What is micro-needling?
Skin micro-needling is a minimally invasive technique. Your medical professional creates microscopic punctures on the top layer of your skin with thin needles. Your skin generates more collagen and elastin as a consequence of the damage, which helps stimulate the healing process. These proteins promote the smoothness and firmness of your skin.
For good reason, micro-needling is all the rage in skincare. Rolling a wand or pen fitted with small needles is the method used to make tiny puncture wounds. Even though these wounds are tiny and just skin-deep, your body reacts with alarm and releases healing agents that improve the strength, radiance, and health of your skin.
Micro-needling is most frequently performed on the face, but it may also be done on the legs, back, neck, or other parts of the body where you observe ageing or damaged skin. To get the results you want, you'll probably require many treatments.
How does it work?
Radiofrequency micro-needling employs flow needles as an additional method to deliver radiofrequency radiation to the dermis. The dermis is heated by radiofrequency radiation, which results in collagen synthesis and tissue tightness.
Micro-needling Benefits
After only one micro-needling treatment, micro-needling makes your skin glow and keeps improving the look of your complexion for months. There are several micro-needling benefits. Below are the top 10 examples.
Greatly reduces the Visibility of Lines and Wrinkles
Everyone wants to seem younger rather than older. Yet early ageing, which manifests as wrinkles and fine lines, does just that. A micro-needling treatment causes microscopic injuries that increase collagen and elastin synthesis to battle wrinkles and creases.
Collagen and elastin are molecules found in your skin that give it elasticity, strength, and a youthful look. The ability of your body to repair wounds also promotes the development of new skin cells, which minimises the appearance of forehead wrinkles, crow's feet, and fine lines.
Scar Therapy
Acne and other skin scars can be effectively treated with micro-needling because it increases the synthesis of collagen and elastin. Keloid or raised scars are the only kind of scar that cannot be treated.
UV Damage
Micro-needling protects the skin from the effects of sun damage, especially hyperpigmentation and age spots, which can be decreased using micro-needling. If you have a blotchy, brownish complexion, which is probably the consequence of too many days in the sun, micro-needling can revitalise your look and even out your tone thanks to its ability to produce new collagen and skin cells.
Anti-Ageing
Micro-needling benefits anti-ageing. There are other indications of ageing besides wrinkles and discolouration. Your skin becomes less elastic as you age, making it seem loose. However, ageing skin may appear lifeless and lack a radiant shine. This can be changed by micro-needling.
The formation of collagen in response to microscopic wounds can restore skin texture and prevent drooping. A beautiful, youthful glow also appears 24 hours after a micro-needling treatment.
Pores shrink
While micro-needling involves making microscopic holes in your skin, it doesn't enlarge your pores. In actuality, micro-needling benefits your pores and makes them look a lot smaller. The area surrounding each pore expands as the collagen around it is activated, almost obliterating the pore itself.
Increases the Topical Product's Efficacy on the Skin
Using moisturisers, anti-ageing products, and other topical treatments that improve skin health and look after micro-needling is ideal. Creams, serums, and gels are carried deeper into your dermis and are absorbed more quickly than with conventional applications because of the micro-holes.
Eradicates Stretch Marks
Micro-needling benefits include reducing stretch marks. Nearly every part of your body can benefit from micro-needling. Stretch marks that emerge after times of fast growth, such as during pregnancy, may be less noticeable using this method.
Reduced Risk of Rosacea
Rosacea-related skin thickness and ruddiness can be treated by micro-needling. Collagen deterioration occurs more quickly because of this skin condition. Micro-needling benefits your skin and makes it less irritated and inflamed after micro-needling, which promotes the formation of collagen to stop and replace this breakdown.
Micro-needling for Acne Scars
Micro-needling for acne scars can be used to increase the efficacy of topical therapies for acne because it improves the distribution of topical solutions. Your skin can be cleaned up with a routine micro-needling treatment at Renuvenate.
