PRP facial vs polynucleotides:
two skin injections, two different materials

PRP facial vs polynucleotides at a glance

The core difference is the material: a PRP facial uses a concentrate of your own platelets prepared on the day, while polynucleotides are a standardised, sterile product made from purified salmon DNA. That single difference drives most of the others, from how each is regulated to who cannot have it.

PRP treatment for face: what it is and what the evidence says

PRP treatment for the face starts with a small blood draw; the blood is spun so that platelets concentrate in the plasma, and that plasma is then injected into the skin or worked in with microneedling. Activated platelets release growth factors, which is the proposed reason for any effect on skin quality.

The evidence is encouraging but thin. A 2023 systematic review of PRP injection for facial rejuvenation found 12 studies, including three randomised split-face trials; 11 reported improvement, although study designs and outcome measures varied and many outcomes were subjective. The authors concluded that higher-quality randomised trials are still needed to confirm efficacy.

The practical problem with comparing PRP results is that there is no single PRP. Centrifuge systems, spin protocols, platelet concentration and whether the plasma is activated all differ, so two clinics offering a "PRP facial" may be injecting quite different preparations. Asking how it is prepared tells you more than the name.

Vampire facial Singapore: what the name means

"Vampire facial" is a popular name for PRP combined with microneedling, in which the plasma is applied to the skin as it is needled. A procedure that draws blood and pierces skin carries a real infection-control risk when done in the wrong setting. In 2024 the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a cluster of HIV infections linked to PRP microneedling facials at an unlicensed spa that did not follow infection control or keep client records. In Singapore, a procedure like this belongs in a licensed medical clinic, performed by a doctor.

“Your own blood is not automatically the gentler choice, and a salmon product is not automatically the stronger one. The question is what your skin is short of.”

Dr Sin YongOn choosing between PRP and polynucleotides

Polynucleotides for skin: what they are and what the evidence says

Polynucleotides are long nucleotide chains of roughly 50 to 1,500 kDa, purified from salmon DNA and injected into the dermis to support how the skin repairs itself; what is injected is the polymer, not genetic information. Rejuran Healer contains about 20 mg/mL and is registered with Singapore's Health Sciences Authority as an injectable medical device, administered by a doctor.

The evidence base is also small. A 2025 systematic review of polynucleotides in aesthetic medicine included nine studies of low to moderate quality, covering 219 patients; they reported improvements in wrinkles, texture and elasticity, with mild, transient side effects, and the authors called for rigorous, higher-quality studies to confirm effectiveness and safety.

Polynucleotides are not the same as PDRN, which is made of shorter fragments from the same family, and they are not a filler: they add no volume, do not lift and do not act on pigment. The polynucleotide glossary entry and the PN vs PDRN guide set out the differences.

Which suits which skin, and when neither is the answer

The first decision is whether the problem is skin quality or structure, because PRP and polynucleotides both act only on quality. Thin, dull, crepey or post-acne skin is a quality problem; a hollow, descended tissue or heavy laxity is a structural one, and neither injection changes it.

• Thin, dull or crepey skin, or texture after acne. A skin booster may help; at this clinic polynucleotides such as Rejuran are one option among the boosters compared on the skin booster page.
• Fish or salmon allergy. Polynucleotides are ruled out; a hyaluronic acid booster or another class is considered instead.
• A preference for something made from your own body. That is a reasonable preference, and PRP is offered elsewhere; this clinic does not provide it.
• Acne scars. Scar depth and tethering decide the plan: superficial scars are approached with fractional resurfacing, deeper ones with the S3 Resurfacing Lift, tethered scars with subcision and ice-pick scars with TCA CROSS. A booster supports that plan; it does not replace it. See acne scar treatment.
• Hollows, sagging or pigment. Neither injection is the tool; fillers, collagen biostimulators, energy devices or pigment lasers are.

What this clinic uses instead of PRP

Dr Sin Yong does not offer PRP for the face or the scalp. For skin repair he chooses among the skin boosters the site describes, after an in-person assessment at the clinic on Orchard Road: polynucleotides in the Rejuran range for repair and texture, Profhilo for early crepiness, hyaluronic acid boosters for dehydration, and PDLLA where gradual firmness is the aim. He often pairs a booster with a device session rather than offering either alone; the skin boosters with RF microneedling page explains why and in what order.

The same choice applies to hair: PRP is not offered for the scalp here either, and the evidence for each in hair loss is set out in PRP vs polynucleotides for hair. What the plan costs depends on the product, the areas treated, whether a device session is combined and the review visits; the how we quote page explains how fees are set out before anything is agreed.