The fountain of youth may be hiding in the graveyard.
As Americans embrace cadaver fat to enhance their curves, South Korea’s latest anti-aging obsession is taking the dead-body craze even further, using human skin donated from corpses to help turn back the clock.
But don’t book your flight just yet. While the treatment isn’t currently approved for use in the US, some providers are already offering it — and the company behind the controversial procedure is hoping to officially bring it stateside next year.
Known as Elravie Re2O — short for “return to your 20s” — the injectable goes through an extensive transformation before it ever reaches a patient’s face.
The process begins with skin recovered from deceased donors in the US, which is sent to a lab and stripped of all cellular material. What remains is a purified framework called the extracellular matrix, or ECM.
The final product contains a preserved network of human collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid and adhesive glycoproteins that acts as a natural scaffold, giving recipients’ own skin cells a structure to attach to and grow within.
“It’s just the skin tissue with all the cells stripped out in order to prevent immune rejection and allergic side effects,” Kim Han-saem, chief dermatologist at Seoul’s DoD Dermatology Clinic, who has administered Re2O since it was introduced in late 2024, told Bloomberg.
Once processed, the product can be injected into the face and neck, helping soften fine lines, tighten pores and create a foundation where the body’s own cells can regenerate.
That puts Elravie Re2O in a different category from popular skin boosters like Rejuran, which work by kick-starting the skin’s own elastin and collagen production. Rather than simply signaling the skin to repair itself, the next-generation treatment provides a structural scaffold designed to help rebuild its underlying foundation.
“Many patients are seeking treatments that create healthier, stronger, more resilient skin rather than simply adding volume or creating an overfilled appearance,” Dr. Eunice Park, a dual board certified facial plastic & reconstructive surgeon, told Women Wear Daily.
So far, many patients say they’re impressed with the results.
“By the end of the second week post treatment, I noticed a distinct change in the tactile feel of my face. When I touched my skin, it felt incredibly sleek and polished, almost like the friction had been dialed down,” one Reddit user wrote in a thread about Korean beauty trends.
“By the six week point, the pore refinement was undeniable. My foundation was gliding on without settling into those tiny pits around my nose and cheeks, which is the ultimate win for someone with my skin type.”
For Sara Yoon (@madeinkorea____), who received the treatment at Relieve Clinic in Apgujeong, the effects were even stronger than Rejuran.
“If you’re a little bit older like myself, and you have drier and thinner skin, Re2O is the way to go,” Yoon said in an Instagram Reel. “I also think that you will see more immediate results.”
Yoon said she had numbing cream applied before the injections and rated the pain at about a 1 out of 10. But not everyone has had the same experience.
“I wish I was sedated, because it hurts as f—k,” NamVo (@namvoglow), a makeup artist who had Re2O done at Laurel Clinic in Seoul, said in a TikTok. “But honey, by day three, I was looking like a newborn baby dumpling. As much hell as it was, I would 100% do it again.”
But not everyone is totally on board.
Critics have raised concerns about whether human tissue should be used for cosmetic enhancements when the same materials may be needed for important reconstructive procedures, including breast reconstruction and burn treatment.
Beyond the ethical debate, there are also lingering questions about Re2O’s long-term safety and how long its effects actually last.
“While the treatment seems safe based on Korean studies, all patients considering any medical treatment should consult with a qualified plastic surgeon or dermatologist prior, understanding the risks and benefits for each procedure,” said Park, who is the founder of Airem, a Korean beauty-inspired medical aesthetic spa in NYC.
As of today, Re2O has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the US. However, some providers are administering it anyway — including several med spas in New York City.
L&C Bio Co., the small Korean biotech company that makes Re2O, told Bloomberg it hopes to officially bring the treatment to the US market in 2027. Beyond South Korea, it is currently available in Singapore and Japan.
Read the full article here
