How Ozempic Is Fueling the Rise of Cadaver-Derived Injectables

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been reporting on beauty for over a decade or because I spend a lot of time in Seoul—a global epicenter for skin care innovations—but I am not easily impressed or fazed. So when Rejuran, the famed “salmon sperm facial,” first came onto my radar, I didn’t bat an eye. What’s fishy about injecting DNA fragments from salmon sperm into your skin—if it’s highly purified? I thought. But when I learned that Re2O, the latest injectable to sweep through Seoul’s skin clinics, is derived from cadaver tissue, I felt, well, icky. Despite its source material, Re2O has taken off on TikTok with creators proclaiming that it can “transform your skin.”

Around the same time, I noticed conversations around other cadaver-derived injectables—fat-based treatments like AlloClae and Lipoderma—beginning to pick up in the U.S., fueled in part by online speculation that influencer Alix Earle had undergone one of the procedures. (She has not confirmed this.) This helped push what had largely been a niche corner of aesthetics into the spotlight, raising questions about what these treatments are, who they’re for, and why they’re suddenly capturing people’s attention.

Plastic surgeons say one major force driving interest in these treatments is the explosion of GLP-1s. “We are seeing more patients than ever on these medications. As a result, many of them have developed ‘Ozempic face’ (hollowing of cheeks, more noticeable nasolabial folds, and skin laxity that can accompany rapid weight loss), as well as deflation of body parts like the breasts and buttocks,” says Ran Stark, MD, FACS, a double board-certified plastic surgeon in Philadelphia.

“Consequently, they come to us seeking ways to restore lost volume. And since many of them no longer have enough fat to graft [from their own bodies], demand for alternatives like AlloClae and Lipoderma has increased,” he adds. Here’s what I learned as I went down the rabbit hole and even tried one of these new treatments myself.

What are cadaver-derived injections?

Cadaver-derived injectables are made from donated human tissue that’s rigorously screened and processed to remove living cells and other cellular material that might trigger an immune response. The products vary in both what they contain and what they’re designed to do.

AlloClae and Lipoderma are “composed of both fat cells and extracellular matrix (ECM), which is made of collagen, elastin, and other proteins. Think of ECM as a naturally occurring framework—like a honeycomb—that helps hold cells throughout your body,” says Carey Campbell, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Philadelphia. Although the donated fat cells themselves aren’t “alive” when injected, Campbell explains that the body gradually grows new blood vessels into the graft. Human acellular dermal matrix (hADM) boosters are also gaining popularity in Korea. Often referred to as ECM boosters, they include products such as Re2O by Elravie and CellREDM by Hans Biomed. Unlike fat-derived injectables, which are designed to restore lost volume, ECM boosters are primarily intended to improve skin quality. They work by promoting tissue remodeling and collagen production, says Y. Claire Chang, a board-certified, fellowship-trained cosmetic dermatologist in New York.

At first glance, these Korean boosters may sound similar to other collagen-stimulating injectables such as Sculptra, but the difference lies in the approach. Collagen, the protein in your skin that helps keep it firm and smooth, declines by about 1.0 to 1.5 percent a year as we age. Injectables such as Sculptra aim to combat this loss by stimulating the skin’s own fibroblasts, the cells that generate collagen. ECM boosters like Re2O, on the other hand, don’t contain fibroblasts, as these are removed during processing. Instead, they deliver components of the skin’s extracellular matrix—specifically, collagen, elastin, and glycosaminoglycans (naturally occurring molecules that help retain moisture)—directly into the dermis. Because Re2O collagen is purified, it may help minimize the risk of an inflammatory response. In other words, Sculptra and other biostimulators prompt the skin to make more collagen, while ECM boosters provide some of the components that naturally surround and support the cells that produce it in the first place.

“More patients are looking for improvements in skin quality, not just changes in volume or contour,” says Tae-oh Park, founder and head physician of Relieve Clinic in Seoul. “With Re2O, we’re supporting the skin’s own ability to rebuild, helping it look and feel healthier over time.”

How should you choose between cadaver-derived injectables?

If the goal is improving texture, elasticity, and overall skin quality in the face, an ECM booster like Re2O may be appropriate. If the goal is restoring lost volume, particularly for larger areas of the body, such as the hips or buttocks, a fat-derived injectable such as AlloClae may be a better fit.

For many plastic surgeons, the gold standard for replacing lost volume is still autologous fat grafting, which transfers fat from one part of a patient’s body to another. “[Products like] AlloClae essentially solve that problem. It gives those patients access to fat grafting without needing a donor site,” says Goretti Ho Taghva, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Newport Beach, California.

