Going Viral
How South Korean Salmon Sperm Facials Became America’s Latest Beauty Obsession
Celebrity endorsements and TikTok buzz helped turn injections of fish DNA into a med-spa juggernaut.
Photo Illustration: Ryan Haskins for Bloomberg Businessweek; Photos: Rejuran; Getty Images
Sally Kim was dealing with hormonal acne last fall when her aesthetician in Orange County, California, suggested an odd-sounding treatment: a salmon sperm facial. The name gave Kim pause, but after reading online about the supposed skin-clearing benefits of the procedure’s “bio-stimulation,” she decided to give it a go. That’s when the needles came out.