Microneedling is a treatment in which small punctures are produced in the skin by tiny needles, usually attached to a vibrating pen or rolling device. Your skin then launches repair processes. Similar to the pixelated effect seen in fractionated laser, needling affects small intermittent zones of the skin. Both fractionated lasers and needling improve skin tone and texture without excessive downtime, but microneedling heals more predictably, with less likelihood of complications such as burns from lasers. Also, needling can be used in darker skin types where a laser is not advised.
Are there Different Types of Microneedling?
Yes. You may have seen micro needling rollers for sale for home use, or heard your local spa advertise microneedling. The degree of benefit depends in part on the depth of the small needles. Medical microneedling is achieved with longer needles that penetrate deeper in the dermis, which stimulates more deposition of collagen and better results.
What are the benefits of microneedling?
When your skin starts repairing itself, many chemicals are released by the tissue, and collagen and elastin are laid down. This can improve:
- Pore size
- Acne scars and other minor scarring
- Fine lines
- Stretch marks
In the following areas:
- Forehead
- Smoker’s lines around eh mouth
- Crow’s feet and crepiness around eyes
- Cheeks
- Necklace lines on the neck
- Décolletage lines
What should you expect from a Medical microneedling treatment?
Avoid things like anti-inflammatories before the treatment that can predispose to bleeding or bruising. To begin, a topical numbing cream is applied to your skin for ten to fifteen minutes, after which the skin is cleansed with antiseptic. The procedure is then done and feels like a strong vibration over the surface of the skin. Most of our patients do not find the procedure painful, though some discomfort can be experienced in specific sensitive areas, such as around the mouth. Numbing cream can be used in these areas before treatment to improve comfort. There is some redness after microneedling, and this does mean some downtime. You won’t want to make plans right after the procedure, and likely will have some persistent redness for a couple of days. By day three you can cover any residual redness with cover up.
How many and how often will you need to have a treatment?
The number of treatments depends on the goal of treatment, but typically 3 treatments are recommended to start with, in 4-6-week intervals with maintenance treatments every 6-9 months.
Who Should Carry Out the Procedure?
Medical microneedling, with significant depth of needles, should only be carried out by a medical practitioner. At our clinic, only Dr. Weinberg and our nurse Chris perform microneedling.
When can you expect to see results from microneedling?
The effects of microneedling can take 6 to 12 weeks to begin to be visible, and full benefits an take some months.
Are there Contraindications to microneedling?
Microneedling can be considered in all skin hues but should be avoided in anyone who has active inflammation, infection or high skin sensitivity such as impetigo, active acne or rosacea, or eczema. People who are known to scar badly, or specifically those who lay down pigment readily on healing, need to be carefully evaluated before deciding on microneedling.
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