Micro-Needling

Wrinkles,  acne scars, enlarged pores, and stretch marks can make people feel  self-conscious about the uneven appearance of their skin. Dermatologists  have a variety of devices and medications at their disposal to help  improve these skin conditions—from lasers to chemical peels to  microdermabrasion. Another minimally invasive option is microneedling, though the thought of needles may make you cringe,  microneedling is not painful. Generally a topical  anesthetic cream is applied beforehand to help numb the area being treated. It has  few side effects other than temporary redness and swelling  post-treatment. Microneedling typically has a shorter recovery time  compared to the lasers or chemical peels that are also used to help  resurface the skin and improve its texture.   

Microneedling is offered to treat a variety of cosmetic  skin conditions. “The way our skin looks is a big part of how people  perceive us. “Patients have high satisfaction when they can improve the appearance of their skin and eliminate signs of aging.”   

“Microneedling is an exciting treatment that has very little downtime but visible results,”  

By creating tiny channels through the skin, allowing us to infuse  serums and active ingredients more efficiently, this treatment will  stimulate collagen production and improve skin texture and tone.

Microneedling,  also called percutaneous collagen induction therapy, is performed using  a handheld, drum- or pen-shaped device, electrically powered, with tiny  needles that make precise, microscopic punctures in the skin. These  “micro-injuries” do not leave scars; they work by helping to stimulate  the skin to repair itself naturally through a process called dermal  remodeling. 

This process starts with inflammation, which  stimulates the skin to produce new collagen (the elastic fibers that  make skin tight, smooth, and youthful). Collagen levels in the skin  decline as we age, and new collagen can be produced when the skin is in  repair mode.   

Three to five monthly or biweekly treatments are recommended to  achieve desired results. Through a series of sessions, microneedling  can increase elastic skin fibers. Microneedling also helps the epidermis  (the outermost layer of skin), which naturally thins with age, become  thicker and tauter.

Microneedling is used to treat a variety of skin conditions that cause depressions in the skin such as acne scarring,  surgical scars, other scars, burns, enlarged pores, wrinkles, and  stretch marks. (The procedure is less effective on deep, narrow  “ice-pick” acne scars than on broader ones.)   

Microneedling does not deliver heat to the skin like lasers do. As a result, people who  have melasma (dark patches of skin) and hyperpigmentation (dark spots on  the skin) can undergo microneedling without the risk of worsening  pigmentation problems. (Darker skin is susceptible to pigmentation  changes as a post-inflammatory response.)   

Microneedling is  sometimes used to help topical skin treatments to penetrate the skin  more effectively. For example, microneedling is sometimes performed  before application of minoxidil, used to treat common hair loss  (androgenic alopecia, which affects both men and women).

There  are a few temporary side effects to be aware of with microneedling. The  procedure causes short-term swelling, redness, and skin flaking, which  can last for a few days. Most people can return to wearing regular  makeup within a day of treatment. Skin will be more sun-sensitive after  treatment, so sunscreen is also advised.   

Microneedling may  worsen active breakouts, so people with active inflammatory acne or oral herpes should not be treated with microneedling until the lesions have  cleared. Those with a history of oral herpes may be prescribed an oral  antiviral medication for one week following treatment because the  procedure may stimulate a new cold sore.