The difference between salmon DNA and PRP lies in where the substance used comes from and how it acts on the skin: PRP is a plasma prepared from your own blood that contains growth factors, while salmon DNA is a product applied from outside, made of purified DNA fragments of fish origin (polynucleotides). PDRN is the name of one type of these DNA fragments; in other words, it describes the content of the treatments called “salmon DNA”. Both aim to support skin quality, and rather than being alternatives to each other, they can complement each other when needed.
Short definitions
The easiest way to tell the three terms apart is to look at what each one describes: one is the everyday name of a treatment, one is the scientific name of an ingredient, and one is a plasma prepared from your own blood.
What is salmon DNA?
Salmon DNA is the common name of a skin renewal treatment in which small DNA fragments (polynucleotides), obtained from fish DNA and purified, are injected into the skin. The aim is to support the skin’s moisture balance, texture and vitality.
What do PDRN and polynucleotide mean?
Polynucleotide is the general name for the chains of building blocks that make up DNA. PDRN is a term describing polynucleotide fragments of a certain length. Because the content of products called “salmon DNA” in everyday language is described as PDRN or polynucleotide, these terms are often used interchangeably. So the short answer to “is PDRN salmon DNA” is that PDRN describes the active ingredient in salmon DNA treatments.
What is PRP and how is it prepared?
PRP is platelet-rich plasma obtained by separating blood drawn from your arm. The platelets in the plasma contain growth factors that play a role in the tissue’s repair process. The prepared plasma is applied to the skin or scalp in the same session. It is not a product from outside; it is obtained entirely from your own blood.
Comparison table
The table below shows the three concepts side by side on the points that decide the choice.
| Point | Salmon DNA | PDRN / polynucleotide | PRP |
|---|---|---|---|
| What does it describe? | The common name of the treatment | The name of the active ingredient in the treatment | A plasma prepared from your own blood |
| Source | Purified DNA fragments of fish origin | Purified DNA fragments | Your own blood |
| How it works | Aims to support tissue quality by stimulating the skin’s repair process and its structural cells, called fibroblasts | Same as salmon DNA | Aims to support the tissue’s repair process with the growth factors in the platelets |
| Areas of use | Skin quality, moisture, fine lines, around the eyes, neck and décolleté | Same as salmon DNA | Skin quality and hair loss |
| Preparation | A ready-made product is used | A ready-made product is used | Blood is drawn and the plasma is prepared during the session |
| Does it add volume? | No | No | No |
| Session plan | A course of spaced sessions | Same as salmon DNA | A programme of spaced sessions |
Differences in how they work
Both methods aim to support the skin’s own renewal process, but they do it in different ways: PRP delivers the growth factors in your own platelets to the area in concentrated form, while salmon DNA aims to stimulate the skin’s repair mechanisms and structural cells with DNA fragments given from outside.
In practice, what this difference means depends on which need comes first. If the skin’s moisture balance and texture are the priority, salmon DNA may come to the fore; if a treatment prepared from your own blood is preferred, or if hair loss is also part of the picture, PRP may. However, this is only a general direction; the decision is always made after a skin assessment.
Why is salmon DNA neither a “vaccine” nor a filler?
Although salmon DNA is popularly called a “salmon DNA vaccine” or “youth vaccine”, the treatment has nothing to do with vaccination; it does not provide immunity, and the name has stuck only because it is applied by injection into the dermis layer of the skin. Similarly, salmon DNA is not a filler either.
Fillers are used to fill areas of the face that have lost volume or to define contours. Salmon DNA does not add volume or change facial contours; its effect is directed at skin quality and appears over time, as the sessions progress. So the question “salmon DNA or filler” actually describes two different needs. We look separately at the treatments most often confused with salmon DNA in our article on whether salmon DNA and the youth vaccine are the same thing.
What sets PRP apart, preparation from your own blood
The most distinctive feature of PRP is that it contains no product from outside and is prepared entirely from your own blood. This may matter for people who do not want a substance from outside applied to them.
On the other hand, PRP requires blood to be drawn during the session. For people who are uneasy about having blood taken, or who have a blood disorder affecting their platelet count, this can be a limitation. With salmon DNA, a ready-made product is used and no blood is drawn. You can find the areas where PRP is used in detail on our PRP treatment page.
Which one is considered for which need?
The choice depends on your complaint and your expectations. The questions below help you think about which method you are closer to as you prepare for the consultation:
- Does my skin look dry, tired and dull? If moisture and texture are the priority, salmon DNA may be discussed.
- Am I also experiencing hair loss? If support for the scalp is needed, PRP may be part of the plan.
- Would I prefer a product from outside or a plasma prepared from my own blood? This preference can be decisive in choosing between the two methods.
- Am I uneasy about having blood drawn? In that case, salmon DNA may be an easier option.
- Is my main complaint loss of volume? If so, neither salmon DNA nor PRP alone will be enough; other options such as fillers are discussed.
Can they be used together?
Yes, salmon DNA and PRP are not alternatives to each other; when needed, they are treatments that can be considered as complementary within the same plan. Which treatment is done when is sequenced according to the skin’s tolerance and the need.
What matters in combined plans is giving the skin time to rest and being able to follow the effect of each treatment separately. That is why the two treatments are not always done on the same day but are often planned in a sequential programme.
For example, PRP for hair loss may be planned while a course of salmon DNA for skin quality is under way, or the two methods may be used on the face in turn at different times. Which order suits you is decided by looking together at how your skin responds to the first sessions and at your daily schedule.
Session plan and the period after the procedure
Both methods are planned not as a single session but as a programme of spaced sessions; the number of sessions depends on the condition of the skin and how it responds. After the procedure, redness, small bumps and mild swelling may be seen at the needle points; these signs are temporary.
Not touching the treated area in the first days, avoiding saunas, Turkish baths and intense exercise, protecting the skin from the sun and taking a break from products with active ingredients for a while are recommendations that apply to both methods. If unexpected signs such as increasing pain, fever or spreading redness appear, you should let the clinic know.
When are the results noticed?
Neither salmon DNA nor PRP aims to create a marked change right after the first session; because the effect of both is linked to the skin’s own renewal process, it is noticed gradually as the sessions progress. The mild swelling seen in the first days is not the result but a temporary reaction to the treatment.
When assessing the effect, you need to look at the programme as a whole, not at a single session. Photos taken in the same light throughout the course and the assessment at check-up visits are the soundest way to see the change. Sun protection, regular moisturising, enough sleep and staying away from smoking are daily habits that support the effect of both methods.
How is your skin assessed at the consultation?
The first step in choosing the right method is a detailed assessment of your skin type, its moisture, its sensitivity and your complaint. At this meeting your medical history, the medicines and supplements you use, your allergies and any other procedures you have had recently are also discussed.
If you use blood thinners, have a known blood disorder or have an active problem on your skin, which method is suitable, or whether the treatment needs to be postponed, is decided on the basis of this information. Your expectations are also heard, and what the chosen method will and will not change is explained openly.
What to ask your doctor before deciding
To make the choice easier, you can ask these questions at the consultation: Which method is recommended for my skin and why? How many sessions are planned and at what intervals? Would considering the two methods together add anything for me? What change should I expect, and over what period?
Because Özel Demiderm Polikliniği offers both salmon DNA treatment and PRP, the two methods can be compared in the same consultation. Dr. Özlem Şahan is part of the medical aesthetics team of the clinic, whose founder is Hülya Demiral; consultations can be held in Turkish and English. To discuss the method that suits you, you can send your skin assessment request through our contact page.
