Rejuran and Rejuran HB plus: What Criteria to Use for Choosing?

In consultations, I am often asked, "Should I go with Rejuran Healer or HB?

"Healer" and "HB" are not the manufacturer's official product names.

The reason the name is important is that when the product name becomes blurred, the scope of what the product is verified for also becomes blurred. In this article, I will compare the two products based on the content of the manufacturer's official materials.

First, Problems This Category Addresses and Those It Does Not

Both products are injected into the skin via syringe. They target skin texture and fine lines.

There is something to clarify here. Sagging of the facial contours or volume loss, such as hollow temples or cheeks, are not problems this category solves. If those changes are your primary concern, a different approach is needed. Without making this distinction first, you will not see the expected changes even if you switch between these products.

What is Actually Inside the Two Products

The ingredient of Rejuran® is a single component: Sodium Polynucleotide. It contains neither hyaluronic acid nor anesthetic components.

Rejuran HB plus® contains the same Sodium Polynucleotide plus Sodium Hyaluronate and Lidocaine Hydrochloride Hydrate. The former is a moisture-binding ingredient, and the latter is a local anesthetic.

This single fact clears up the most common misunderstanding among patients. If HB plus feels less painful during the procedure, it is not because the product's regenerative power is "softer," but because it contains an anesthetic component. This should be explained as a difference in composition, not a difference in efficacy.

Different Approved Purposes of Use

The purposes of use listed in the manufacturer's official product information are as follows:

Rejuran® — “Used for temporary improvement of facial wrinkles in adults”

Rejuran HB plus® — “Used for temporary improvement of crow's feet in adults through physical restoration by injecting Sodium Hyaluronate and Sodium Polynucleotide subcutaneously”

There are three things to read into these two short sentences.

First, the scope of the area differs. One is listed for facial wrinkles, and the other for crow's feet.

Second, the HB plus side includes the phrase “through physical restoration.” This expression identifies the basis of action. It refers to the physical filling effect created as hyaluronic acid holds moisture, not a change at the cellular level.

Third, both products are for “temporary improvement.” The fact that they are not intended for permanent change is already included in the approval text.

And one more thing. Nowhere in either statement does the word “regeneration” appear. The reason I mention this is not to say that they are ineffective. Research on the biological effects of polynucleotides on the skin continues to be published. However, the area being explored by research and the scope verified by approval are different levels of discussion, and when advertising copy mixes the two, expectations can exceed reality.

You can verify this yourself. You can view the approval details by searching for the product name in the Product Information section of the MFDS (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) Medical Device Electronic Civil Service Portal.

So, What is the Deciding Factor?

Table of items to check during consultation by concern. Items differ based on skin texture/fine lines, dryness, procedure pain, eye area focus, and cheek hollows.

Translating the differences summarized above into actual choices leads to these criteria:

• 
  
• Is moisture also a concern? If you have dryness and inner tightness, consider whether a composition containing hyaluronic acid would be helpful. Conversely, if that is not a primary concern, there is no reason to add ingredients unnecessarily.
• 
  
• Are you focusing on the eye area? If targeting crow's feet, check the approved area and specifications together. The Rejuran® line also has small-volume specifications designed specifically for the eye area.
• 
• Does pain tolerance affect your decision? The choice depends on whether the product includes an anesthetic or if separate anesthesia is required.

Conversely, there are things that do not significantly affect the decision. While the two products have different specifications and storage conditions (one at room temperature, the other refrigerated), these are matters of distribution and management, not criteria for the patient's choice.

Limitations and Risks You Should Know

Since both are injection procedures, common injection-related reactions may occur. Pain at the injection site, redness, swelling, and bruising are typical and usually subside over time. In some cases, the injected area may temporarily feel slightly bumpy to the touch.

There are also precautions of a different nature. Since Rejuran HB plus® contains lidocaine, you must inform the medical staff before the procedure if you have ever had a hypersensitivity reaction to local anesthetics or experienced adverse reactions after anesthesia at a dentist, etc. This is not about common side effects, but rather a contraindication that must be filtered out in advance.

Regarding duration, the approval text already provides the answer. Since both products are for "temporary improvement," it is difficult to expect a change that ends with a single procedure. The required number of sessions and intervals depend on skin condition and goals, so these are determined during the consultation.

Finally, regarding authenticity. As this is a large market, products with unclear distribution channels may circulate. Asking to see the packaging of the product being used is not an excessive request, and you can directly check if it is an approved product through the MFDS.

In Summary

Dividing the two products into "regeneration vs. water-glow" is actually confusing. What really separates them are two things: what else is inside and what it is approved for. Adding one more ingredient provides certain benefits but also increases the number of things to verify.

And regardless of which one you choose, what this category does best is addressing skin texture and fine lines. If you also have sagging or volume loss, that is a different story, and repeating procedures without distinguishing between the two is the most wasteful choice.