past injectable reactions into one WhatsApp message with your flight date, then ask which day of your trip you should choose.
Send a clear photo and your travel dates, and we will tell you what fits the time you have in Seoul.
Send your photo and allergy list on WhatsAppPlanning around your flight: a worked example
Say you're in your early fifties, you bruise easily, you take a daily blood thinner prescribed at home, and you fly back on day four. I'd reason through it in this order.
The blood thinner stays as it is unless the doctor who prescribed it says otherwise, because stopping it for a skin treatment is the wrong trade. Bruising is then the likely issue, so I'd leave the under-eye area out of this trip and have the session as early in the visit as your schedule allows. If visible marks on the flight home would truly bother you, a later trip with more days is the sensible plan.
One more thing about expectations: I recommend four sessions of HB+ at 2–3 week intervals, so one session on a short trip is a start. What shapes Rejuran results is worth reading before you decide whether a start is enough for you.
What decides the Rejuran price?
Five things move the figure for your case, and none of them is your nationality or where you read about it.
- Product: HB+ alone, or Rejuran Tox with your choice of neuromodulator.
- Amount: how many cc the area needs.
- Sessions: one on this trip, or a course across several visits to Seoul.
- Area: full face, or a smaller zone added on.
- VAT and travel: whether the quote includes VAT, and the extra days you'd keep in Seoul for recovery.
People searching for a Rejuran Healer price often find it isn't quoted like for like, because formulas and amounts differ, so compare the cc and the product name first. The plan and final price are confirmed once the dermatologist has examined you. To get a figure for your own case, ask on WhatsApp what it would cost, with a photo of the area.
Your first message can be small, and you can ask before booking anything. Clear photos and your travel dates are enough for a first suggestion, so send those on WhatsApp with one question: which of these reactions should I contact someone about once I'm home? When you come to Apgujeong, a dermatologist examines your skin and recommends what fits it.
Plan your visit before you fly
Send a daylight photo, your travel dates and what you have tried before. A dermatologist will suggest where to start and what fits your stay.
Send your photo and allergy list on WhatsAppReplies on WhatsApp · prices in KRW, excluding 10% VATBefore you message us
How long do Rejuran side effects last?
Redness, swelling, soreness and bumps typically resolve within a week. A bruise can take about that long as well. Anything that gets worse after the second day should be checked by a doctor.
Can I fly the day after Rejuran?
A skin booster isn't major surgery, so the CDC's 10 to 14 day caution for major operations doesn't describe it. The practical concerns are visible bruising and being far from your injector if something changes, so leave as many days as your trip allows and share your flight date when you plan the session.
Is Rejuran safe if I have a fish allergy?
Treat it as a reason to stop and ask. The polynucleotide in Rejuran is salmon-derived, so tell the dermatologist about any fish allergy or past reaction to an injectable before treatment, and expect that it may rule the product out.
Can Rejuran leave lumps that don't go away?
Most bumps flatten within days. Firm lumps that last are less common and need a doctor's look rather than massage at home, especially if they're tender, red or growing.
When can I wear makeup after a Rejuran injection?
As general guidance, give the puncture points time to close, which for many people means until the next day. Use clean products and skip anything that stings.
Results and recovery vary by individual. Every treatment carries possible side effects, which are explained at the consultation. Prices are in Korean won, excluding 10% VAT, and confirmed at your consultation. This article is general information from the clinic, not a diagnosis.
Dr. Won Woo Choi
- Board-certified dermatologist in Korea; trained at Seoul National University Hospital
- Dermatology residency, Seoul National University Hospital; board certification in dermatology in Korea
- Ph.D. in Dermatology, Seoul National University
- Former clinical instructor, Seoul National University Hospital
- Adjunct professor, Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University Hospital
