Are salmon sperm facials really good for your skin?

Just when it seemed that the skin care industry had exhausted with absurd products and cyborgian procedures, Kim Kardashian brought a news in cultural conscience. During the summer of 2024, Kim Kardashian announced on “the Kardashians” that she had injected salmon sperm on her face, Stimulating reactions of joy and plot It echoes Rodeo Drive in Tiktok.

Face treatments for salmon sperm – which are sometimes called DNA facial care for salmon for civility – have become the last addition to the MED Spa menus in Los Angeles. Formula Fig In Culver City and West Hollywood, recently added what is called “the treatment of longevity”, which is its point of view on popular face, for $ 550. Done by DorfmanA Beverly Hills based MED SPA has a list of celebrity customers offers the $ 750 procedure. Kanodia Med SpaAlso based in Beverly Hills, offers facials from $ 1,000.

The procedure is carried out by Microneedling, which forms channels in the skin before the product is applied topically on the face. The use of Salmon DNA as injectable is not yet approved by the FDA, so that doctors and medium spas apply it in conjunction with micro-Aiguës and laser treatments. (The substance itself has an orange shade.) The procedure promises young and smooth skin and has quickly gained popularity, thanks in part to the endorsements on social networks and by celebrities as Jennifer Aniston And Charli XCX.

The idea of ​​using salmon sperm for regeneration is older than you think. The study of the DNA of salmon for wound healing was initially launched in Italy in the 1980s, said Dr. Zakia Rahman, a clinical professor at Stanford Medicine. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of scientific interest for the substance as a beauty treatment in Korea.

In fact, many doctors buy themselves on the DNA of salmon. Dr. Donald Yoo, a visual artist surgeon in Beverly Hills, uses a substance called Rejuran, which is bought in a factory on the ocean side in a city by the sea in Gangneung, Korea. In October of last year, he visited the factory during the Frai du Salmon season to attend the extraction process, which kills the salmon as DNA is removed.

“During the tour, they showed us the streams where the salmon was captured, the factory where they treat the DNA of salmon, and made us manage part of the living salmon before treatment,” he said.

Dr. Yoo maintains that the danger of salmon sperm is what made the procedure so popular. His office in Beverly Hills offers treatment for a starting price of $ 850.

“There is some of this shock factor,” said Dr. Yoo. “The reason for which he grows is the fact that science has given him a good strong basis.”

What basis is it? It begins with polynucleotides, which are DNA fragments derived from salmon sperm. They were previously used in wound healing after clinical studies have shown that they have accelerated the fabric repair process. Salmon DNA, in the end, sharing striking similarities with human DNA, which made it stimulate the production of collagen, according to a 2022 Study evaluated by peers in the journal Marine Drugs.

“This decreases inflammation,” says Dr. Yoo. “It promotes cell proliferation and proliferation of blood vessels.”

When applied to the face, it can cause a soft, radiant and uniform complexion. For years, scientists in Europe and South Korea Clinical studies carried out on the DNA of salmon On the skin to study its effect on the reproduction of collagen. A study conducted During the healing of wounds in mice, the administration of polynucleotides accelerated the healing and the density of collagen.

However, despite the growing interest in this treatment, Dr. Rahman is not convinced of his effectiveness.

“You must be careful before jumping on a trend to see if it is scientifically valid,” said Dr. Rahman.

After examining scientific research, she explains that because of how nucleotides work at the cellular level, they can potentially be harmful to patients with rosacea and can really cause some inflammation in cells.

It notes that, with regard to absorption, polynucleotides are also relatively important, as opposed to the more commonly used skin treatment ingredients such as retinoids and vitamin C.

“The reason why retinoids and vitamin C work so well is that they are very small and they can penetrate the skin,” said Dr. Rahman. “So, if you had to apply it topically, would probably not be absorbed.”

From a scientific point of view, it is not clear that the DNA of salmon has the potential advantages which are announced, she said, adding that the established methods always give the best results.

“If you use a topical retinoid or a topical vitamin C, they are much cheaper,” she says. “Lots of laser treatments we do, which are produced by FDA for things such as stimulation of collagen and skin resurfacing, are actually much more profitable.”

She also has sustainability problems. After all, the salmon sperm is over.

“Do we really want to kill more salmon for their gonads?” she asked.

Nevertheless, the trend spread in Europe and South Korea, and last year it developed a faithful fans in the United States on Instagram, the hasalmonspermfacial hashtag has more than 5,000 articles with photos before and after. On Tiktok, viral testimonies on facial care for salmon accumulate hundreds of thousands of likes.

Jorian Palos Discovery of the face on salmon DNA after looking for a way to reduce your eye bags and discoloration. She tried the treatment in a medium medium channel called Skin Station in the County of Orange. She said the process was slightly worrying.

“It was painful, just because it is salmon semen that goes mainly under your eye.”

Although it is satisfied with its results, recovery has also been intense.

“My face was bruised before my eyes for about a week,” she said. “He became purple, then he became yellow.”

Shirel Swissa did not have intense recovery. She microneedles regularly and Guaranteed treatment.

“Right now, my skin is the sweetest and clearest in which it has always been,” she said. “There is no texture. It also helps with my active acne. ”

As for the sperm element, the Swissa is not botrée: “It smells a little bit of fish. It is not overwhelming, but it is tolerable.”

Dr. Yoo says that it is good to be skeptical about the latest health trend, but predicts that, on the basis of the results he has seen, facial care of salmon sperm will remain.

“It’s an area that explodes,” he said.

No play on words.