As the season winds down and we start to notice the effects that the “fun in the sun” days have left behind,we look at our skin and see dull looking, sun damaged skin. Late summer/early fall is a perfect time to start a series of microneedling treatments.
Microneedling uses a pen with a small head that contains 20+ needles on the tip that pierces the skin at a high power at a certain depth to the superficial layer of your skin thousands of times over a few seconds. Your body then heals these tiny wounds with its own natural healing process. After your treatment has been completed it is then best to apply any topical antioxidants that will then penetrate deep into the freshly made channels into the skin to headl and rejuvenate the skin.
- So, microneedling stimulates collagen production and improves the texture and appearance of the skin naturally since it is using your body’s own healing mechanisms. Unlike chemical peels, microneedling doesn’t make you more susceptible to a sunburn, and while we still encourage you to use your SPF daily, you don’t need to avoid sun exposure after a microneedling treatment.
Our medical microneedling pen goes much deeper than any home versions, up to 2mm in depth as opposed to 0.25 to 0.5mm for the at-home versions. At this level we can treat acne scars, age spots, hyperpigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles, scars, stretch marks, large pores and under eye circles.
- Microneedling is an adjustable treatment that can be performed on their own with just a topical hyaluronic acid to aid in the treatment; however, it is also very common for these treatments to be combined with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) from your own blood as well. This combo of Microneedling + PRP is commonly referred to as the Blood Facial or Vampire Facial. In this case your blood is first drawn, and the platelets are then separated and used onto the face. Platelet-rich-plasma enhances the benefits of microneedling by improving your skin tone and texture and making skin firmer and tighter. If you are suffering from hyperpigmentation, adding a PRP to your microneedling treatment is a great idea. However, after the treatment, expect some redness that can last anywhere from 1-4 days depending on depth and area treated.
- Microneedling increases the effectiveness of your skin care products as it creates micro channels making it easier for antioxidants and other ingredients to reach deeper layers of your skin.