Microneedling: Everything You Need to Know
Trauma helps the skin.
It may be an apocryphal story, but it is based on the truth.
One day, tired of listening to his girlfriend express her frustration with her complexion and the failure of dermatologic techniques to improve her skin, a paint and body technician decided to use the technology he used to refinish automobiles prior to painting them—he sanded her down.
And it worked.
This is how microdermabrasion was born—the use of particulate matter to abrade the skin. Microdermabrasion was popularized in the late 90s and we were the first in this area to have this powerful system which has become a standard for almost all spas and all skin care practioners in the treatment of wrinkles, scars, and acne.
What is microneedling?
About 20 years ago, an article appeared from Germany that caught my attention—even greater trauma to the skin created by multiple needle punctures could address scars, acne, wrinkles and even cellulite safely.
Since that time, a variety of devices have been developed that do just that—they puncture the skin in multiple locations.
The trauma of the injury in both instances causes our bodies to produce collagen and elastin in response to the injury as part of the healing process. And these complex proteins are the very things our skin loses as we age.
Microneedling has gained the name collagen induction therapy for this reason. And it works.
What are the benefits of microneedling?
Microneedling has also been shown to:
- Smooth wrinkles and fine lines
- Improve skin texture
- Relax scars
- Improve depressed acne scarring
- Improve stretch marks
- Help with skin tightening
What can I expect during the procedure?
In our office, the skin is first numbed with a topical agent, then cleansed. Additional treatments are performed and then we begin the microneedling treatment. It is minimally uncomfortable, and the skin is red after the treatment. 100 percent of the time we apply a stimulating biologic serum to the skin and you leave our office with very red skin that looks like a bad sunburn that lasts about a day. Here at W Cosmetic Surgery, we use a variety of microneedling systems, including the Skinpen, Dermafrac and the Dermapen.
Our Aestheticians use these more advanced devices and work with you to develop an at home skin care program after your treatment that produces additional improvements.
What will recovery look like & how long will results last?
The micro-channels heal rapidly so downtime is minimal- one day or even less. You can wear makeup the following day of the treatment.
While it takes 6 weeks for new collagen to form and about 3-6 months for the full effect of the treatments, our patients all say that after the initial treatment that their skin has a “glow”, feels tighter, and fine lines are diminished. We recommend a series of 4-6 treatments for maximum effect.
For a more agressive microneedling treatment that can tighten lower lids, help tighten skin sagging around your neck , chin and jowls, as well as your troublesome body parts, microneedling can be combined with an energy treatment using a device such as Intracel or the Morpheus8. We have used these technologies a nd have had very good results over the past 7 years.
Can I buy a microneedling device for home treatment?
The basic microneedling system is just a bunch of needles of a certain controlled length from 0.25mm to 2.5 mm Attached to a roller. It looks like a medieval torture device You can actually buy these online—they are everywhere along with instructions on Youtube for how to use them, but buyer beware.
These online devices for at-home microneedling can cause problems including cause skin tears and infections … and sometimes produce unsatisfying results. We have many patients that say they have a device like that at home. …That they don’t use!! …Because it hurts!! …Or because they used it for a bit and saw minimal results …or developed a complication.
In our office, the skin is first numbed with a topical agent, then cleansed. Additional treatments are performed and then we begin the microneedling treatment. It is minimally uncomfortable, and the skin is red after the treatment. 100 percent of the time we apply a stimulating biologic serum to the skin and you leave our office with very red skin that looks like a bad sunburn that lasts about a day. Here at W Cosmetic Surgery, we use a variety of microneedling systems, including the Skinpen, Dermafrac and the Dermapen.
Our Aestheticians use these more advanced devices and work with you to develop an at home skin care program after your treatment that produces additional improvements.
Can I combine microneedling with other cosmetic procedures?
The tiny wounds created by the microneedles also create micro-channels which remain open in the skin for at least 30 minutes after a treatment and which disrupt the skin barrier, which allow therapeutic serums to penetrate better into the skin and under the skin. So, for example, retin A, a compound we know to improve skin quality, can have a more beneficial effect because it can be delivered more deeply.
Likewise, when we treat hair loss or hair thinning, microneedling facilitates the delivery of minoxidil and other hair growth products. Microneedling alone is touted to improve hairgrowth because it stimulates the skin—imagine the increased benefit when these products get to where the action is and produce a more exuberant response.
We also use a variety of regenerative products to supplement our treatments including platelet rich plasma. (PRP)– which contains at least 7 factors that are beneficial to skin. Microneedling with PRP also may help reduce dark circles under the eyes, especially when combined with conventional skin lightening therapies.
Microneedling can also be performed after a peel or fractional or fully abliative laser, treatment to enhance the result. What do we do? We microneedle a growth factor onto the skin to help healing .
Why trust W Skin Studio at W Cosmetic for my microneedling procedure?
So many offices have these devices and patients come in and say “it didn’t work on me”. We have over 18 years’ experience in skin care and assure you that we can make it work. Out treatments are designed to produce results that we can show you! To help provide you more insight, we’ve included a video below of exactly what the microneedling process looks like here at W Skin Studio at W Cosmetic.
Please call today to ask about this wonderful treatment. Don’t let your collagen go away without a fight! Fill out the form below to schedule a personalized consultation or call (610) 828- 8880.
