Skin Treatments in Istanbul · Hydrafacial, PRP and Somon DNA Explained (2026)

Short version: Turkish clinic menus use names you will not recognise. Somon DNA is polynucleotides, the salmon-DNA skin booster sold as Rejuran in Korea. Gençlik aşısı (“youth vaccine”) is a marketing word for injected skin boosters. Dermapen is microneedling. Somon DNA costs about 10,000 to 50,000 TL for a course, a Hydrafacial about 2,500 to 4,000 TL a session. Anything with a needle should be done by a doctor in a licensed clinic.

Turkish clinics are not allowed to publish prices (a November 2025 rule), so the figures below come from Turkish price guides published online. We are collecting our own quotes and will add them with the date. We are not paid by any clinic.

Turkish clinic menu, translated

On the Turkish menu	What it is	Needle?
Somon DNA	Polynucleotide skin booster from salmon DNA (PN, PDRN; brand example: Rejuran)	Yes
Gençlik aşısı	”Youth vaccine”: a marketing term for injected skin boosters, often somon DNA	Yes
Mezoterapi	Mesotherapy: many small injections of a vitamin or hyaluronic acid mix	Yes
PRP	Platelet-rich plasma: your own blood, spun and re-injected	Yes
Dermapen	Microneedling with a pen device	Micro-needles
Profhilo	Hyaluronic acid skin booster, same name as abroad	Yes
Botoks	Botox and other botulinum toxins, see our Botox guide	Yes
Dolgu / dudak dolgusu	Filler / lip filler	Yes
Hydrafacial	Suction-based cleansing and serum facial	No
Cilt bakımı / medikal cilt bakımı	Facial / medical facial	No
Leke tedavisi	Pigmentation (dark spot) treatment, often laser or peel	Varies
Lazer epilasyon	Laser hair removal	No
Seans / kür	Session / course of sessions	–

What it costs (2026)

Treatment	Price range (TL)	Notes
Somon DNA, full course	10,000 to 50,000	Depends on area and 2 to 4 sessions (Doku Clinic, 2026)
Hydrafacial, one session	2,500 to 4,000	Istanbul; 3 sessions 6,000 to 9,500 (Cilt ve Estetik)
Hydrafacial with PRP	5,000 to 7,500	Same source
PRP, mezoterapi, dermapen	Not yet listed	We have not found a reliable 2026 range; we will add our own quotes

Ask every clinic the same three questions: is this per session or for the course, which product brand is it, and who does it (doctor or beautician)?

Somon DNA: what it actually is

Somon DNA is the Turkish name for polynucleotide injections. The product is made from DNA fragments extracted from salmon and injected into the skin to improve hydration, texture and elasticity. Korea made it famous; Korea’s tourism organisation describes Rejuran, the best-known brand, as a polynucleotide from salmon DNA and says skin boosters are the most popular clinic treatment in Korea right now. In the UK the same category is sold as “polynucleotides”.

• A course, not one visit. Clinics usually plan two to four sessions a few weeks apart. If you are only in Istanbul for a week, you may only get one.
• Brand matters. Turkish clinics stress that products of different quality are on the market. Ask for the brand name and look it up.
• Area changes the price. Face only is cheapest. Face, neck and décolleté together costs more.

Hydrafacial

Hydrafacial is a branded device facial: cleansing, gentle exfoliation and suction, then serums. There are no needles and little or no downtime, so it is easy to fit into a trip. Two things to check:

• Is it an original HydraFacial machine? Turkish clinics warn that cheap offers often use copy devices and unapproved solutions.
• Clinic or salon? Hydrafacial is also offered in beauty salons. It is not an injection, but the medical clinics charge more for doing it under a doctor.

Safety: the rule of thumb

• Anything injected should be done by a doctor in a licensed clinic. Under Turkish rules, injections are medical procedures; beauticians may not inject. See the Botox guide for how the 2025 rule change widened which doctors may do them.
• Ask what is in the syringe. “Gençlik aşısı” or “youth cocktail” is not an answer. Ask for the product name.
• Heat after treatment. Clinics usually tell you to avoid saunas and steam for a day or two after injections or microneedling. Book the hamam before, not after.

Related guides

• Botox in Istanbul: prices, rules, what to check
• English-speaking dermatologists in Istanbul
• Healthcare in Istanbul for foreigners

Notes

This page is general information, not medical advice. We are not paid by any clinic and do not refer patients. Prices are ranges from the dated sources below, not quotes. If you had one of these treatments in Istanbul recently, what you paid helps other readers: hello@nomadistanbul.com.