Many people ask, about the fine lines around the eyes and on the forehead, "Should I get a skinbooster, or should I get toxin?" But the first thing we check in the consultation room is not the name of the procedure — it is where that wrinkle started. Even for fine lines that appear in the same spot, when the cause is different the direction we take is different.
Why the approach differs even for the same eye-area wrinkle
Fine lines around the eyes and on the forehead may look similar on the surface, but their actual cause varies from person to person. The degree of skin dryness, the skin texture, pore condition, whether elasticity has declined, and the depth of the wrinkle all differ. That is why the suitable approach can differ even for wrinkles that look alike.
It is easier to understand if we divide the causes broadly into two.
- Thin, tiny fine lines that form as the skin becomes dry and loses elasticity — a skinbooster such as Rejuran or Retigen, which replenishes the skin's inner moisture, regeneration, and elasticity environment, can help.
- Wrinkles that set in from muscle movement when you make an expression — botulinum toxin, which directly controls muscle movement, may be more suitable.
If you apply the same procedure to every fine line without a clear standard, it may not match the cause and you may find it hard to feel as much change as you expected. That is why, when considering a treatment for fine lines, we recommend checking not only the clinic's location, cost, and downtime, but also whether the procedure fits the cause of your own wrinkles. We have addressed this same point from a similar angle in why the procedure differs depending on the type of wrinkle.
What kind of fine lines suit Rejuran and Retigen
Rejuran and Retigen are representative skinboosters, working in a way that replenishes the skin's inner moisture, regeneration, and elasticity environment. They can help with thin, tiny fine lines that stem from dryness or a loss of elasticity, and you can also expect a positive influence on improving skin texture.
Both procedures act directly on the skin's inner environment, but their ingredients and characteristics differ, so the suitable choice varies with the skin's condition. Which skinbooster suits you better is best decided after comprehensively checking your skin's dryness, pore condition, wrinkle depth, and so on.
A skinbooster can be used on its own, but if the cause is complex or a loss of elasticity is present as well, combining it with another procedure also becomes something to consider. A procedure's effect and response can differ depending on an individual's skin condition, and whether a procedure is applied is decided through a consultation with the medical staff.
There is a rumor going around that with Rejuran "the more painfully you take it, the better," but in the consultation room, rather than the intensity of the pain, we first look at whether that wrinkle is of a nature to be handled with a skinbooster. If you are curious about the relationship between pain and effect, you may also read the criteria for checking Rejuran's effect and pain before the procedure alongside this.
The difference in ingredients between Rejuran and Retigen alone does not determine the result. Even with the same product, the response varies depending on whether it is designed with the strength and number of sessions suited to your own skin, and we have explained this part in a little more detail in why Rejuran's effect varies from person to person.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask comfortably through get a consultation by chat now.
If a loss of elasticity is present too, should you add Oligio Kiss
If, along with fine lines, a loss of facial elasticity is on your mind, rather than approaching it with a skinbooster alone, you can also think about combining it with a procedure that can manage skin texture, fine lines, and elasticity together. A representative choice is combining it with Oligio Kiss.
Oligio Kiss is a procedure that stimulates collagen production by delivering radiofrequency and ultrasound energy even to fine areas, and it can help tidy up skin texture, pores, and small elasticity changes together. Replenishing the skin's inner moisture and regeneration environment with Rejuran or Retigen, and then refining texture and pores with Oligio Kiss, can help with comprehensive management. We have organized how we recommend Oligio Kiss differently from other lifting procedures in why we recommend Oligio Kiss and ONDA lifting differently.
That said, combining is not always the right answer. If we organize how to pair procedures according to the cause, it divides up like this.
| Main cause | Consider first | Whether to combine |
|---|---|---|
| Dry, thin fine lines | Rejuran / Retigen skinbooster | Possible on its own |
| Accompanied by texture, pore, elasticity decline | Skinbooster plus Oligio Kiss | Combination worth considering |
| Facial-expression muscle movement | Botulinum toxin | Review combining if the causes overlap |
Even for the same procedure, the result differs depending on how you design the combination and intensity suited to your own skin. Rather than which procedure you receive, it helps to look together at by what standard the procedure is composed.
The order for sorting out the cause in a consultation
When determining the direction for fine lines in the consultation room, we roughly follow this order.
- First we distinguish whether the wrinkle stems from dryness or whether facial-expression muscle movement is the main cause.
- We carefully examine the skin texture, pore condition, and whether elasticity has declined.
- We design together whether to go with one procedure alone, whether to combine, and in what order to proceed.
If you skip this process and decide on the procedure name first, it may diverge from the cause and lower satisfaction. If pores concern you as well, cases where a combination of Retigen and Oligio X is needed can also serve as a reference.
