Clinic Korea · Dermatology
Treatment Guide · CandidacyWho Should Avoid Rejuran,
and Why It Comes Down to Timing More Than Risk
Most Rejuran candidacy questions aren’t about permanent exclusion; they’re about timing, since many contraindications are temporary conditions to wait out.
Who should avoid getting Rejuran treatment? Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals, anyone with an active skin infection at the treatment site, and anyone with a fish or salmon allergy or a past reaction to polynucleotide injections (the material is purified from salmon DNA) are generally advised to avoid or postpone treatment. Most of these are temporary situations rather than permanent exclusions.
When to postpone or avoid
Why This Is Mostly
About Timing, Not Exclusion
Most reasons to postpone Rejuran are temporary conditions rather than permanent disqualifiers. Pregnancy and breastfeeding are common examples: treatment is generally deferred during these periods out of caution, not because pregnancy itself makes someone an unsuitable candidate long-term. The same logic applies to an active skin infection or recent sunburn at the treatment site, both of which resolve on their own timeline.
Common Reasons
to Postpone or Avoid
A practitioner will typically screen for these during consultation.
| Situation | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Pregnancy or breastfeeding | Treatment is generally deferred as a precaution during this period |
| Active skin infection at the treatment site | Injecting into compromised skin raises the risk of complications |
| Fish or salmon allergy, or a past reaction to polynucleotide injections | The material is purified from salmon DNA; a 2026 dermatology review advises caution with any fish hypersensitivity, and some doctors patch test first |
| Under 18, a systemic infection, or epilepsy | Listed among the contraindications in the same 2026 review |
| Active autoimmune or bleeding disorder flare-up | Needs direct evaluation by a practitioner familiar with the condition |
What Happens
If You Fall Into One of These Categories
In most cases, the plan is simply to wait until the underlying situation resolves, whether that’s after pregnancy, once an infection clears, or once an allergy is properly ruled out through discussion with a practitioner. A thorough consultation is what actually confirms suitability, rather than trying to self-assess against a general list.
For what happens after treatment for those who do proceed, see our side effects guide, and for the broader treatment overview, our Rejuran Healer guide covers the basics.
Why the Honest Answer
Includes What Is Not Known
A page listing who should avoid a treatment is only as good as the evidence behind the list, and here the evidence base is smaller than the volume of marketing around it would suggest.
The 2025 systematic review of polynucleotides in aesthetic medicine found nine studies meeting its inclusion criteria across the period from 2010 to 2024, covering 219 patients between them, and rated their quality as low to moderate. Side effects across those studies were described as generally mild and transient. That is a reassuring signal about common, short-term reactions in the kinds of patients who get enrolled in studies. It is a weak basis for statements about rare events, or about the groups that studies of this kind routinely exclude, which covers most of the groups a caution list is actually concerned with.
This is why a careful provider’s answer about whether you can have a treatment often sounds less definitive than a website’s. Pregnancy and breastfeeding, active infection at the injection site, and unstable autoimmune or bleeding conditions are handled conservatively across injectable treatments in general, not because polynucleotide studies found harm in those groups, but because those groups were not in them. Postponing is the default when the data cannot answer either way.
If a provider tells you to wait, a reasonable follow-up is what specifically would need to change, and how they would want to confirm it before going ahead.
One more thing belongs in an honest answer: this literature is still correcting itself. A 2025 split-face trial in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology that compared a polycaprolactone filler against Rejuran for crow’s feet was retracted the following year, by agreement between the authors, the editor and the publisher, after the authors reported that the filler used had been misidentified. A retraction is how a field repairs its own record rather than evidence that a treatment is unsafe. But it is a reason to weigh several studies over any single striking result, and a reason to treat a clinic that cites one paper by name with rather more curiosity than a clinic that cites none.
Frequently Asked
Questions
- Can I get Rejuran while breastfeeding?
- This is generally advised against as a precaution; most practitioners recommend waiting until after breastfeeding to proceed.
- Does having sensitive skin rule me out?
- Not necessarily; sensitive skin can often be treated with a more conservative dose or technique, though it’s worth discussing directly with a practitioner beforehand.
- What if I have a known allergy but I’m not sure it applies here?
- Disclose every allergy during consultation and name any fish or seafood allergy specifically, because Rejuran is made from purified salmon DNA. Not everyone with a fish allergy reacts to polynucleotides, but a practitioner may want a patch test first or suggest a different treatment.
- Can people on blood thinners get Rejuran?
- This should be discussed directly with a practitioner, since blood thinners can increase bruising risk with any injectable treatment.
- How soon after an infection clears can I get treated?
- This varies by situation, but a practitioner will generally want to confirm the area is fully healed and infection-free before proceeding.
Not Sure if You’re a Good Candidate?
Clinic Korea can help relay your questions to providers, arrange a consultation, and coordinate scheduling; the treatment decision itself stays between you and the provider.
Get Help Arranging a ConsultationSources
- Lampridou et al., "The Effectiveness of Polynucleotides in Esthetic Medicine: A Systematic Review", Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 24 (2025)
Nine studies covering 219 patients, graded low to moderate quality, with wide variation in injection sites and technique. Outcomes were positive and side effects mild and transient, but the authors report limited consensus on optimal use.
- Retraction notice, Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 25 (2026), for Choi et al. (2025) comparing polycaprolactone and polynucleotide fillers in crow’s feet
The journal records that the 2025 split-face trial was retracted by agreement between the authors, the Editor-in-Chief and the publisher, following the authors’ report that the dermal filler used had been misidentified.
- Arora, "Polynucleotides and polydeoxyribonucleotides in dermatology: A narrative review", Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery 19 (2026)
Advises caution in people with hypersensitivity to fish or fish products, since the material is sourced from salmon, while noting that not all fish-allergic patients react; suggests a patch test where there is such a history. Lists age under 18, pregnancy and lactation, active or systemic infection, autoimmune conditions, intolerance to the product and epilepsy as contraindications.
Checked September 2026. Study findings are summarised in our own words; follow the links for the full papers and the limitations their authors state.
Related Guides
- Combining Rejuran With Other Treatments
- How Does Rejuran Work: The Science Behind the Treatment
- How Often Should You Get Rejuran?
- About Clinic Korea
Note: Our role is to help with information and coordination; decisions about treatment stay between you and your provider.