Exosome vs Rejuran
Rejuran is the more established of the two. It is injected into the skin as a course of three visits and is aimed at texture, fine lines and shallow scarring. Exosome treatments are usually not injected at all. The liquid is applied to the skin straight after microneedling or a laser, so a lot of what you are paying for is the microneedling or the laser. The evidence behind exosomes is early and the products vary a great deal between clinics.
What it is
Exosomes are microscopic bubbles released by cells that carry proteins and other signalling material. Most products are grown from stem cells or from plants.
Purified DNA fragments injected into the skin to support repair.
How it gets into your skin
The skin is microneedled or lasered first, then the liquid goes on top and soaks in. Some clinics inject it, but that is less common.
Many small injections spread across the treatment area, a few millimetres deep.
What it is used for
Redness, irritated skin, post-laser recovery, and general brightness. Also sold for hair thinning.
Fine lines, rough texture, shallow acne scars, dullness, and thin or easily irritated skin.
How soon you see something
The early glow mostly reflects the microneedling or laser it came with, and settling of redness.
Nothing changes on the day. It is a slow, steady improvement.
How many sessions
Tied to the schedule of the treatment it is paired with.
Then one session every six to twelve months.
Downtime
The recovery you have is the recovery from the microneedling or laser, not from the exosomes.
Raised spots at each injection point, plus possible bruising.
How good is the evidence
The published work is small, short and often run by makers. It suggests exosomes added to microneedling help, but the size of that help is not settled.
More studies, more years of use, and a clearer picture of what it does. Still mostly small studies.
What it will not do
Exosomes do not add volume and will not tighten loose skin.
Rejuran changes skin quality only. A hollow cheek stays hollow.
Cost
It is charged on top of the microneedling or laser. Ask for the price with and without it.
Ask for the cost of the whole course.
The at-home or drugstore version
They sit on unbroken skin. Whether a particle that size crosses an intact barrier is not established, so treat these as ordinary serums.
PDRN creams exist and feel nice. Injected polynucleotides are placed inside the skin, which a cream cannot do.
Who each suits
Most of the exosome result is the treatment underneath
A microneedling session improves skin on its own: That is the part with years of evidence behind it. When exosomes are added, the exosomes are being measured on top of a treatment that already works.
Studies that split the face do suggest the exosome side does better: Those studies are small, run for six months or less, and often involve the company that makes the product. That is a reason to be interested, not a reason to be confident.
Rejuran is measured on its own: It is injected without a resurfacing treatment attached, so what you see is what the product did.
The products are not standard
"Exosomes" is a category, not a product: One clinic's exosome serum is not the same as the next clinic's. The source differs. The strength differs. So do the storage and handling. Two exosome facials in the same city can contain very different things.
Rejuran is a single branded product with a fixed formula: You know what you are getting from one clinic to the next.
Neither one is approved in the United States for these uses: Both are widely used in Korea and in many other countries. Exosome products are sold under different rules in different places. It is fair to ask a clinic what it uses and where the product comes from.
Has anyone compared them directly
No good trial has put exosomes against Rejuran: What exists is clinic opinion and a few small studies that each look at one of them. Anyone who tells you one is clearly better is going past the evidence.
Before you book
Ask what the exosome product is and who makes it. A clinic that cannot answer is a reason to pause.
Ask the price of the microneedling or laser without the exosome add-on, so you can see what the add-on costs.
Ask what the plan is if you see nothing after the full course.
If your main problem is looseness or lost volume, neither of these is the treatment for it.
Bring a photo of yourself from a few years ago rather than a photo of someone else.