Precautions to check before a fine-line procedure
The effect and response of each procedure — Rejuran, Retigen, Oligio Kiss, botulinum toxin, and so on — can differ depending on an individual's skin condition. Swelling, redness, bruising, or pain may appear at the treated area, and in the case of botulinum toxin, a temporary change in muscle movement may occur.
Whether a procedure is applied and how it is combined must be decided through the medical staff's examination and consultation, and it is important to receive sufficient consultation before the procedure. Because the suitable procedure differs depending on whether the cause of your wrinkles is dryness or facial-expression muscle movement, identifying the cause comes first.
Realistic factors such as cost, downtime, and clinic location are of course important too. But it is better for the process of checking whether the procedure fits your skin condition and the cause of your wrinkles to come ahead of those. We recommend looking together at the standard for designing the procedure rather than the type of procedure. If distinguishing the cause feels ambiguous, feel free to inquire with a photo through get a consultation by chat.
Frequently asked questions
Can I see an effect on fine lines around the eyes and forehead with a skinbooster alone?
If they are thin, tiny fine lines caused by dryness or a loss of elasticity, a skinbooster such as Rejuran or Retigen can help. However, when facial-expression muscle movement is the main cause, botulinum toxin may be more suitable than a skinbooster, and since the approach differs depending on the cause, it is better to receive a consultation with the medical staff first.
What is the difference between Rejuran and Retigen?
Both procedures are skinboosters that replenish the skin's inner moisture, regeneration, and elasticity environment, but there are differences in their ingredients and characteristics. Which product suits you better is best decided through a consultation with the medical staff after comprehensively checking your skin's dryness, pore condition, wrinkle depth, and so on.
What combination is good for improving fine lines and loss of elasticity together?
When a loss of elasticity is accompanying, you can consider replenishing the skin's inner moisture and regeneration environment with Rejuran or Retigen and combining a procedure that stimulates collagen production, such as Oligio Kiss. Since the suitable combination differs depending on an individual's skin condition, it is important that the procedure design be decided through a consultation with the medical staff.
Can there be swelling or a reaction after a skinbooster procedure?
Swelling, redness, bruising, or pain may appear temporarily at the treated area, and the response can differ depending on an individual's skin condition. If botulinum toxin is combined, a temporary change in muscle movement may occur, so we recommend receiving sufficient consultation from the medical staff before the procedure.
What is the first standard to check when choosing a fine-line procedure?
Rather than which procedure you receive, it is important to first identify what the cause of your fine lines is. Whether the cause is dryness or a loss of elasticity, or facial-expression muscle movement, changes which procedure is suitable, and it also helps to check together by what standard the procedure is designed.
Recovery and downtime
Skinboosters such as Rejuran and Retigen, and botulinum toxin, are done with fine injections, so swelling, redness, a tingling sensation, or small bruises may appear at the treated area. These reactions tend to subside within a few days, with individual variation depending on your skin condition. Procedures that use radiofrequency and ultrasound energy, such as Oligio Kiss, may bring a brief feeling of warmth or redness right afterward, but are reported to allow a relatively quick return to daily life. Botulinum toxin may involve a temporary change in muscle movement. Because the recovery pattern and its length differ by the type, intensity, and area of the procedure, we recommend confirming the specific course in a consultation with the medical staff beforehand.
How the cost is made up
The cost of a fine-line procedure is hard to state as a single fixed amount. It is composed differently depending on which skinbooster is used (products such as Rejuran or Retigen), the scope and area of the procedure (around the eyes, the forehead, and so on), whether it is combined with another procedure such as Oligio Kiss, and whether aftercare and any repeat-session plan are included. That is why, even for a procedure with the same name, what is quoted can differ depending on how it is designed. The exact cost is given through a consultation after your skin condition is checked, and if you are curious you may inquire in advance through get a consultation by chat.
Visiting Korea for treatment
On Clinic is located near Sinnonhyeon and Gangnam Station, within easy walking distance of the subway, which is convenient if you are visiting Korea. Consultation is available in multiple languages with interpretation support, so before your visit you can organize your questions and share photos of your eye-area and forehead fine lines through get a consultation by chat. Feel free to ask about booking and consultation comfortably by chat.
Written by: Dr. Oh Seung-min (Chief Director of On Clinic, graduate of Seoul National University College of Medicine, Chair of the Academic Committee of the Korean Society for Laser Dermatology and Trichology). You can find his detailed background at Meet Our Medical Staff.
First published 2026-06-14 / Last reviewed 2026-07-09
This article is intended for general informational purposes; the treatment and results suitable for you may vary depending on your individual condition.
