Kim Kardashian has revealed she has tried a new beauty trend that involves injecting salmon sperm into her face.
During an episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians, the 43-year-old told her mother Kris Jenner on set: “I had a salmon sperm facial and they injected salmon sperm into my face.”
In addition to Botox-like effects, salmon sperm injections, also known as polynucleotides, are said to give clients a “baby face” and rejuvenated skin.
Kris couldn’t help but laugh at Kim, who is no stranger to the odd facial treatment, but the treatment, which can cost around £400, can have some unwanted side effects.
According to proponents of this anti-wrinkle treatment, the beauty trend can leave skin bruised and covered in blood spots. However, beauty nurses offering the treatment insist the bruising is only temporary.
Kim Kardashian reveals a shocking new beauty treatment she just tried on the new episode of The Kardashians
Kris couldn’t help but laugh, although it seems Kim isn’t the only celebrity who has tried this strange technique.
One TikTok user with almost 10,000 followers who received the treatment said she “looked like an absolute lunatic at dinner.”
She showed her post-injection face, which was covered in small bumps, dried blood spots and small bruises.
“Basically, salmon sperm equals baby face and this is what I have to go through for now,” he said.
“I have little pimples and bruises on my face, but beauty is pain, isn’t it?”
A Surrey-based cosmetic nurse with just over 1,000 followers also posted her face just after receiving under-eye treatment.
Although the video showed her eyes were visibly swollen, she said the treatment caused her “minimal” pain and that she “could barely feel it.”
She added that she had a “small swelling” that decreased that night and disappeared completely on the third day.
Another TikTok video posted by someone with more than 4,800 followers showed her receiving the injections at a clinic.
Afterwards, her face was covered in lumps and blood. However, at the end of the video she shared that her skin was blemish-free and completely healed.
Sharing her experience on TikTok, @donatsuyang, who has more than 9,900 followers, said she “looked like an absolute lunatic at dinner” because she had “dried blood and bruises” on her face.
A Surrey-based beauty nurse from @the_art_of_beauty with just over 1,000 followers also posted a video of her face just after receiving the under-eye treatment. She said she had a “small amount of swelling which went down that night and was completely gone by the third day.”
Another TikTok video posted by @hi.vega, who has more than 4,800 followers, shows her receiving the injections at a clinic. After the treatment, her face is lumpy and covered in blood.
Proponents say polynucleotides offer a “natural” alternative to other traditional “touch-ups” such as Botox and fillers.
Some doctors say it’s safer than other injectable cosmetic products, which have been linked to a range of complications, including blocked blood vessels, lumpy skin and infections.
Purified and sterilized DNA molecules extracted from salmon or trout sperm, known as polynucleotides, are generally used, which have anti-inflammatory effects.
South Korea’s beauty sector has been using the treatment for more than a decade, but it’s now gaining popularity among Western celebrities, including Jennifer Aniston, who told The Wall Street Journal she’s taking advantage of its skin-rejuvenating qualities.
When polynucleotides, DNA molecules extracted from fish sperm, are injected into human skin, fibroblasts are activated.
Fibroblasts are elastic molecules found in the skin that help maintain the structure of the tissue. As we age, these fibroblasts decrease.
So when polynucleotides are injected under the eyes, into the cheekbones, or into the neck, they theoretically “rejuvenate” the skin.
The popular fish-shaped injectable has been a staple skincare treatment in South Korea for over a decade and now celebrities like Jennifer Aniston (pictured) are cashing in on its skin-rejuvenating qualities.
The beauty treatment uses purified and sterilised DNA molecules extracted from salmon or trout sperm (pictured), known as polynucleotides, and some doctors claim it is safer than other cosmetic injectables.
Although they are “safer” than fillers or Botox, they are still painful and can cause bruising, experts warn.
Emma Wedgwood, a cosmetic nurse who works at a Harley Street clinic and offers the treatment, compares the initial side effect of bumpy skin to “bee stings”.
But she told MailOnline that this swelling goes away within a day or two.
“Sometimes you get bruises depending on where you inject yourself,” he said.
‘Generally, it is the more delicate areas, such as the eyes, that are most susceptible.
“But it’s not the same as with filler, where it’s quite likely that bruising will occur and it’s an advantage if there aren’t any, with polynucleotides it’s the other way around.”
Once the swelling has gone down and the skin begins to heal, it may still take months before the full wrinkle-removing effects are seen.
Ms Wedgwood said: ‘It can be frustrating for the patient because they have to wait.
“It takes three to six months to see the full effects, so it’s not a job that can be done overnight.”
Cosmetic nurse Amanda Azzopardi also offers polynucleotides (pictured, a patient) and explains that because a very fine needle is used and the product is not thick, bruising “should not be extensive”.
Cosmetic nurse Amanda Azzopardi also offers polynucleotides at her clinics in London, Liverpool and North Wales. She explains that the injections cause bruising on the skin, like any other injectable.
Because a very fine needle is used and the product is not thick, the bruises “should not be very large,” she says.
But patients should be warned that the area will sting for about a minute and that the bruise may take a week to heal.
“It’s still an injectable treatment,” he told MailOnline.
“Therefore, you will have minor side effects, such as redness, bruising and swelling, which will last for about a week. There is no risk of vascular occlusion.”
However, there is always a risk of an allergic reaction. Ms Azzopardi said you should ask about allergies at your doctor’s office and raise whether you have a fish allergy.