You have most likely seen the instagram ads for microneedling. They promise youthful and rejuvenated skin. But can hundreds of tiny needles pricks actually make your skin look better? The answer is yes.
What is microneedling?
Microneedling is a technique that involves using multiple tiny, sterile needles to puncture the skin and cause physical trauma. This trauma prompts the deeper layers of the skin to rebuild and produce a substance called collagen.
Collagen is a protein that serves as one of the main building blocks for your skin – it is what keeps your skin from sagging and wrinkling – giving you a plump youthful look. It also helps to erase discoloration and sun damage
Pinpricks from the microneedling cause the skin to respond by making new collagen-rich skin resulting in much improvement in wrinkles, acne scarring, skin pigment issues, rosacea and skin looseness. The result is improvement in overall skin tone and texture.
What skin problems does it address?
The procedure will cause an improvement in fine lines, loose skin, skin pigment changes, rosacea, sun damage, acne scars, and overall skin tone and texture. It will also provide overall rejuvenation to the skin.
Is it painful?
Before the treatment a topical anesthetic is applied. Also, the needle depth can be adjusted for a more comfortable procedure.
What about before and after care?
Avoid sun exposure for 24 hours before and 72 hours after the procedure. Stop all retinol products for 24 hours before the procedure. Avoid all facial treatments for one month following the procedure. Your provider will provide you with specific products to be used when you go home – be very careful to use only those products. There may be ingredients in your usual skincare products that would be harmful after microneedling and it is very important to avoid those ingredients.
How many treatments will I need for this to be fully effective?
It is recommended that you have 3 treatments done each one month apart, then one treatment per year for best results