Even within cadaver-derived fat products, the applications are different. As Stark explains, “AlloClae is more of a structural fat used for body contouring in areas that need added volume, like hip dips, deflated breasts, or other areas of irregularity. Lipoderma, on the other hand, is used more for smaller areas of fat depletion, such as the face, temples, cheeks, hands, and breasts.”

For fine lines and early facial volume loss, many surgeons still reach for hyaluronic acid fillers or collagen biostimulators like Sculptra because they’re less of a commitment and, in the case of hyaluronic acid fillers, reversible. “AlloClae’s intended use is for the body only,” says Taghva. “A facial formulation hasn’t come to market yet.”

What is it like to get cadaver-derived injectables?

“I first heard about Re2O last year from a dermatologist in Gangnam,” says Sara Yoon, a Seoul-based influencer who started documenting her aesthetic journey after moving to Korea in 2023. “He had tried it himself and seen great results. When he told me it was a better option for people with older, thinner, or maturing skin, I was like, ‘Sign me up!’”

“About a week or so after getting Re2O, I noticed a more even skin tone, and everything looked a bit smoother and brighter. It wasn’t this dramatic, glass skin before/after moment that people sometimes post about—I just remember thinking, My skin is looking good right now. It was enough of a difference that I’d try it again,” Yoon shares.

After talking to Yoon and several doctors, I cautiously decided to try Re2O myself. The treatment itself was surprisingly painless. I’ve tried a few injectable boosters throughout my time in Seoul, and some of them (like Skin Botox, wherein small doses of neuromodulators are injected just below the surface of your skin, and Rejuran) were spicy enough to make me tear up (OK, cry silently). In comparison, I barely registered any pain with Re2O, which Dr. Park adeptly administered by hand, working across my face in dozens of uniform pricks. Reviews I read said the treatment would be painful, so I wasn’t sure if my virtually pain-free experience was the Re2O itself, Park’s skill, the strength of the numbing cream, or all of the above. The downtime was equally minimal: I had a few small bumps along my cheeks that completely disappeared by the next morning, and one or two light bruises around my chin that could be covered with a few dabs of cushion compact.

In the days that followed, I noticed the subtle differences Yoon had described during our conversation: a slightly more even tone, skin that felt a bit smoother in a way that made makeup apply and wear better, and a well-rested appearance despite a string of late nights and early mornings. It wasn’t a drastic change by any means, but I immediately understood why treatments like Re2O have become so popular.

As Park explained during my appointment, some effects like hydration and glow may be noticed relatively quickly, while changes in texture, elasticity, and skin density tend to develop over the following weeks. A month out, I can confirm this was all true.

Is it okay to use cadaver-derived injections?

“Many of my patients feel more reassured once I tell them that the material goes through strict donor consent procedures, screening for infectious diseases, and controlled manufacturing processes,” says Park.

Additionally, acellular human tissue has been used for years in reconstructive surgery and burn care. “We’ve used cadaver-based tissue products in medicine for a very long time,” adds Campbell. “Tendon grafts, bone grafts, skin, corneas, and heart valves are harvested for use in orthopedics, spine surgery, burn reconstruction, breast cancer reconstruction, and cardiac and ophthalmologic surgeries.”

But aesthetic medicine has a different context and application, Chang explains. While hyaluronic acid fillers have decades of safety data and, in many cases, can be dissolved if needed, newer biologic matrices have a much shorter history in cosmetic use. “More large, randomized controlled clinical trials are needed to support their efficacy and safety in humans,” she adds, “particularly as questions remain around long-term durability, delayed inflammatory reactions, immune responses, and how these materials behave after repeated cosmetic treatments over many years.”

The science also raises broader ethical questions. Does the use of donated human tissue for elective cosmetic procedures cross a line? “I think that’s a question society is still actively working through,” says Jenna Queller, a board-certified dermatologist in Boca Raton, Florida. “Using donor tissue in reconstructive medicine to restore function after trauma or disease feels very different to many people than using it electively for cosmetic enhancement. But medicine often evolves faster than cultural comfort levels, and many cosmetic procedures that once sounded extreme eventually became normalized.” To her point, some widely used neuromodulators contain human-derived ingredients, such as albumin, while some exosome-based products use materials derived from human cell cultures.

Would I get Re2O again? I haven’t ruled it out. Before trying it, the idea of injecting cadaver-derived treatments into my face was something I couldn’t quite get past. But after reporting this story and seeing the results for myself, I understand it in a way I didn’t before. Whether that’s enough to make me a repeat patient is something I’m still figuring out. Maybe that’s the most honest conclusion I can give right now: I’m still not entirely comfortable with the idea, but I’m also no longer dismissing it.