Safer Than Lasers or Intense Peels; Fewer Side Effects
The micro-needling results of micro-needling are equivalent to those of laser and chemical peel procedures without lengthy downtime. Micro-needling may give you a beautiful complexion for 24 to 72 hours, whereas laser resurfacing may require three to ten days to recover from. 14–21 days are needed for your skin to heal from a medium or intensive peel.
Who can undergo micro-needling?
Medical and cosmetic applications are available for micro-needling. If the following concerns you, you may want to think about micro-needling:
Extra-large pores.
Wrinkles or fine lines.
Sagging or crepey skin (thin and wrinkled).
Minor scars notably burns or acne scars.
An uneven or discoloured skin tone.
Stretch marks.
Also, the technique can benefit those who suffer from conditions like:
Areata alopecia (hair loss due to an autoimmune disease).
Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating)
Sometimes medical professionals will use micro-needling to inject your skin with medication or vaccination. The microneedles can be a component of a patch that individuals apply themselves rather than seeing their doctor for injections.
Who cannot undergo micro-needling?
Talk to your healthcare provider before getting micro-needling if you have:
Acne or are taking medication for acne.
Anticoagulants or have blood problems (drugs that prevent blood clots).
Getting chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer.
Frequent rashes on the skin or cold sores (contact dermatitis).
Keloidal tendency (your skin forms wounds around which are bigger than the actual scar).
Skin tags, moles, freckles, and other bleeder valves or growths that alter in size or shape.
Skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis.
What happens prior to micro-needling?
You meet with a healthcare professional for a consultation before micro-needling. Micro-needling may be carried out by a dermatologist, plastic surgeon, or aesthetician. Verify that whoever does the process has prior expertise with this method.
Your healthcare professional will look at your skin, go over your medical history, and talk with you about the procedure's objectives. In order for you to compare your skin before and after micro-needling, they could also take pictures of the area.
You should use this opportunity to ask any questions you may have regarding micro-needling, such as:
Does it involve any risks or side effects?
Does micro-needling hurt?
How soon will I see the micro-needling results? How long will it last?
Is there downtime after the procedure?
Will one treatment be enough, or will I need more than one micro-needling treatment?
Your doctor could advise you to use vitamin A or C lotion on your skin about a month prior to therapy. The collagen manufacturing process may be boosted by these lotions.
What happens during micro-needling?
A numbing cream or ointment, such as lidocaine gel, is applied after your skin is treated by your healthcare provider. In order to give the ointment enough time to work, they perform this between 30 and 45 minutes before your surgery.
Your medical professional will then make the wounds in your skin using electric equipment or a hand-held roller. Tiny needles are on the roller. Your healthcare professional softly and carefully rolls it over your skin. If the electric tool is used, your skin will be punctured by needles that pulse up and down. On the electric instrument, they may change the needle length. Longer needles penetrate your skin more deeply, which may be important if you have severe acne scars or pockmarks. The length of a needle can vary from 0.5 millimetres to 2 millimetres.
After the micro-needling begins, you can experience warmth or a scratching sensation on your face. If the needles are close to bony parts, such as the cheekbones, some patients experience pain. There may be some bleeding after deep micro-needling.
Depending on the extent of the area that has to be treated, a micro-needling procedure may take anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours.
What happens after micro-needling?
Since micro-needling is an outpatient operation, you can leave the hospital afterwards. The redness and swelling on your skin might last up to five days. An ice pack can ease soreness and irritation. The day following the surgery, the majority of individuals may wear cosmetics, but you should avoid direct sunlight until your skin has healed.
Micro-needling Risks and Healing
Before deciding to give it a try, consider the following:
It won't happen overnight: The change is not immediately apparent. This is because your body is self-healing. Before they see any changes, most patients require many sessions.
Healing period: Depending on how far the needles penetrated your skin, the healing process might take days or weeks.
Redness and pain: Your skin could be red for a few days following the surgery, and you might experience some minor pain.
Peeling: When it heals, your skin could feel tight and start to peel.
