Here’s the latest in Korean beauty secrets.
There is a certain difficulty in translating Korean skincare inventions into English in a way that isn’t unnerving or bewildering.
A perfect example is precisely what I am going to be talking about today.
This brief intro is a way of apologizing in advance for being confusing. But fear not; by the end, you’ll have the main takeaways and that will be a good enough start.
Korea has been doing a marvelous job in moving past the botox craze and introducing skin boosters that inspire healthy skin from the inside out, rather than a temporary false youthfulness.
The list of skincare injections that are becoming more and more common isn’t easy to explore, especially with the slightly changing names with every translation and lack of information in English.
Today, I will talk about something I’ve decided to call Baby Injection and Salmon DNA Injections (also known as PDRN Injections.)
After scouring the internet, I’ve come across decent explanations. Take a look if you’re curious about more scientific breakdowns of these two injections.
If you don’t feel like reading those articles, the main points are that these injections use a variety of things, such as stem cell culture fluids and growth factors in the case of Baby Injections, to improve your skin elasticity and texture, i.e. returning your skin to being as fresh and smooth as a baby’s. (In Korean, it’s originally called 아기주사 literally “Baby Injection,” which is understandably not a very marketable name.)
The Salmon DNA Injections can get a bit tricky to research and understand; namely because the market is so saturated with all of these fancy names that can confuse you if you don’t get the science.
The important thing to remember is that salmon DNA is being used in these injections; why? Because salmon DNA has a 95% match with human DNA. The salmon DNA injections have shown beneficial in wound healing, such as sores or burns. In terms of beauty, they are great for skin texture improvement, fighting wrinkles, skin repair and increased hydration.
Good?
Good.
But now we are going to take one step further and introduce something that isn’t translatable into English in a neatly packaged name. The transliteration is Yeon-ah Injection (연아주사). The name is derived from “연어/Yeon-eoh” or “Salmon” and “아기/Ah-gi” or “Baby.” Taking the first syllables of each word and putting them together, we get “Yeon-Ah/연아”.
Just like the name insinuates, we are putting the benefits of those two treatments together and creating one super booster.
Forget the fountain. Youth is apparently found in a syringe.
Let me walk you through what it’s like to get 연아주사 - because that’s really what you’re curious about now, right? Now that we know what the injections are, the questions is, should I get them?
Here’s some quick points.
Your face will be numbed with the numbing cream to minimize pain. It’s not entirely painless - but certainly manageable.
Avoid makeup for that day and the next.
Downtime: approximately 2-3 days.
You’ll feel some tightness and flakiness. This should go away in a few days.
Your skin will feel dry. You have to ultra-moisturize to see best benefits. The first evening after my injections, my face stung when putting on cream. Don’t be alarmed. But DO steer clear from anything peeling, exfoliating or acidic.
Because these are not fillers or botox, you won’t notice immediate results. Like with most good things, it takes patience and time.
The key thing is post-care - moisturize! And wear sunblock. Always remember, your skin wants to heal itself. Your job is to make a healthy environment for your skin’s happiness.
In Korea, the absolute NUMBER ONE place to go for the Yeon-Ah injection is Brand New Clinic. In fact, they are my number one for anything medical skin care related. They are just expensive, so keep that in mind. Tell Dr. Yoon that Becky sent you and he may very well grant you a special discount.
As always, I’ll be here learning more about skincare and beauty to share with you; take the time to love your skin today.