Rejuran downtime:
papules, make-up and what is not normal

What happens on the day of a Rejuran treatment?

On the day, the treated area is covered in small papules. Rejuran Healer is a polynucleotide preparation purified from salmon DNA and delivered into the dermis by fine needle in a distributed pattern of micro-injections, or by an injector device placing small volumes at a set depth, depending on the area. Because a tiny amount of material sits at each point, a small raised papule or wheal forms there, and a face treated across the cheeks, forehead and temples can show dozens of them. That is the expected appearance, not a complication, and it is described on the Rejuran Singapore page as part of the visit itself.

Redness across the treated area is usual, from the needle rather than the product, and the skin can feel warm and slightly tight. Pinpoint bleeding stops before you leave. Topical anaesthetic is applied beforehand, so the skin may also look pale and feel numb for a while afterwards. Where the thin skin under the eyes has been treated, as with the preparation used there, the papules are more visible and a bruise is more likely, because the vessels sit close to the surface.

There is no wound to dress. A cool compress for short periods eases the swelling, and the papules begin to flatten the same day. You leave with written aftercare and the signs to report; the skin booster aftercare page sets out the general routine.

What do the following days look like?

The papules settle as the polynucleotide is taken up by the tissue. In words rather than figures: they are obvious when you leave, mostly flattened by the following morning in many people, and the last of them, usually on thinner skin, go before any bruise has finished fading. Redness fades over the same period. Some people notice a faint roughness or a few residual points for a little longer; the skin looks ordinary once they have gone, and the change in texture and hydration the treatment is planned for develops gradually afterwards rather than on the day.

A bruise, if one has formed, passes through the usual colour sequence and fades. Around the eyes a bruise can track into the lower lid and look more dramatic than it is; it is cosmetic rather than a sign of harm, and it can be covered once the skin has closed.

Make-up rules

• No make-up while the injection points are open and the papules are raised, to keep the puncture sites clean
• Once the points have closed and the papules have flattened, make-up can be applied gently with clean tools, dabbed rather than rubbed
• A bruise can be covered at that stage; a colour corrector under a light base is kinder to the skin than a heavy foundation
• Clean brushes and sponges for the first applications, and nothing applied over a point that is still weeping or crusted

What else to avoid

• Heat, saunas, hot showers on the face, alcohol and strenuous exercise while the papules are settling
• Rubbing, massaging or sleeping face-down on the treated area
• Facials, exfoliation and strong actives such as retinoids until the skin feels ordinary

“Dozens of small bumps on the day is the treatment, not a problem. One bump that stays after the rest have gone is the thing I want to see.”

Dr Sin YongOn the papules after polynucleotide injections

What is not normal after Rejuran, and when should you call?

Not normal: pain that increases rather than settles; redness that spreads outwards from the treated area rather than fading; warmth; swelling that does not subside once the papules have gone; a blister, pustule or open area; a firm lump that remains after the other points have dispersed; itching, hives or swelling of the lips or eyelids; or any patch of skin that turns dusky, pale or blotchy. None of these is watched at home.

Each has a mechanism. Increasing pain, spreading redness and warmth point to infection, which is uncommon but possible with any needle through skin, and is seen promptly. A lump that remains can be material deposited unevenly or too superficially, and is examined rather than massaged. Hives, widespread itching or swelling of the lips or eyelids point to an allergic reaction, which is rare and is the reason fish allergy is asked about directly before treatment rather than assumed absent. A patch of skin changing colour is treated as a vascular event until proven otherwise and is an emergency, as with any injectable.

Contact the clinic during clinic hours with a photograph; the complication care page lists what goes to an emergency department the same day, wherever you are. Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat with difficulty breathing is an emergency without waiting for a reply.

Can I exercise and go in the sun after Rejuran?

Exercise, saunas, hot showers on the face and alcohol are left until the papules have settled, because heat and exertion increase blood flow to the skin, prolong redness and make a bruise more likely to spread. Gentle walking is fine. Sun protection applies throughout, with shade and a broad-spectrum sunscreen in Singapore's year-round sun; sunscreen goes on lightly once the points have closed, with the same care as make-up. Avoid tanning and deliberate sun exposure while the skin is red, since inflamed skin is more likely to mark.

Between visits a plain, barrier-supporting routine is enough. Strong actives are paused as advised and restarted when the skin feels ordinary, and any planned laser or energy treatment over the same skin is spaced as set out in your plan. Flying is usually fine once the papules have settled; the flying after treatment page covers what to carry and when to message.

How should you plan Rejuran around work and events?

Rejuran has a short, visible phase that is hard to hide at close range on the day, and a long quiet one. Plan the treatment for a day when you can avoid photographs, close-up meetings and heat until the papules have flattened, and allow for a possible bruise, particularly if the under-eye area is being treated. The change in texture and hydration develops gradually afterwards, so a treatment booked shortly before an event gives you the papules without the benefit; the skin booster comparison explains how timing differs between products, and the Rejuran I for the eye area page covers what is specific to the lids.

The plan and any intervals are set individually at review rather than quoted in advance, and review is where any point that behaved differently from the rest is examined. If you are booking a Rejuran facial, confirm that it is the injectable product and that a doctor is administering it, since the papule pattern and the recovery on this page belong to the injection, not to a topical application. Whether polynucleotides are the right injectable for your skin is decided at consultation.