Bleeding: Often, bleeding doesn't occur during micro-needling. Yet, deep micro-needling procedures might result in bleeding or bruised skin.
Scarring could occur: For people who have keloids, which are skin scars that resemble huge bubbles, micro-needling is not a good idea. It could aggravate the issue.
Infection: Tiny holes made by micro-needling in the skin might allow germs to enter, especially if the equipment isn't well-cleaned. The risk of infection is, however, quite minimal. An infection from micro-needling is rare if you're healthy.
Home Rollers Vs. Micro-Needling
The professional technique of micro-needling is carried out in a medical office by a board-certified physician. Some people decide on home derma rollers in an effort to save money. Home rollers don't penetrate the skin to layers deep enough to draw blood, in contrast to expert micro-needling.
Even though this can appear like a less painful option, you might not get the same results. Professional micro-needling creates punctures with the aim of rejuvenating the skin. The best that you can expect from a roller device is brighter skin.
A store-bought roller device may not be the best choice if you're looking for long-lasting, more effective effects. If you desire less intrusive and transient outcomes, you can still opt to attempt the latter option.
FAQs:
What are some of the micro-needling benefits?
Your skin's appearance and texture can be improved by micro-needling. It can reduce wrinkles, stretch marks, scars, and other skin problems.
There is no risk of skin discolouration, unlike certain facial rejuvenation procedures that use heat, light, or lasers. Darker skin tones might benefit from micro-needling because of this. One of the most popular uses seems to be micro-needling for acne scars.
What should I expect after micro-needling?
After micro-needling, your skin may burn or feel tight for a few days or weeks. Moreover, some people have dry, flaky skin, which is improved with moisturiser.
Most people require several micro-needling sessions spaced typically 3 to 8 weeks apart. It can take three to six months to notice micro-needling results. The procedure could then require repetition once a year for maintenance.
How frequently should micro-needling be done?
To get the best effects, most people typically need three to six sessions. Each treatment is spaced about a month apart to allow your body time to recuperate and increase the synthesis of collagen and elastin. Your aesthetician may recommend up to 10 treatments if you have age spots, acne pocks, pits, or deep wrinkles in order to restore the vitality of your skin.
What kind of skin care is best after micro-needling?
Following the operation, your skin channels are open and sensitive, so it's recommended to steer clear of the following during your first week of recovery: Sun exposure, retinol and alpha-hydroxy acid-containing skin care products, cosmetics, and sweating
Following micro-needling, you can promote skin healing by consuming collagen-stimulating peptides, applying a cold mask, utilising an antioxidant serum, and staying hydrated.
What differentiates microdermabrasion from micro-needling?
Both micro-needling and microdermabrasion work to make your skin look and feel better. However, needles are not used in microdermabrasion. Instead, a medical professional exfoliates the top layer of your skin using a tool with a rough edge, such as sandpaper. Micro-needling penetrates your skin more deeply than microdermabrasion, so it could be more effective for issues like acne scars that are below the surface.
How long is micro-needling effective?
Outcomes may differ depending on the extent of the skin problem, where it is located, and the chosen micro-needling treatment used. Four to six therapy sessions could be suggested by a doctor. After micro-needling, the skin may continue to produce more collagen for three to six months.
Are the effects of a derma roller lasting?
The effects of a derma roller are not long-lasting. Derma rollers and micro-needling both works on the same principles, but micro-needling penetrates the skin more deeply. To maintain micro-needling results, if you want to use a derma roller at home, you might need to use it more regularly. See a dermatologist to find out what is best for you.
Why should someone on isotretinoin (Accutane) avoid micro-needling?
It is not advised to have a micro-needling treatment done while taking isotretinoin (Accutane), since this might increase the risk of scarring.
Before starting your micro-needling therapy, you should wait at least 6 months after finishing the medication.
We at Renuvenate want to assist you in learning more about the micro-needling benefits. For further information, contact our office or make an appointment using this website.